Spotlight on Tom Pidcock

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A name for the future in cycling is Tom Pidcock who is showing great form in both cyclo-cross and on the road

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Spotlight on Tom Pidcock

Over the years, I have interviewed and photographed many a youngster who has gone on to big things in the sport of cycling and a name to stick down and keep an eye on is Tom Pidcock. Tom won the Junior Cyclo-Cross event at Durham on the weekend, the day after finishing 8th in the Junior event at the Europeans.

Euros_Thomas_2

Tom (pictured above at the Europeans – by Paul Burgoine) has been competing as a Youth rider all season and was third in the British Youth Crit Championship and fifth overall in the Isle of Man Youth Tour to but two of his results. It says a lot about the strength of the Youth category that a rider like Tom who demolishes his rivals in a category 2/3/4 big bunch kick as he did at Otley this year, was beaten into second in the Youth race at the same event.

But Tom, a first year Junior on the Great Britain Junior Academy, has his sights set high and is fiercely competitive. On the Saturday, Tom was up against the best Juniors in Europe at the cyclo-cross championships and despite starting at the back, he made up 61 places to finish eighth. Incredible.

Otley_TomPidcock

Paul Burgoine spoke to him afterwards where Tom said “I started at the back of the grid, fourth from last and I managed to work my way up on the first lap and carried on passing people when they crashed.”

“I just kept working my way through people that were getting dropped off the main group every lap, until I was on the back of the main group. Then on the final lap, one of the Belgium’s crashed and his team mate managed to get away, but we caught him on the line. I’m very pleased as this is only my eighth ever ‘cross race and my first one out of England so I’m pretty pleased.”

Tom then high tailed it to the ‘disco ferry’ to travel back to England to race the Junior event at the National Trophy at Durham. He and others he was with from the GB team just made it in time to take to the mud and he said after winning the race, “after yesterday, my legs were really achy which I think was because of the running mainly. There was a lot of running at the Euros”.

“I never got to warm up very well here because we arrived late from the ferry we were on last night when I didn’t get much sleep but the legs came round after half the race.”

He says he didn’t have a great start but it was hardly a bad one as he always had the leaders in sight and was only a few places back before steadily making up ground on the leaders and once in front, opened up a gap and was never challenged.

TomP

Winning at Durham in the Junior race

But why ‘cross after such a busy season winning countless races on the road? “I did a few races last year on my winter bike and did alright. This year, I have the support of my team (Oldfield/Paul Milnes Cycles ERT) to see how I do and it’s turned out quite well!”

The youngster who like many, looks up to Peter Sagan as a hero in cycling, says that in ‘cross there is not much rest in a race but says having been riding a bike, bmx of course, since he was four, he’s developed the skills he in what ever discipline he is taking part in.

His dad Giles, organiser of the Otley Town Centre Cycles races, is a road sprinter himself who does ‘cross and Tom says that his family support him hugely taking him to races around the country. His long time goal, like many youngsters around the world, is to be a World Road Champion but after his performance at the Euros, he’s also aware that doing well at the ‘cross worlds is something that may well be doable now.

“After yesterday’s performance in the Euros, I am thinking about the World ‘Cross Champs next year. I came from the back of the grid yesterday and made up 61 places and came in eight and I’m only a first year junior. So I can’t see why I can’t target the Worlds next year.”

Tom however will be juggling his commitments with the GB Junior Academy on the track with his own personal goals in cyclo-cross and road. So far, he admits that the results on the track are not as good as those on the road or in cyclo-cross but it’s early days.

He’s only had one training camp with the GB Junior Academy and so is still finding his legs but if the progress he’s made already is replicated in the GB Team’s development programme, he is sure to be yet another young British rider racing as a professional in the not too distant future.

Good luck to Tom …

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