Pidcock suffered concussion before World Championships, but still sees a chance at the world title: "I don’t need to be 100%"

Tom Pidcock will lead Team Great Britain at the World Cycling Championships in Zürich. The 25-year-old all-rounder will be chasing the gold medal with a strong team, but his preparation hasn’t exactly been ideal.

In the final stage of the Tour of Britain, Pidcock crashed, cutting his race short just before the finish. "I felt I was coming good at the Tour of Britain but then I crashed and suffered a concussion and had to recover from that. I haven't really had the time I needed," the punchy rider told Cyclingnews. Despite the crash and its consequences, he sees opportunities on the tough Swiss course. "But freshness is quite important at the end of the year and you don't need to be 100% to win the Worlds, it’s a lottery." However, expectations are somewhat lowered for Sunday. "The Worlds is a goal. I don't think this year is the year, but every year is an experience and a chance to learn."

Many teams have brought strong squads to Zürich, and Pidcock has noticed. "I think there are a few strong teams: Great Britain, the USA and Spain also have strong squads. Then there's Remco (Evenepoel, ed.) nd Tadej (Pogacar, ed.), of course. Tadej has stated how big a goal this is for him and when he says that, he means business. All eyes will be on Pogacar. When you stake your claim like that, you need to be good to come out on top."

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Pidcock eyes road racing success in 2025: "I really want to step up"

The course seems tailor-made for the Slovenian superstar, but Pidcock, riding for INEOS Grenadiers, should also do well on the Swiss hills. "There's a lot of climbing metres but the race is long. In Switzerland, the roads are fast, so it could be fast." Pidcock hopes his experience in mountain biking and cyclo-cross will give him an edge. "With circuit races, if you can learn the course well, like a cyclo-cross or mountain bike race, you know where to move and know where to save energy. That can save you a lot. Our team tactic is to be aggressive and be ahead of the race. That's the best way to play it."

Back to Pogacar and Evenepoel. The successes of these two motivate the Amstel Gold Race winner to be even better on the road next year. "I compare myself to those guys. I want to compete with them, that's where I want to be but I'm not there yet. For sure, 2025 will be a more normal year. I think we can plan it better and make some key targets."

Pidcock’s focus is now firmly on road cycling, with cyclo-cross and mountain biking taking a backseat. "I really want to step up on the road. Racing mountain bikes is great but only if we can fit in around the road, that's what I want to do."