• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Tom 'Pidders' Pidcock

Page 24 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
LOL I was just coming in to say this kid’s hype was justified there‘s already Pidders/Remco fights.

Pidders is for real. You dont win like that on Alpe d’huez (the most important Climb in the cycling world) otherwise. He did it on the biggest stage of the year. What a ride. This kid is impressive and extremely likeable (a compliment I don’t hand out lightly to Ineos riders)
 
To be fair, he could probably take 10 minutes off Remco in a single descent.
Well thank the lord you're being fair.

He said in his interview he dropped that time the day before on purpose so he'd have a chance of getting in the break on the Alpe D'Huez stage
Not buying that. He was top 10 in GC. He could have been a tactical asset to Thomas. Only if he felt/knew he wouldn't be able to follow, would it make sense to lose additional time.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Carrick-On-Seine
According to his personal trainer, Kurt Bogaerts, who's been working with him for several years, his ultimate dream is to become world champ in all 3 disciplines (road, CX, XC) preferably in the same year. They want to keep working the way they've been doing. Steadily without skipping steps, regardless of his results in the Tour. Doesn't rule out he could be a contender for GC in the TDF in the future, but they still need to figure out where his limits lie.
 
Sidenote: I remember when Miguel Martinez changed from XCO to road and they 'figured out' he needs to lose muscle mass from his upper body, he was about 50kg and 1.64m ..Maybe times have changed, dunno if they told anything like that to Pidcock when he went to BabyGiro etc. :D
Pidcock is skinnier than a lot of the current GC guys, so probably not. He's pretty much built like a very short Froome when he's in peak shape.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
Pidcock is skinnier than a lot of the current GC guys, so probably not. He's pretty much built like a very short Froome when he's in peak shape.
How can you tell? Him being short, light and slim by nature doesn't necessarily mean he is skinnier (fat percentage). For all we know he could still lose some fat without it becoming an issue. He certainly doesn't look unhealthy at the moment to me. He doesn't appear skinnier than Vingegaard or Pogacar, just shorter mainly, and he doesn't have broad shoulders or a wide chest. I can't think of many GC guys that look less ''skinny''.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
How can you tell? Him being short, light and slim by nature doesn't necessarily mean he is skinnier (fat percentage). For all we know he could still lose some fat without it becoming an issue. He certainly doesn't look unhealthy at the moment to me. He doesn't appear skinnier than Vingegaard or Pogacar, just shorter mainly, and he doesn't have broad shoulders or a wide chest. I can't think of many GC guys that look less ''skinny''.
Looking at images and comparing. Also skinner imo doesn't at all equal body fat % and wasn't what I was referring to in a reply to a comment talking about another MTB'er who was told to lose muscle mass. At least in the ways I've ever seen it used, skinny is commonly used to refer to a combination muscle size and body fat % (basically literally the physical circumference of people's limbs/torso). I was primarily referring to Pidcock's upper body muscle mass though.

Anyway, right now, I think he could definitely be leaner, as he doesn't look at the level of body fat he had at the Olympics. I should have clarified that I meant in peak shape in the first sentence. IMO, riders like Pogacar, Thomas, Carapaz, Almeida etc. appear to be noticeably less lean in peak shape and have larger upper body musculature. He looks more similar to Roglic and Valverde body fat % wise imo.
 
Last edited:
According to his personal trainer, Kurt Bogaerts, who's been working with him for several years, his ultimate dream is to become world champ in all 3 disciplines (road, CX, XC) preferably in the same year. They want to keep working the way they've been doing. Steadily without skipping steps, regardless of his results in the Tour. Doesn't rule out he could be a contender for GC in the TDF in the future, but they still need to figure out where his limits lie.

He's got a good a chance as he'll get for a while this year perhaps? He's still a way behind Van Aert and MVDP in CX, and might never reach their level in that discipline? But they both skipped this year's Worlds so that was the first leg achieved. Hasn't raced much in MTB this season, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he won the Worlds next weekend. On the road though, I find it difficult to think of Worlds course where he beats Van Aert? Unless it has an insanely difficult descent just before the finish :)
 
Was funny Pidcock corrected himself to Jill Douglas where she asks him what's left for him this season and he said "well there's a couple of world titles to go" and then quickly said "championships". Winning all 3 concurrently is already in his subconscious. He reminds me of LeMond a bit, has it all planned out what he's going to win already.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
A course like the Brabantse Pijl or the Amstel Gold Race of course.

Good points. I suppose Pidcock's illness during this spring, and Van Aert's focus on the road this year, helped me forget that they were fairly well-matched in a couple of races last season, Plus, of course, Pidcock rode away from WVA and MVDP at the Worlds. WVA was ridiculously impressive at the Tour, but maybe I should ease off on drawing comparisons till Pidcock has something like a full road season, which won't be for a couple of years at least?

Anyway, for those who may not be aware, second leg of the potential treble is tomorrow with the MTB Worlds at 1400(?) CET. Available on Redbull TV for everyone, but also on GCN/Eurosport.