"Tom, we're going." The small staff that follows Tom pidcock is about to leave the hotel in Albstadt, where The day before, the young British rider returned to success in the MTB World CupAny minute now, he's supposed to get off and board the bus that will take him to Nove Mesto. When he appears in the lobby, everyone is shocked, because Tom is fully equipped to ride his bike. "Go ahead, I'll see you there." That means Pidcock will have to cover 190 kilometres and more than 2.000 metres of altitude difference, at a leisurely pace but not too much, averaging 32 kilometres per hour.He stopped about 200 kilometers from the destination, joined by his entourage.
An almost announced encore
It is not the first time Pidders, his nickname, does something like that, in fact his choice was also a bit superstitious, because he had done the same thing last year and the Czech stage ended with his sensational success at the expense of Mathieu Van der Poel. All things considered, his choice was a good one, because the following Sunday in Nove Mesto he did it again. He beat another up-and-coming young mountain biker, Romanian Vlad Dascalu, in a stunning sprint. He also contained the furious comeback of Swiss world champion Nino Schurter, who climbed from 17th to third place on the final lap after a crash.
The example of Ferrand Prevot
Two wins in a row. Pidcock's spring campaign on fat wheels hasn't been bad and many are still wondering why he isn't at the Giro, as a support but perhaps also an alternative to Carapaz, recalling what he was capable of at the 2020 U23 Giro. The British rider's choice wasn't a stopgap, but a deliberate one. This year, he has an idea in mind, one that matured in the hours immediately following his victory in the cyclocross rainbow jersey in distant Fayetteville.
«No one has ever won three rainbow jerseys in three specialties in the same year, but Pauline Ferrand Prevot She did it among the women, in the sense that she happened to be world champion at the same time. Not me, I really want to win the title in the same calendar year in cyclocross, mountain biking, and road racing, to be the first to achieve this triple crown in cycling."
A taste of pavé
His schedule has therefore been constructed accordingly and for this reason Pidcock will be at the Tour de FranceThe purpose and prospects for this remain to be seen, but it's clear that he cares. The day after the Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he made a long excursion with Kwiatkowski on the route of the fifth stage, the one with the cobblestonesBy his own admission, the British rider still doesn't feel at ease in stage races. One-day races are better, where he has already shown his worth: "The matter is a bit more complex, however," he said the day after the gastric problems which have effectively invalidated his Northern campaign – in my opinion, racing bikes are more competitive, but due to my physique and build, I am more suited to mountain biking."
The champion of the Ineos he also knows very well that his future must be on the road. Keeping your foot in different stirrups cannot last long. Van Aert and Van Der Poel themselves have noticed this first-hand and are gradually decreasing their off-road appearances. Pidcock is younger and has taken his time, partly because he wants to achieve his goals: "I won't increase my mountain biking," he emphasized after his victory in Nove Mesto, "so I won't be pursuing the World Cup. I'll definitely be at the World Championships, and the Tour de France will help me prepare for them, building the necessary endurance base. Then I'll return to the road and head to the Tour of Great Britain to get ready for the Road World Championships in Wollongong."
Things will change after 2024
The Australian route is indeed suited to sprinters, but on closer inspection, a rider with his characteristics should be perfectly at ease on that route, perhaps thinking of a decisive breakaway with a few riders in which to make his move count. For this reason the iron must be struck now, this train passes now, then he will make his decisions, always keeping in mind that in Paris 2024 he absolutely wants to defend his Olympic title in mountain biking.He'll probably then dedicate himself full-time to the road, and they'll finally see what his limits are. Ineos, however, is willing to give him time; in the meantime, his contract has been extended until 2027...
