Very honest Pidcock wants more than the Amstel Gold Race: "I want to leave a legacy in cycling in general"

"I guess in some ways, it was like a big relief. But then again, at the same time, I felt like it was only as good as expectations," he states. "I couldn't help thinking that I haven't achieved that much on the road, so it's bittersweet if you know what I mean."

Because when all is said and done, that matters most to the Brit. The road, that's where it happens. But Pidcock's ambitions are more widespread, almost bigger than himself. "I want to leave a legacy in cycling in general. This year I ust focused on it because it was the one race I wanted to win this year if I was going to pick any. But I will put a bit more mental energy towards specifically the road. I have more potential on the road. What I said after the Olympics to my girlfriend was that I wanted to try and prove myself there."

A legacy, that's what Pidcock wants to leave behind in cycling. One rider who is undoubtedly doing that is Tadej Pogačar. "It's getting a bit monotonous, isn't it?" the 25-year-old rider laughs. "He is on another level. Everyone's going to be scratching their heads on how to close that gap, and I don't know if that's possible in one year. He's definitely set the level of the sport, and everyone else has to get there now. There's no there's no secrets. Everyone works hard now, all teams, riders, staff, the level is much deeper than it's ever been."

As we reported earlier, there will be no more GC ambitions at Pidcock next year. "I think I can win more one-day races almost without any development; I love doing them; they're my kind of races," Pidcock says. "I want to perform in the Classics and the World Championships next year; they'll be pretty spectacular in Africa."