Max Poole is one of the most promising young British riders in stage races, sunny and determined, he could truly take his PicNic Postnl team far. In Italy, we already know him very well, in 2023 and 2025 he won the white jersey for best young rider at the Tour of The Alps, sending a clear signal for the future, and then there was the Giro where he tried to battle with the general classification leaders, nearly breaking into the top ten. These are important results that came in a very complicated season, which show us an athlete who absolutely refuses to give up.

Max Poole's 2025 was more than turbulent. After a good start at the Volta Algarve in Portugal, the British rider fell at Strade Bianche and had to deal with a collarbone fracture which was recovered in record time. It was a difficult first part of the season, but positive in results and which hinted at an excellent and decisive test at the Vuelta. No such luck for Poole, who due to the Epstein Barr virus had to close shop earlier than expected and start thinking about 2026. "My 2025 was quite complicated. At Strade Bianche I fell and broke my collarbone, and from that moment I had to constantly chase my form. The most important race of the season was the Giro, so I accelerated my recovery and arrived at Tour of The Alps with a lot of desire to test myself. I was still recovering, but fortunately my legs started turning well, I gained confidence on the climbs and I was at the start of the pink race truly determined. I don't think I was ever really at my best, but I'm still satisfied with my results. In many stages I was up front fighting, and the top ten was within reach. However, in the second part of the season everything changed. I started feeling unwell, couldn't push, and just before the Vuelta I raised the white flag. I took time to recover, immediately understanding that I shouldn't rush but rather reset everything and start thinking about 2026. My winter preparation went very well, I can't wait to return to the Giro to test myself," explains the young Max, who now feels more motivated than ever to recover from a far from fortunate season. For 2026, the goal is more than clear: to improve and reach good form, but above all to return to the Giro d'Italia, with which he feels he has unfinished business. Last year he literally fell in love with it, all thanks to the landscapes and especially the fans who cheered him on roadside, making him live a dream. On the climbs, he tested himself, understood what it means to fight with the best, and this time he wants to do it being at his top, without hitches, but with the best possible condition to understand if winning a grand tour could be a possible project.

2026 for Team PicNic Postnl will be somewhat different. The Dutch team, orphaned of the young talent Oscar Onley who migrated to Team Ineos, could find in Max Poole their man for grand tours. At 22 years old, the Briton would represent not just a valid alternative, but a new face to bet on. "In these years with Picnic, I feel I've grown a lot, I'm more aware of my abilities, but I believe there's still much to do. The team never put pressure on me, gave me time and space to evolve, and I'm happy they want to focus on me. I'm discovering myself little by little, I'm good uphill, but I'm not a pure climber, and I think this is something we can work on, turning it to my advantage. I still have a lot to learn, but I feel ready to tackle a grand tour with the general classification in mind. I want to do well, commit myself, and also try to manage a team by working with my teammates," Max explains, making us wonder: is he already ready to assault the top 5 of a grand tour? He responds more than sincerely: he doesn't know, but the pink race will be the right platform to discover this. What's certain is that general classifications will be his large-scale objective. He has shown he has the numbers; now everyone awaits confirmation, including himself, to better understand his path.

In his now four years with Team Picnic Postnl, Max Poole feels he has truly learned a lot, especially how to become a rider with clear ideas in his head. Cycling is a passion taking him far, and thinking about where it all began makes him more than smile. "My father was always passionate about cycling, but was never a real athlete. He would pedal, but worked as a window washer. Then one day he took me to a local club, a kind of bike park where kids trained, and there I was fascinated. I wanted to try. For some years I did both cycling and football, but at a certain point I had to choose, and at that moment the bike was the path I wanted to follow." Max recounted how step by step he made himself known until landing in the top team of the Dutch formation. "One of the riders I appreciate most is Connor Swift, who has incredible dedication in everything he does. In the team, I immediately found in Romain Bardet a point of reference. He was a great athlete with experience in all grand tours, and his example truly motivated me to grow as a person too," continues Max Poole, who has no doubts in identifying the first turning point in his career: the Tour de Langkawi. In 2024, the British rider won the general classification of the Malaysian stage race, his first career success that made him understand what his path could be. He doesn't yet have a gigantic dream to follow, but would only want to be the best version of himself, both as a boy and as an athlete - only thus can he truly aim high.

As happened in 2025, Max Poole's season will start from Volta Algarve in Portugal and then continue with Paris-Nice, his appetizer towards the Giro d'Italia, and if his form is at its best, he will also be at the start of the Vuelta.