Tom 'Pidders' Pidcock

[JohnWayne]

Well, it can't be December. He rode Namur on December 20th, after having won in Gavere on December 13th. No way we went between weekends from Belgium to UK back to Belgium with all the covid restrictions in place.

You are right, that can't be right. Here's the Strava run: https://www.strava.com/activities/4748319774

It says 18th December 2020 as date, but the time of activity starts at around 1222:22:53. 1222 hours is 51 days. Add that to 18th December and you get 6th February.

I think we can conclude that he needs to get a new watch

 

[Ricco']

You are right, that can't be right. Here's the Strava run: https://www.strava.com/activities/4748319774

It says 18th December 2020 as date, but the time of activity starts at around 1222:22:53. 1222 hours is 51 days. Add that to 18th December and you get 6th February.

I think we can conclude that he needs to get a new watch

Not a good advert for the new Wahoo watch.

 

[OlavEH]

I must admit I'm really looking forward to seeing this guy in bigger races. Even though Remco is probably an even more unique talent, I can't remember any talents who first wins PR juniors and espoirs, wins the baby Giro after winning all the toughest mountain stages the following year, and then continues by beating a top rider like Van der Poel in cyclocross.

The 20s could potentially be a much better decade for cycling than the last decade:

Van der Poel vs Van Aert in the classics
Roglic vs Pogacar in GTs. And hopefully Remco will soon join in.
If Bernal reaches his full potential as a climber, he will also be a major player.
And last but not least, we have Pidcock who could potentially do anything.

 

[Leinster]

You are right, that can't be right. Here's the Strava run: https://www.strava.com/activities/4748319774

It says 18th December 2020 as date, but the time of activity starts at around 1222:22:53. 1222 hours is 51 days. Add that to 18th December and you get 6th February.

I think we can conclude that he needs to get a new watch

He's going to pretty extreme measures for the equivalent of "See mum? It's not woooorrr-kiiiiinnngg, I neeeeeeed a new Wahoo, and I can't wait for my birthday! I need it nooooooooow, or all the boys at Ineos are going to laugh at me!"

 

[slosada]

He was using a Garmin Forerunner 935, a rather recent Triathlon watch.
He reportedly didn't use it in a while, so he just recharged it and turned it on. Hence the Dec 20 date and the evident problem locking satellites

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I must admit I'm really looking forward to seeing this guy in bigger races. Even though Remco is probably an even more unique talent, I can't remember any talents who first wins PR juniors and espoirs, wins the baby Giro after winning all the toughest mountain stages the following year, and then continues by beating a top rider like Van der Poel in cyclocross.

The 20s could potentially be a much better decade for cycling than the last decade:

Van der Poel vs Van Aert in the classics
Roglic vs Pogacar in GTs. And hopefully Remco will soon join in.
If Bernal reaches his full potential as a climber, he will also be a major player.
And last but not least, we have Pidcock who could potentially do anything.

If there is one rider more versatile than van der Poel, it's Pidcock.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

But the fact that he himself believed he had run that time and published it, indeed proves that he is not one of the brightest, and has absolutely no idea of athletic times (what he should know approxymately as a top sportsman).

 

[lemon cheese cake]

looked it up on world athletics.org and that time, had it been done on a track and electronically timed, would have been top 15 in Europe.

Maybe he should be checking how good his swimming is as he can clearly smash the other two disciplines of the Triathlon.

Obviously the reason he joined Ineos is so he can train with Cameron Wurf. He must be trying to qualify for Kona 2022!

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I must admit I'm really looking forward to seeing this guy in bigger races. Even though Remco is probably an even more unique talent......

Is he though? Yes, Remco is a massive talent - however he is a road racer pure and simple. I dislike people comparing riders who are completely different. Pidcock is a multi discipline cyclist - in fact the only one who you can compare him to is MvdP.

The first MTB World Cup will be interesting; his lap times in the U23 races last year were comparable to the Elites; can he last the full distance of the Elites? It took Mathieu a while before he won a XCO race.

 

[Arked]

Not a good advert for the new Wahoo watch.

