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Mvdp whipped pretty good too. Photo on his Strava activity
Incredible performance, the pace on the first lap was something else, must be frustrating for the seasoned mtb riders getting beaten like that. Where does the power come from to beat people like that, good riders as well. Hope Nino gets his win, such a nice chap.
Absolutely phenomenal ride from Tom. To put such a gap into MVDP like he did (I think it was lap 3) in such a short space of time was near super-human.
Can also run a sub 14min 5k according to Warner. Think he is just superhuman.
More practically, where/how did he learn to ride MTB? Implication was he has only recently taken it up but he can descend/ride tech with the smoothness of Schurter and Fluckinger.
More practically, where/how did he learn to ride MTB? Implication was he has only recently taken it up but he can descend/ride tech with the smoothness of Schurter and Fluckinger.
He's ridden mtbs since he was a kid
He seems to have a good amount of power and as he weighs 50KG his watts per KG must be very high.
Very good for something like MTB or road climbing.
Heard it on the commentary yesterday that he weight 50KGs and double checked it.
He’s ridden mtbs since he was a kid
My mistake. I'm not doing too well on this thread.
Unbelievable talent. I don’t think the 50kg weight is accurate. He probably weighed that as a junior or something. He rides on Zwift a bit so it’s pretty easy to work out his weight from his watts and W/kg. I think he’s closer to 58-60kg. That’s assuming his weight is accurately recorded in zwift though. He’s a similar build to someone I know that weighs 58kg give or take
It was odd to hear how little, British Red Bull paid commentator Rob Warner, knew about British Red Bull sponsored rider Tom Pidcock. Given that its his job, you would imagine that he'd have more than a passing interest in the riders he talks about.
must be frustrating for the seasoned mtb riders getting beaten like that.
Mrs Kilo and I were discussing what they might be feeling. On the women’s cx circuit a few years back there was a bit of grumbling about riders who just popped in to win the big races and the didn’t ride all the bread and butter stuff that makes up the season (Cant v Ferond-Prevot (sp?) iirc). I suppose it is one of the drawbacks of being a big fish in a small pond.
I don’t think the 50kg weight is accurate.
You are right. First Google response was 50KG but other have 58KG. 58KG is still clearly very light though which is good for climbs and bursty nature of XC.
for his height, NHS recommends: "Healthy weight range for your height:53.5kg - 72.2kg"
Of course it also suggests 150 minutes is a lot of exercise in a week.
He doesn't have the Burma POW look of some road climbing specialists, and clearly everything is going to be dense muscle. 58 seems more reasonable.
He says he's ridden MTB since he was a kid; he just hasn't ridden a lot of competitive MTB races. The British U23 XCO race in 2019 was one of his first races - which he won....
It's pretty incredible really....just a massive natural talent, who can seemingly ride anything with two wheels.
It was odd to hear how little, British Red Bull paid commentator Rob Warner, knew about British Red Bull sponsored rider Tom Pidcock
You mean “Thomas Pidcock” - no idea why he gets his Sunday name for MTB but never road/CX
It was a brilliant ride, so good to see him get the better of MVP after normally coming off 2nd best in the CX world.
Boy can definitely ride a bike though, his instagram has video's of road gaps and some pretty meaty MTB stuff.
Also Ineos must have really wanted to sign him if they've let him pretty much call the shots on what/where/when he rides. When he first signed there was a worry he'd just be turned into some kind of road bore.
A Yorkshire Sagan?
It was odd to hear how little, British Red Bull paid commentator Rob Warner, knew about British Red Bull sponsored rider Tom Pidcock. Given that its his job, you would imagine that he’d have more than a passing interest in the riders he talks about.
I think "knowing about stuff" is the other guy's job, it's a double act.
I think “knowing about stuff” is the other guy’s job, it’s a double act.
And even if he does know, setting up a question for Bart to answer is the (fairly common) commentating technique
And even if he does know, setting up a question for Bart to answer is the (fairly common) commentating technique
Er yes \euroaccent "That's how it is"/euroaccent
He's truly one of a kind - I thought MvDP was special with his all round ability but this guy is like something we've never seen before, he won the baby giro too.
Physiologically he's like a small child but with the power of grown men and his efficiency must be off the scale, I can't remember the name of the junior rider from some years back that had the highest VO2 max ever recorded but never made it as a WC pro & retired - it turned out that as he pushed to his highest levels the cost to his metabolic rate was too high maybe this is where Pidcock excels - his peak outputs don't cost him as much as what it does the others 🤷♂️ either way he's fantastic.
He’s truly one of a kind – I thought MvDP was special with his all round ability but this guy is like something we’ve never seen before, he won the baby giro too.
Can't agree with that... VdP crushed him time and time again in CX, they've both beaten eachother in Roads and of course in XCO and short track too.
So he's one of a kind... of at least 2...
That's before you throw Remco and WvA into the discussion too who are also one of a kind.
