Tom Pidcock

Tom Pidcock is one of the greatest talents, if not the greatest, from Great Britain. Born just before the turn of the millennium, he has developed into a multi-talented athlete in cyclo-cross, road cycling, and mountain biking. IDLProCycling.com keeps a close eye on all news related to Pidcock, along with maintaining a biography of his career.

Pidcock makes waves in cyclo-cross

Since 2017, when Pidcock was just 17, the Brit has been dominating opponents in cyclo-cross. In his second year as a junior, he won an impressive ten out of the eleven races he competed in that year. In that eleventh race, Pidcock still managed a third place. Among these victories were the Junior World and European Championships. He quickly advanced to the U23 category, where he continued his winning streak. Despite fierce competition from riders like Eli Iserbyt and Thijs Aerts, he again clinched ten wins, including the U23 World Cup general classification.

In his second year in the U23 category, Pidcock achieved eight victories and won the U23 World Cup general classification again, but most notably, he triumphed over his arch-rival Iserbyt at both the European and World Championships. The confidence in the young Brit was evident when TP Racing, now known as Trinity Racing, built an entire team around him while he was still an U23 rider.

In the 2019-2020 season, Pidcock moved up to the elite level in cyclo-cross. He performed commendably, but competing against the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert was a whole different challenge. While he didn’t win, Pidcock impressed by finishing second at the World Championships in his debut elite year. In his second elite season, he was more often in contention for victories. In December 2020, Pidcock achieved his first elite victory in the Gavere cyclo-cross race, where he outperformed Mathieu van der Poel in a head-to-head battle.

Pidcock shows promising results on the road

In addition to cyclo-cross, Pidcock also started competing on the road from 2016. In his second year as a junior, the Brit claimed his first major victories in Paris-Roubaix and the World Time Trial Championships. This success earned him a contract with Team Wiggins in 2018, where he further honed his skills as a rider. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that he achieved notable wins, including Paris-Roubaix for U23 and the general classification in the Tour Alsace. At the U23 World Championships on the road in his home country, he had to settle for bronze.

In the COVID-19 year of 2020, Pidcock couldn't race much, but he did compete in the Giro d'Italia Under 23, also known as the Baby Giro. He impressed with three stage wins and a dominant overall victory. Despite limited racing, 2020 was a memorable year for Pidcock, as his performances secured him a three-year contract with the elite INEOS Grenadiers team.

Pidcock excels in cyclo-cross and on the MTB

In his first year with the British squad, he quickly showcased his capabilities. Pidcock finished third in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, fifth in Strade Bianche, first in Brabantse Pijl, second in the Amstel Gold Race, and sixth in the Flèche Wallonne. He then shifted his focus to the Tokyo Olympics, aiming for the mountain bike title. Pidcock took the lead in the first lap and never looked back, securing the Olympic gold medal in a dominant fashion.

After completing his first grand tour (the Vuelta), Pidcock continued his momentum towards his next target: the World Cyclo-Cross Championships in Fayetteville, North America. Starting as the top favorite in the absence of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, Pidcock lived up to expectations and impressively clinched the world title in cyclo-cross.

Pidcock experiences a challenging 2022 on the road but clinches impressive victory in Tour de France

After his promising spring in 2021, much was expected from Pidcock in 2022, but the classics didn't turn out as the ambitious Brit had hoped. A third place in Dwars door Vlaanderen, fourteenth in the Tour of Flanders, eleventh in the Amstel Gold Race, and fifth in the Brabantse Pijl were by no means poor results, but they didn’t represent the forward step Pidcock had envisioned for himself. Initially, the Giro d'Italia was on his schedule, but INEOS Grenadiers wisely decided to insert a rest period.

Following this rest, Pidcock started his mountain bike season, which went smoothly. Victories in the World Cups of Albstadt and Nove Mesto showed that this discipline might suit the Brit best. He also excelled in the European Championship in mid-August, but at his main target of the mountain bike season, the World Championship in Les Gets, he had to settle for fourth place.

A month earlier, Pidcock made his debut in the Tour de France, proving he was cut out for this level of competition. The versatile British rider impressively stayed in the top ten of the general classification for two weeks, highlighted by a stage win on Alpe d'Huez. However, the young Pidcock found the third week more challenging, resulting in a sixteenth-place finish overall. The world cyclo-cross champion ended his season after the Tour of Britain in September to recharge, ready to shine in his rainbow jersey in the cyclo-cross season.

In cyclo-cross, Pidcock often faced stronger competitors in Van der Poel and Van Aert, but he still managed to claim victory twice (Boom and Kortrijk) in his rainbow jersey. Looking ahead to the spring, he decided not to defend his world title in cyclo-cross, a choice that paid off: he struck gold at the first major event (Strade Bianche). He also aimed for the podium in the Amstel Gold Race (third) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (third), before quickly shifting focus to the Tour de France.

In the Tour, Pidcock aimed for a high overall classification, ultimately finishing thirteenth and gaining valuable experience. A few weeks after the Tour, the Mountain Bike World Championship in Scotland was his next major goal, where Pidcock triumphed, winning the world title and celebrating with his home crowd.