Doug Ryder ready to take Pinarello-Q36.5 into the WorldTour if early opportunity arises: 'No questions asked'

Pinarello-Q36.5 are targeting a promotion to the WorldTour after establishing themselves as one of the strongest teams outside of cycling’s top division, with team principal Doug Ryder outlining the team’s ambitions as a guest on the Domestique Hotseat.

The Swiss ProTeam enjoyed a strong 2026 campaign, climbing from 19th to 12th in the UCI team rankings and finishing ahead of seven WorldTour teams. 

Their position as the leading 2026 ProTeam also ensures invitations to all major 2027 WorldTour events, including all three Grand Tours where they made their mark this year, with a ninth-place finish at the Tour de France via Tom Pidcock, and a Vuelta a España stage win courtesy of Eddie Dunbar.

Pinarello Q36.5’s ambitions come at a time of uncertainty surrounding the composition of the WorldTour for next season. 

Picnic PostNL, who sits 30th in the 2026 UCI team rankings, told Domestique in late October that it still needed to provide information relating to the finalisation of a technical partnership for next season, following the bankruptcy of the parent company of its current supplier, Lapierre. 

Jayco AlUla had a delay with their bank guarantee have confirmed their WorldTour ambitions for 2027. 

Picnic said they were continuing to complete their registration and have recently confirmed a number of riding signings. The UCI set to publish its final list of registered teams on 8 December. 

Pinarello-Q36.5 are currently on track for WorldTour promotion in the next three-year promotion and relegation cycle in 2029, having established themselves within the top 18 of the UCI team rankings this season. 

However the team would also welcome an earlier opportunity to make the step up, with Ryder making clear the Swiss team would strongly consider the possibility if a WorldTour place became available. 

Pinarello-Q36.5 did not apply for WorldTour status in 2027, meaning the team can’t automatically step into any vacancy, while the UCI could also decide against awarding an additional licence, limiting the 2027 WorldTour teams to 17. 

“Look, if it was presented to us, we would sit down together as a management team and look at all the pros and cons. I mean none of us wants anything to happen to them [Picnic PostNL] because we need teams and we need them as a team as well in the sport," Ryder said on the Domestique Hotseat. 

"But, should it be presented to us? Absolutely, would we take it. No questions asked. I don’t think we would turn it down."

“But I think the UCI might potentially retain a licence until the next cycle. It's up to them if they wanted to do that, and that would also be fine. It gives the event organisers another wildcard team that they could choose to bring into their races, which is also good for the sport and good for the race organisers potentially."

WorldTour status comes with its significant advantages beyond clear access to the biggest races, particularly when it comes to recruitment, commercial opportunities and long-term planning, all of which can help the team continue to develop. Teams are usually given a three-year WorldTour licence. 

“For sure, it’s better to be in the WorldTour. The stability, that pressure that comes off an annual performance target on your back. It gives you a better opportunity to plan. It actually even reduces operational costs in a team,” Ryder said.

“You know that you’re guaranteed to be in these events, so that you can make better decisions without making potentially some ad hoc and last-minute decisions. It does help in recruitment, it does help in giving stability to riders. So it takes the pressure off mentally, operationally, and that's a good thing.”

Ryder, who has plenty of experience managing at WorldTour level, highlighted the commercial importance of being in cycling’s premier division, having experienced the highs of joining the WorldTour as Dimension Data in 2016 before losing their status as Qhubeka NextHash at the end of 2021.

“The sport is so much about ego and putting the best riders in the best races to create the best return, the best visibility, the greatest global reach. Being a WorldTour team just elevates you in the status of a team and helps with partners and commercially.”

"Right now, we're in a really fortunate position. But we're almost in an annual promotion and relegation situation, and that's fine. It happens in all sports. I don't think it's wrong or bad for cycling to have annual promotion and relegation. If everybody's in the same boat, that's fine. But, of course, being a WorldTour team is premium."

Regardless of their current licence outside of the WorldTour, Ryder insists that the team's immediate approach does not change. 

“We just do whatever we have to do every single day to be better and to improve,” he said.

Listen to the full Domestique Hotseat episode with Doug Ryder 👇