Tom Pidcock crossed the line in seventh place at the Men’s Elite Road Race during Sunday’s UCI Road World Championships, and he did so with an unexpected piece of equipment on his bike: wheels from Partington, a relatively obscure Australian manufacturer.
Although Pidcock’s Pinarello-Q36.5 squad has an official wheel sponsorship with Zipp, the British cyclist opted to run Partington’s R-Series wheels on his Pinarello Dogma F for the race held in Montreal.
Peter Nicholson, a principal at Double Digital Communications, the marketing firm representing Partington, explained that Pidcock selected the R-Series wheels because they offered an ideal combination of “power transfer, low weight, and aerodynamics.”
“In short, he went with them based on how they perform, as he was chasing every possible edge for one of his key objectives this season,” Nicholson stated.
Two Wheel Variants Used During the Race
According to Nicholson, Pidcock rode two different versions of the R-Series wheelset during the event, both featuring 50mm-deep rims.
The British rider began the race on the R-Series Performance wheels, but following a crash with roughly 80km remaining, he moved to a bike equipped with the R-Series Performance Ti wheels.
The Performance Ti version comes with a number of enhancements over the standard Performance model. It incorporates titanium hardware and a titanium ratchet system, along with ceramic bearings.
While Pidcock normally races on Zipp’s 454 NSW wheels, the R-Series option presents a clear numerical benefit. Zipp lists the 454 NSW wheelset at a claimed 1,428g, while Partington states its R-Series Performance wheels come in at 1,200g.
Partington’s wheels also feature carbon spokes rather than the steel spokes found on Zipp’s offering. Beyond the weight savings, this could have given Pidcock a stiffer, more responsive ride quality. The hubs on Partington’s R-Series wheels provide 68 points of engagement.
With a 23mm internal rim width, Partington’s wheels are engineered for use with 30mm tyres, and Pidcock chose Vittoria Pro Corsa tyres in that width at the Worlds, consistent with his team’s tyre sponsor.
Built by Hand as a Complete System
Nicholson further emphasized that Partington’s R-Series wheels are “hand-built as a complete system.”
“From the Perform hub to the Flexon continuous carbon fiber spokes to the Multi-Material Composite AERON Carbon Fiber Rim with PMI foam core, every wheelset provides a comprehensive performance gain—something that simply cannot be achieved with off-the-shelf parts,” Nicholson explained.
During most of the racing calendar, riders typically conceal any non-sponsor equipment using tape or permanent marker—a practice that dates back to the early days of the Castelli Gabba. At the World Championships, however, competitors are permitted to use alternative gear since they are racing for their national teams rather than their trade squads.
That said, Nicholson noted that Pidcock’s connection to Partington came about through Pinarello-Q36.5.
“Partington and Tom share several mutual connections through some of his current sponsors, including Pinarello, Q36.5, and Amacx,” he said.
