With the official announcement of the eight selected riders for the Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, all the cyclists who will participate in the upcoming Tour de France 2026 are now known, set to start from Barcelona, Spain on July 4th. The captain is obviously British rider Tom Pidcock, who will lead a selection of cyclists ready to support him in the most complicated stages and to launch attacks on their own. 

The eight selected riders

They certainly won't be favorites for the team time trial at the Grand Départ in Barcelona for the next Tour de France 2026, but the new light blue jersey of the Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team - at its first ever participation - will likely be seen frequently at the front of the peloton. This is thanks to a selection of versatile riders who adapt well to the many mixed finishes and numerous breakaway opportunities of the next edition of the Grande Boucle. Here are the selected riders: Tom Pidcock (United Kingdom) Xabier Mikel Azparren (Spain) Chris Harper (Australia) Quinten Hermans (Belgium) Damien Howson (Australia) Xandro Meurisse (Belgium) Brent Van Moer (Belgium) Fred Wright (United Kingdom).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (@pinarello_q36.5procycling)

Strong from a convincing victory at the recent Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica event and mindful of his third place finish in the 2026 Vuelta a España general classification, Tom Pidcock is the jewel in the crown of a team described as "Versatile, capable of competing on every terrain, combining proven experience in Grand Tours with riders able to support the race leader, target breakaways and fight for stage victories during the three weeks". Here we have the spirited new British champion Fred Wright, alongside Belgians Quinten Hermans and Xandro Meurisse to shine in mixed finishes. Australian Chris Harper is a breakaway specialist, especially in the most difficult stages as demonstrated last year with his victory in the queen stage of the Giro d'Italia at Sestriere. Completing the picture is fellow Australian Damien Howson who will work in the mountains and the powerful Belgian Brent Van Moer for the flat stages alongside Spaniard Xabier Mikel Azparren.