He used Garmin Forerunner though.

 

[Ricco']

He used Garmin Forerunner though.

I thought he was sponsored by Wahoo. Maybe with Ineos he is forced to switch to Garmin?

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

Anyway, Back to interesting news...

provisional schedule:

Tour des Alpes/Haut Var ??? (PCS)
Omloop
KBK
Strade Bianche
Brabantse Pijl
La Flèche Wallonne
Liège-Bastogne-Liège

with a focus on the ardennes/possibly adding further cobbled classics if opening weekend is productive.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I thought he was sponsored by Wahoo. Maybe with Ineos he is forced to switch to Garmin?

I suspect he's had to change a few things since becoming an Ineos rider. Bikes, clothes, shoes, etc and he likely won't be wearing the Red Bull helmet in road races.

 

[tobydawq]

This is quite the saga.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

I suspect he's had to change a few things since becoming an Ineos rider. Bikes, clothes, shoes, etc and he likely won't be wearing the Red Bull helmet in road races.

Can't seem to use custom helmets in road races anyway. Look at Wout van Aertand Pauline Ferrand Prevot. They're sponsored by Redbull and only use branded up helmets in CX or XC.

 

[andrew_s]

You are right, that can't be right. Here's the Strava run: https://www.strava.com/activities/4748319774

The distances on that track are a bit dodgy.
The 5 laps of the triangle is 5.8 km (1.7 to 7.5) on Strava, but 5.05 km traced on aerial photos in QGIS.
Start to finish is 6.6 km rather than the Strava 7.7 km (0.7 to 8.3).

If Tom got his numbers from the Strava track, he'll be about 15% out - i.e. 15:25 rather than 13:25

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Can't seem to use custom helmets in road races anyway. Look at Wout van Aert and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. They're sponsored by Red Bull and only use branded up helmets in CX or XC.

Exactly. It's a ridiculous rule.....Let riders have their own helmet design - and it can help with identification. And you could also sell replicas...

 

[postmanhat]

Certainly the most exciting talent to come out of The UK since I've been watching (nearly 30 years, on and off). Long-awaited moment tomorrow for a lot of British fans, when he finally rides for a WT team.

He'll probably crash

 

[Ricco']

Exactly. It's a ridiculous rule.....Let riders have their own helmet design - and it can help with identification. And you could also sell replicas...

What does the rule say?

I'm almost sure I've seen riders (team leaders) with different helmet colours from their teammates to be more visible in case of a mechanical or crashes and even team mates with different helmet models in the same stage.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

To be honest, I'm not sure - but I'm remember somebody mentioning that one rider can't have personal sponsorship on a kit. Which is probably why Red Bull athletes racing on the road never wear it. Just dumb......road cycling being backward, while off road embrace it.

 

[Netserk]

What does the rule say?

I'm almost sure I've seen riders (team leaders) with different helmet colours from their teammates to be more visible in case of a mechanical or crashes and even team mates with different helmet models in the same stage.

I think Sagan has been riding with a contrasting helmet in all of his BORA years, at least since he wasn't WC anymore.

As for a more unique helmet, we all remember Paolini's:

And all the (closed) Jumbo helmets have the rider's name on them.

 

[Bonimenier]

He looked pretty good today. Interested in seeing what he can do next week in Strade Bianche. Relatively short, off-road and some climbing. It should suit him.

 

[SafeBet]

He will need to improve his positioning and tactics though. Hard to come back once the major selection is made in Strade Bianche.

 

[tobydawq]

He will need to improve his positioning and tactics though. Hard to come back once the major selection is made in Strade Bianche.

As I understand it, in Strade it's the legs that do the talking, not the fight for position.

 

[armchairclimber]

His burst of pace and obvious powers of recovery were impressive yesterday. As you'd expect from a cross specialist. Of all the races in the calendar, Strade Bianche should suit hit. Although you could see him trying to get away on gravel climbs, I'm not sure he'd be able to hold off a chasing pack in the way Kwiato did. Looking forward to seeing him try though. Like Alaphilippe, he seems to be a combative rider, prepared to take chances.