Giulio Ciccone will join Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team from 2027 after signing a three-year contract through the end of 2029.
The move confirms the destination that had been expected since Lidl-Trek announced that Ciccone would leave at the end of the 2026 season. The Italian had been under contract with Lidl-Trek through 2029, but the two sides agreed an early separation after eight seasons together.
For Pinarello-Q36.5, the signing adds another proven climbing and Classics leader alongside Tom Pidcock. Ciccone arrives after one of the strongest seasons of his career, capped by third place at Il Lombardia in his final race for Lidl-Trek.
Photo Credit: AFP/GettyThree-year deal confirms Ciccone’s Lidl-Trek exit
Ciccone’s departure from Lidl-Trek had already been confirmed before Il Lombardia, with the team describing the race as the end of his eight-season spell in the structure. ProCyclingUK reported at the time that Pinarello-Q36.5 was the expected destination, but the new announcement removes the final uncertainty.
The 31-year-old will now begin a new chapter with a team that has steadily increased its Grand Tour and one-day ambitions. Ciccone gives Pinarello-Q36.5 another rider capable of leading in the high mountains while also competing deep into the biggest hilly Classics.
His role should complement Pidcock rather than simply duplicate it. Ciccone is strongest on sustained climbing and hard one-day terrain, while Pidcock offers more speed and versatility across shorter, more explosive finishes. That gives the team more freedom to race aggressively when both are present.
Ciccone leaves Lidl-Trek after a strong 2026 season
Ciccone’s final year with Lidl-Trek contained several major results. He wore the maglia rosa at the Giro d’Italia after Stage 4 and later secured the mountains classification, adding another blue jersey to his career record.
He also finished second at the GP Québec, took silver in the European Championships road race and ended his Lidl-Trek career with third at Il Lombardia behind Paul Seixas and Enric Mas. ProCyclingUK’s Il Lombardia report covered the final race of that chapter.
Those results underline why Pinarello-Q36.5 were willing to commit for three seasons. Ciccone remains capable of winning from reduced groups, attacking on steep climbs and targeting stage races where the general classification is decided by repeated climbing rather than long time trials.
Photo Credit: GettyPinarello-Q36.5 continue ambitious 2027 build
Ciccone is the latest major addition to a Pinarello-Q36.5 roster that has been growing quickly ahead of 2027. The team have already brought in riders including Ethan Hayter, Mauro Schmid, Andrew August, Liam O’Brien and Davide Ballerini while retaining several key members of the existing squad.
The Ciccone signing is different from many of those moves because he arrives as an established leader rather than a rider being developed for the future. His record includes Giro d’Italia stage wins, mountains classifications at both the Giro and Tour de France, victory at the Clásica San Sebastián and multiple Monument podiums.
Pinarello-Q36.5 now have another rider capable of starting major stage races and hilly Classics with genuine leadership responsibility. Ciccone’s three-year deal takes him through the end of 2029 and gives the team one of the strongest climbing signings of the 2027 transfer market.
