Cycling
The 21-year-old has emerged from lockdown stronger than ever and has just won the biggest road race of his career. He's only just getting started though, with more titles in his sights for 2020.
Tom Pidcock hasn’t held back on his return to real-life racing, picking up accolades and turning heads at every event he’s entered.
On his mountain bike, he finished ninth at the French Cup XCO (August 8) – his debut international race – which he followed up with 4th overall at the Transmaurienne Vanoise XC marathon race (August 9-14); a result made even more impressive given that he won three out of five stages and was on the podium for the other two.
Not content with testing himself on the trails of France, Pidcock also took to the road in August, representing Team GB at the European road cycling championships, managing 4th in the U23 Time Trial. His most impressive post-lockdown result though came at the Giro d’Italia U23.
Entering the junior edition of Italy’s iconic grand tour for the first time, the 21-year-old was contending against a seriously strong field and an eight-stage course that would test even the most experienced members of the elite professional peloton.
I went there to win, but I didn’t really know where I was compared to the other riders as it was the first U23 stage race since last year
Starting on August 29 in Urbino, near the Adriatic Coast, and concluding in Aprica in the Italian Alps, on September 5, he had hors catégorie climbs, summit finishes and a number of 150km-plus days in the saddle to get through over the eight days of racing. On taking the leader’s jersey after a breakaway win on stage four though, Pidcock never looked like relinquishing his place at the top of the General Classification.
Most riders would see this as a season-defining victory and bask in the glory of joining an elite club of Baby Giro winners that includes two-time Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simoni and current Ineos Grenadiers rider Pavel Sivakov. Not Pidcock though. Coming away from Italy with the pink jersey is just one of the Yorkshireman's ambitious targets for 2020, and there's still plenty of racing to be had before he hangs up his various bikes for the off-season...
How was your form coming into the Giro?
I went there to win, but I didn’t really know where I was compared to the other riders, as it was the first U23 stage race since last year. Happily I came away with the win, so my form went to plan I guess. It’s always nice that it confirms where I was.
How did the race progress?
The first day was really tough and it was 36 degrees – I lost a lot of time on the main GC guys. It rained on stages 2 and 3, which was really sketchy – Italian roads are really slippery when it rains because it’s normally so hot. It was really important to get through without crashing and without losing any time.
Stage 4, near Verona, was a mountain stage that went up the Passo del Branchetto, and that was where I won from a solo breakaway, took the lead and got a gap on everyone else.
Stage 7 was a hard stage to control, as it was flat and finished on a mountain in the Alps, and there were only three of us left in the team. Others had got sick or had heat stroke earlier in the week and had had to go home. I won that stage, and once I got through it I felt like, unless something went wrong, I would win it.
What does this victory mean for you?
This was a big target at the start of the year and it’s quite lucky that it still went ahead, especially as the Tour de L’Avenir [the U23 edition of the Tour de France] was cancelled. So it’s a big result, which is nice after crashing out of the Tour de L’Avenir last year, which I felt I had a really good chance of winning. This win feels like I have made up for a bit of lost time.
What other road races have you got coming up?
Next up are the World Championships at Imola, Italy. There’s no U23 race anymore so hopefully I can go with the elites. It’s going to be the longest distance I’ve been on a bike for sure! I have no expectations, as I am just going for the experience and to see how I do.
You’ve been mountain bike racing as well?
Yeah, this is my first mountain bike racing season abroad. It’s been a good experience but it’s also been very hard and demanding.
I raced at the Alpe d’Huez French national race and then I did the Transmaurienne Vanoise. At Alpe d’Huez I got a good start, but then I punctured and worked my way back up to 9th. I learned a lot about pressures and things, and I was pleased with how it went.
As it was a new thing, I treated it like when I was a junior starting cyclo-cross – it was about getting to the front, trying to stay there, riding full gas and seeing where you are at the finish line.
What other mountain bike races have you got coming up?
I want to see how Nove Mesto goes and then try and win the U23 race at the Mountain Bike World Championships
I’ve got the Nove Mesto XCO World Cup (September 29-October 4), which is the weekend after the Road World Championships and then the XCO Mountain Bike World Championships the weekend after that in Leogang, Austria.
I want to see how Nove Mesto goes and then try and win the U23 race at the Mountain Bike World Championships – that’s the plan.
How does mountain bike racing compare to the other disciplines you compete in?
Mountain biking is similar to cyclo-cross, but the efforts are longer, the laps are longer and the race is longer.
I will need to make a plan about when I start ‘cross and what races I’ll do, but there are other things to worry about for now.
How do you adapt to all these different types of races?
Doing all these different races makes it more interesting, and more of a challenge. If you’re just riding a road bike all year, you sometimes wish you had a different bike to ride. I get to ride a different types of bike every month, or maybe even every few weeks. Switching my focus keeps things exciting.
What’s your favourite cycling discipline?
I like all the tactics that are involved in road cycling. Even if you’re having a bad day you can still get through the race by riding smart. In mountain biking or ‘cross you know you have to ride hard from the start. When there are tactics like in road racing, it adds another dimension and it feels better if you can outsmart someone tactically rather than physically.
What would make your year?
The main thing is to perform in every race I do. If I do a good ride at the Road Worlds, and if I win the Mountain Bike Worlds, then I can say I’ve performed in every race I’ve done. That’s the biggest thing. So far this season, it’s not been too bad.
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