We as cycling fans are in an absolutely epic time at the moment, but when you think about it, we're not in that much of an epic time, before this lot we had you Sagan types, your Froomes, your Schurters, before that you had Absalon etc.... Whilst the transition and crossover between disciplines is now more prevalent than ever, that's mostly down to circumstances, not because the riders wouldn't have been able to make a crossover.
The one main exception now is that riders carry form throughout the whole year... From CX in the winter, to Spring Classics, Tours and XCO.... it's astounding how they continue their form for so long. But when you think about it, with science, recovery, training and diet, it's not a surprise in some ways too, we as a human race evolve with the science playing a big part, so the younger generation each time are a step above the previous younger generation.
WvA & Evenepool don't race XCO. None of these riders in the current crop have ever done what he is doing - this is his first season as pro athlete in UCI road & XCO. WvA is a well established season UCI pro rider - look what Pidcock did at Amstel Gold in his very first attempt.
Maybe it's me but in the decades I've been watching bike racing I've never seen anything like Pidcock 🤷♂️
Sunday was insane - some of those riders take years if ever to win an XCO WC race Pidcock just almost cruised to one on his second attempt and lost a spring classic by millimetres.
Pidcock & MvdP are in a category/class of their own; mixing 3 disciplines - and world class at all 3. For that reason, I never class them as 'roadies' - as they're not. They ride on the road, but that's not all they concentrate on. Roglic, Pogacar, Evanepoel are roadies - that's all they do.
I think Tom might be better (more successful) at XCO than CX; as it suits him far more; longer climbs, and more technical courses are right up his street. The flatter, less technical CX courses suit the more powerful riders. His win in Gavere, and close 3rd a week later in Namur are possible indicators of that.
He looks bloody class!I get the impression he could well have a stonkingly great career and influence a few kids to do some racing.
MVP is bloody class as well!
Super duper impressive.
It's a weird situation that there are 2 riders who with the right conditions could be 3 discipline world champs and switch with such apparent ease that they could hold the jerseys at the same time.
I think Tom might be better (more successful) at XCO than CX; a ....
Absolutely, as Bart B said on the Red Bull commentary, everything about TP's physique screams XC MTB, light and powerful, and as mentioned above it's clear from his IG that he's a rider. Equally impressive how good MvP is given his (relative) size.
He's also said one of his ambitions is to be DH World Champ. Unlikely of course, but shows where his heart is imo, and an Olympic XC gold could be an unintended consequence of the inspiration of UK's DH excellence. British Cycling take note.
Let's not forget Cadel Evans went the other way, and there are plenty of top WT riders with an MTB background (Roglic I think, Bernal deffo, Sagan obv eg). We could be on the verge of a truly golden age of MTB XC.
And not out of the question that TP could excel in the high mountains and win a TdF or two too. No doubt we'll find out.
It’s a weird situation that there are 2 riders who with the right conditions could be 3 discipline world champs and switch with such apparent ease that they could hold the jerseys at the same time.
Well, yes - but Pauline Ferrand-Prevot already did it a few seasons ago didn't she?
hey could hold the jerseys at the same time.
hasn't MvdP said this is his aim?
EDIT - he's said he wants to win all three
Well, yes – but Pauline Ferrand-Prevot already did it a few seasons ago didn’t she?
She certainly did and is also the current Elite Women's XCO world Champ (held to for 2019 & 2020), and has an absolutely glittering Junior record too.
That head to head link is interesting. Especially for the age gap. I'd say Pidcock is about 2 years behind MvDP in terms of stamina and durability but 5 years younger than him. He's got the potential to do what he wants and a decade or more to do it in. I hope for his sake, he's not flogged in the way that I fear MvDP, WvA and probably Evenepoel will be. Pidcock could conceivable go to 4 Olympics, single-handedly improve GB's ranking and change the face of GB XC for years. No pressure mate.
Well, yes – but Pauline Ferrand-Prevot already did it a few seasons ago didn’t she?
I think at the time it was said that no man would ever be able to match it?
Well, yes – but Pauline Ferrand-Prevot already did it a few seasons ago didn’t she?
Yes, and it was considered to be a freak position,but in the men's there are now 2 at the same time with WvA also there as a genuine 2 discipline challenge too. And they could be knocking lumps out of each other for a good few years to come still.
must be frustrating for the seasoned mtb riders getting beaten like that.
I know what you mean, but...
We could be on the verge of a truly golden age of MTB XC.
A rising tide lifts all boats.
Great news that he's going to Tokyo to race XC, should be even better than when Sagan raced in Brazil.
Don't forget Pidcock's also won junior Roubaix, Baby Giro, junior TT world champs & he also's won junior nationals on the track 😳 maybe that DH worlds doesn't sound that far fetched 😂 😉
It'd be good to see him have a crack at an enduro race, for sure.
will it interfere with Barratt's at all?
is that confirmed yet? we're still waiting on official confirmation I think
Reckon he'll be at the XC National Champs at Newnham Park this year? It's only down the road from me and would probably be worth the entry price just to watch him lap me multiple times over...
