Covered in mud and fully geared up: Pidcock is well prepared for a unique World Championship opportunity

Pidcock has enjoyed a real resurgence since his move to Pinarello - Q36.5. Last year, he finished second in the Strade Bianche and third in the Vuelta a España, but he has continued to deliver top performances this year as well, with a second-place finish in Milan–Sanremo, a victory in Milan–Turin, and an excellent showing in the Tour de France, where he finished ninth overall.

But his best performance of the year came on the mountain bike. In Val di Sole, he competed in the world championship and did what Mathieu van der Poel couldn’t: he started from the fifth row, passed all his competitors one by one, and claimed the world title. It was his second rainbow jersey in mountain biking.

Following that success, he headed to Italy to log some more racing kilometers on the road in preparation for the World Championships in Canada. He immediately won the GP Industria & Artigianato, and then moved on to the Canadian one-day races. He finished fourth in the GP Québec and sixth in the GP Montréal: excellent preparation, although the Brit had hoped for a bit more there.

On Instagram, Pidcock shared what the period leading up to his trip to Canada was like. He had time to spend with his girlfriend and friends, but also watched the solar eclipse with teammates Ben Healy, Pavel Sivakov, and Thymen Arensman. But the training footage is what really catches the eye: one day completely caked in mud, the next day fully bundled up for a heat training session.

This grueling race is meant to bring the Brit closer to a world title on the road. Although he has already been a two-time world champion in mountain biking and a one-time world champion in cyclocross, that road title still eludes him. He hasn’t had much success yet: in three appearances, he finished sixth in 2021, 57th in 2024, and tenth in 2025.