‘He wants to have fun and enjoy a steady trajectory’ says father
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Thomas Pidcock (Great Britain) wins the U23 cyclo-cross world title(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock wins the under 23 Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Les Amis de Paris-Roubaix)
Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) in action at the European Cyclo-cross Championships.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Pidcock (Great Britain).(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Pidcock tops the podium at the under 23 Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Les Amis de Paris-Roubaix)
Tom Pidcock is almost certain to remain at under-23 level for 2020 and will not ‘do a Remco Evenepoel' and jump straight into the WorldTour next season, according to his father, Giles.
Pidcock, still just 20, has enjoyed another fruitful campaign so far in 2019, winning the under-23 Paris-Roubaix and recently a stage and the overall at the Tour Alsace. He only has three more events on his road calendar for the rest of the current season before switching back to cyclo-cross, with no plans to ride as a stagiaire for a WorldTour team this year.
"The plan right now is for Tom to remain at U23," Giles Pidcock told Cyclingnews.
"He will eventually go to the WorldTour and there are teams that want to sign him but he doesn't want that too soon. He wants to have fun and learn his trade. He doesn't want to do a Remco and go from junior to WorldTour. He wants to do things that he can't do in the WorldTour, like ride mountain bikes now and again. He wants to enjoy the sport while waiting for his body to mature. He wants to be competitive at the WorldTour but doesn't want to jump too soon and risk burning himself out."
Pidcock will ride the Tour de L'Avenir and the Tour of Britain before ending his road season at the World Championships in Yorkshire. His outing at the French stage race will be watched keenly by elite teams, with the race often providing indicators for the next generation of superstars. Pidcock has already proved his talents across several disciplines, but recent Tour de L'Avenir winners include David Gaudu, Tadej Pogacar, Miguel Angel Lopez and, of course, Egan Bernal.
If Pidcock carries on where he left off in Alsace, then there remains a slim chance of him moving into the WorldTour, with several teams already expressing an interest in signing him.
"If he doesn't brilliantly at L'Avenir and Tour of Britain then actually he might think I've done everything I can at this level and go WorldTour but I think what he's most interested in is having a steady trajectory and taking his time," Giles Pidcock explained.
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With no contract signed for 2020 – other than with his cyclo-cross commitments – Tom Pidcock remains on the market. Cyclingnews understands that Team Wiggins Le Col are in discussions to carry on in 2020 but are still in the process of finalizing their plans.
Should Pidcock need a programme to fall back on within the U23s, he could be ably supported by British Cycling and their academy. For now, the emphasis appears to be Pidcock taking his time.
"He could sign for a WorldTour team tomorrow if he wanted to but at this point 2020 is too soon. Once you go to WorldTour you can be restricted a bit more on what you do," Pidock's father said.
Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