It’d be good to see him have a crack at an enduro race, for sure.
He’s good on a bike but he’s not that good! Not saying he couldn’t be but at the moment he’d be miles off the pace; assuming you’re talking about EWS.
Could go cost savings for team GB on the Olympics to have him race MTB, road race & TT. Probably wouldn't look out of place on the pursuit team either.
assuming you’re talking about EWS.
Me? I was thinking more like a Tweed valley kinda event, or even Ardrock, just for fun.
Totally agree the EWS is a very different proposition to XC and seems to reward top-level DH skills and the ability to improvise at high speed.
Reckon he’ll be at the XC National Champs at Newnham Park this year? It’s only down the road from me and would probably be worth the entry price just to watch him lap me multiple times over…
Judging by what he did to the Senior men's field in the last CX national champs there's a fair chance you might get to realise that dream 😀 I think there were only 8 guys left in the end that he didn't lap and 6 of them raced in Europe.
different proposition to XC and seems to reward top-level DH skills
He doesn't look to have the build for top level DH or EWS at the minute, but neither did Danny Hart in 2011 and he did ok. There's a few videos, admittedly from a few years ago, on Pidcocks Instagram page of him riding a DH bike at Chatel bikepark, hitting some fair sized gaps, whips and landing 360s on a jump bike, the kid has skills way beyond xc/cx/road racing and if he bulks up a bit I wouldn't rule it out in future, esp EWS
if he bulks up a bit
At this point, I can't see Ineos getting behind that one I don't think - he's too good on the road at the moment for the team to let him sacrifice his road form to make the gains that he'd theoretically need to compete at the sharp end of EWS/DH.
Maybe he could just settle for mediocrity like the rest of us mere mortals 😉
At this point, I can’t see Ineos getting behind that one
Agree 100%, shame tho
Yeah it's total pie-in-the-sky stuff, but it'd be really cool if he did give it a go at some point.
Reckon he'll get swayed by the road money in the end. He's too good to be flitting around. At the moment he's having fun, when the Ineos cash is flashed before his eyes, he'll do what he needs to do. Maybe get the odd trip to do some fun stuff...
Just watched the recap, that lap 3 effort was a monster and he has comprehensively torn the rest of the field a new one.
Lots of talk on here and elsewhere about Pidcock, the state of British XC, will he chase the money, why is MTB underfunded etc etc. Maybe Pidcock can be the force for good that British XC and MTB needs (imagine what a Gold Medal at Tokyo could do for our Sport!).
Reckon he’ll get swayed by the road money in the end
You may be right, and no-one could blame him however in all his interviews, media etc he seems to be really deliberately pushing the angle that MTB is what he loves and where he wants to be. Maybe he will be the one to push for change, and hopefully people at INEOS racing might support him (MTB does tie in rather better with the INEOS product too!).
His IG post says it all:
tompidcock Verified - The best performances come from the most enjoyment #lovewhatyoudo 🥇
He's broken his collarbone whilst training on his TT bike apparently. Pics online show his bike snapped in two! Missing the Tour de Suisse as a result.
Was he in contention for a Tour spot? Seems unlikely to me that he was, but even more doubtful now.
Buggers up prep for Olympics too really
It might even help tbh. You can imagine him being back on the bike mid-June. Also means he skips the Tour de Suisse which was probably fulfilling his road obligations (though his coach says it was to mix things up). Now he can aim for the XC WC at Les Gets.
Someone drove into him apparently. Whether deliberately or accidentally I don’t know (let’s assume the latter and put it down to carelessness and lack of driving ability), but it sounds like they didn’t stop.
Back on the bike after 8 days!
That's just crazy talk ! But if he's fit, well, he's fit... he'll have had a nice few days off too, so will be ready to roll.
Insta
Checkout the 2nd video of him doing press ups. Insane that he can do that so soon after smashing his collar bone.
They do this with MotoGP riders too. If a collarbone is plated in surgery rather than the sling and sticky plaster mere mortals get, it can heal quite quickly. I vaguely remember Rossi or it might have been somebody else, being back on the bike a week later. Oouch btw - how many painkillers would you want to take before riding a motorbike on a track?
What was the chat with pidcock today? Start crash looked to be right around him being the one hitting the deck but then DNF on lap 4.
He went down at the start and I wonder if he hurt his shoulder again? I hope not. He never really got back into the race so he might have thought sod it and pulled out to save himself for the Olympics?
Whilst he was never at the sharp end, Pidcock made up over 20 places in about 4 laps so I don't think he was hurt. By lap 6 or whatever it was, with the weather worsening and no prospect of a podium, I think he just stepped off. Wise decision I think.
Yep, a lot of riders were falling and while most of the time you can slip on mud, slide on floor a bit and get up again there could be that one time when not so lucky. Not really worth going for 6th place or whatever against risk of an injury which buggers up your Olympic hopes.