In the Tour of Britain, which is considered a home race for him, Tom Pidcock has not been able to make a significant impact so far. The 25-year-old INEOS Grenadiers rider has occasionally finished in the top fifteen, but he hasn't been able to compete seriously. And there might be a special reason for this, if we are to believe the somewhat cryptic figure from Leeds...
In 2024, Pidcock won the Amstel Gold Race and also became the Olympic mountain bike champion. However, he is not entirely satisfied with his year, as he revealed to Het Laatste Nieuws. "As in many seasons, there have been both positive and negative aspects. It’s just so damn difficult to win. Only a small number of riders win the majority of races, and I want to be among them. That’s not the case right now, and it needs to change," he analyzed his year so far.
Next year, Pidcock wants to fully focus on road cycling and perform at his best in that discipline. However, it seems that he does not always have the freedom within the INEOS team that he desires. "Yes, it’s true that there are currently a few issues within the team that I have to deal with. And, to be honest, they don’t help me perform at my best," he initially explained somewhat abstractly.
"I have to think about many more things right now than just performance-related matters. And that affects the focus on the things that really matter, namely racing," he clarified shortly afterward. When the HLN journalist then probed about the team’s structure, Pidcock responded that it was better if he said nothing about it. He also remained tight-lipped about whether he might move to another team or not. "I have a contract until the end of 2027. I can’t say more."