Tom 'Pidders' Pidcock

[postmanhat]

Is it true that Ineos wants to turn him into a gc rider (after the Olympics)?

That was always the plan. He's the only one still riding the three disciplines at the highest level, and winning The MTB Worlds this year, Olympics next are his main goals afaik. After that, focus mainly on the road.

Some people seem in a rush to judge what level he can reach already, which is understandable. Evenepoel was being written off as GC contender after The TDS last year. My guess is that he'll be an elite GC rider who can compete in most one day races. But I've said for a long time, we probably won't really know till 2025?

 

[postmanhat]

Opportunity cost for trying Tour GC for a year isn't that terrible.

With The Worlds being only two weeks later in The UK this year? He's focussed on the MTB in midweek, and probably fancies his chances on the road course a few days earlier. I expect he'll use The Tour mainly to get in shape, and anything else that comes from it will be a bonus.

 

[Jan the Man]

A good spring all told (winning Strade and podiums at Amstel and LBL) especially after the issue at Tirreno - clearly a step below both Pogacar and Remco but that’s no shame.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

That was always the plan. He's the only one still riding the three disciplines at the highest level, and winning The MTB Worlds this year, Olympics next are his main goals afaik. After that, focus mainly on the road.

Some people seem in a rush to judge what level he can reach already, which is understandable. Evenepoel was being written off as GC contender after The TDS last year. My guess is that he'll be an elite GC rider who can compete in most one day races. But I've said for a long time, we probably won't really know till 2025?

Yes! Too many people are forgetting he's still doing 3 disciplines....and has World Tour/Cup wins in them all. It's an achievement to be good at one. He's also the first Olympic MTB Champion to get a podium at LBL.....

 

[Netserk]

Maybe he should skip the cobbles.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

Taking this form onto the mountain bike for the next three weekends looking to gain ranking points.
Guéret, French Cup + XCC on the Friday
Chur, Ökk Bike Revolution (live on redbulltv)
Nové Město, World Cup

Doesn't looking like he'll do anymore before the tour as two of the potential world cups clash with the tour de Suisse

 

[MartinGT]

Are we being harsh on the lad? He's not really had much racing in the legs this season after TA. I do think the cobbled classics are a bit beyond him. But look at t'old Pogi eh?

To say he has Top 10 in the following 1 day races;

Omloop
Strade
Amstel
LBL

The the following stage races;
Volta
Stage 2 7th
Stage 4 1st
7th on GC Overall
8th on points
6th on mountains

TA
Stage 6 - 9th.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Maybe he should skip the cobbles.

thats what I've been thinking for a while. He's clearly much more suited to the Ardennes and even admits that himself.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

thats what I've been thinking for a while. He's clearly much more suited to the Ardennes and even admits that himself.

I'd say his most suited 5 races are the Ardennes, MSR and SB. That's not to say he can't get some good results on the cobbles - he clearly can. And he's shown he can be good right throughout the Classics period - he won SB but still finished 2nd in LBL. I'd say he should keep the same programme next year.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Also feel Pidcock is being unfairly compared to VDP, Van Aert, Pogacar etc..
He is a different ridertype to me, and has the disadvantage that while extremely talented and making progress each year, the others he is competing against are still getting stronger as well. The other ' super' riders have all shown levels higher than what they did in 2020 or 2021.
Pidcock needs to 'catch up' at some point and then he'll start winning these monuments as well. I have no doubt he can do it.

 

[tobydawq]

To say he has Top 10 in the following 1 day races;

Omloop
Strade
Amstel
LBL

Isn't that underselling it a little, considering he won Strade and finished 2nd and 3rd in LBL and Amstel...?

 

[Bolder]

Also feel Pidcock is being unfairly compared to VDP, Van Aert, Pogacar etc..
He is a different ridertype to me, and has the disadvantage that while extremely talented and making progress each year, the others he is competing against are still getting stronger as well. The other ' super' riders have all shown levels higher than what they did in 2020 or 2021.
Pidcock needs to 'catch up' at some point and then he'll start winning these monuments as well. I have no doubt he can do it.

Good point. I think to reach the next level, either in classics or GTs, he will need to focus on the road even more.

This year he seemed to be at the same level as before, despite skipping CX wc, but he did have a concussion...maybe emulate Remco's prep, which seems to be perfectly timed.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Pidcock is actually the rider I admire the most, among the current best.

He takes risks all the time, in everything he does. And nevertheless, he rides with the best in the hardest road races.

I hope he continues to get his rewards from everything. I would hate to see that he one day suffers evil injuries, or evil health problems, or other unpleasant stuff.

And, he‘s such a legend already: Olympic Champion, World Champion, Alpe d‘Huez winner. I hope he wins a Monument, and a GT, one day…

 

[Third Time Lucky]

Pidcock is actually the rider I admire the most, among the current best.

He takes risks all the time, in everything he does. And nevertheless, he rides with the best in the hardest road races.

I hope he continues to get his rewards from everything. I would hate to see that he one day suffers evil injuries, or evil health problems, or other unpleasant stuff.

And, he‘s such a legend already: Olympic Champion, World Champion, Alpe d‘Huez winner. I hope he wins a Monument, and a GT, one day…

Very nicely put... couldn’t agree more.
And if you fancy a break from watching road racing in the not so distant future, watch Tom do what he does best, race MTB XCO.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

That makes TP a bit like the Shark
- not always on top form, but with a dare-devil sense of risk
ready to seize an occasion
regardless of powermeters

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

DNF in todays french cup...don't know if mechanical with new bike or crash or both. 3rd in the short track on friday\
not the best re. ranking points

 

[Panda Claws]

Pidcock is a second fiddler.

 

[KZD]

I really don't understand Pidcock's planning.

He does a three week break after the CX season, goes to the Algarve, then all the way to Belgium to race Omloop, then goes to Italy to race Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico where he gets injured but returns in time of Dwars and Ronde before doing the three Ardennes classics and now he is already riding MTB instead of taking at least a few weeks break?

His coach should know better than me but given that during the last season he already had to skip the World Championships because of a knee injury, I think racing so much without a proper rest period during the season could take away years to his career.

 

[Salvarani]

I really don't understand Pidcock's planning.

He does a three week break after the CX season, goes to the Algarve, then all the way to Belgium to race Omloop, then goes to Italy to race Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico where he gets injured but returns in time of Dwars and Ronde before doing the three Ardennes classics and now he is already riding MTB instead of taking at least a few weeks break?

His coach should know better than me but given that during the last season he already had to skip the World Championships because of a knee injury, I think racing so much without a proper rest period during the season could take away years to his career.

The kid is ambitious. It might be both his strength and weakness.

So far he has delivered and been able to perform throughout every discipline.

We dont know how he is behind the scenes... maybe he isnt the guy that takes no for an answer or dont take to well to being told on what he should do or not.

As he races this much... he probably doesnt go for huge and long recovery rides in training. At least I assume that.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

DNF in todays french cup...don't know if mechanical with new bike or crash or both. 3rd in the short track on friday\
not the best re. ranking points

Bike problem - and obviously in MTB, you can't swap to another bike. Race over.

 

[postmanhat]

First MTB race of the season he finishes and wins against a top class field. Obviously not fully adjusted to MTB yet, but had enough to see off Fleuckiger, with Schurter 3rd in his home town race. He's so naturally gifted at this discipline and has said it's the one he likes the most, but so did MVDP who seems to have sacrificed it? Will be a shame if Pidcock has to do the same, but I can't see it working if he wants to fully explore his GC ambitions?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

First MTB race of the season he finishes and wins against a top class field.

Is there any video up of this?

 

[pastronef]

Is there any video up of this?

race replay on Redbull TV https://www.redbull.com/int-en/live/okk-bike-revolution-chur-2023-mens-final

 

[Gwbert]

First MTB race of the season he finishes and wins against a top class field. Obviously not fully adjusted to MTB yet, but had enough to see off Fleuckiger, with Schurter 3rd in his home town race. He's so naturally gifted at this discipline and has said it's the one he likes the most, but so did MVDP who seems to have sacrificed it? Will be a shame if Pidcock has to do the same, but I can't see it working if he wants to fully explore his GC ambitions?

The uphill sprints each lap just before the end were pretty funny, dropping Fluckiger every single time.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

Road less travelled

Can road bikers make the move to mountain biking? And vice versa? British mountain biker Tom Pidcock and Swiss cross-country cyclist Jolanda Neff give it a try.

www.redbull.com

a weird little series, first episode featuring pidcock and neff, telling differences between road and mtb.