Tom Pidcock is cyclocross world champion at present but his personal directeur at Ineos Grenadiers, Kurt Bogaerts, says it will be very hard for the British rider to beat Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel in a cyclocross race. Bogaerts has said the Belgian and Dutch riders, both former world champions, are simply much better than Pidcock when it comes to 'cross.
Pidcock, one of the most exciting prospects in road cycling, and reigning MTB Olympic champion, won his cyclocross world title in the US last season when Van Aert (Jumbo Visma) and Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) did not ride. This season, both Van Aert and Van der Poel have clearly stated the Worlds is their only goal, while Pidcock says he is unlikely to ride the race.
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Bogaerts was direct in his appraisal of Pidcock when he goes to battle Van Aert and Van der Poel this year, saying they had too much power in most cyclocross races for Pidcock to cope with. He also said the British rider must keep his eye on the classics next spring, adding while he wanted to win 'cross races in the weeks and months ahead, they mainly acted as training for his road aspirations.
"The strong opposition of Wout and Mathieu is very unique in the cross," Bogaerts told the Play Sports podcast. "They control the course, in all facets. If it weren't for them, Tom would have won a lot more.
"He is often on the podium with them now, but it is difficult for Tom to beat them. Wout and Mathieu are much better at cross, they have more absolute power, which comes in handy in the mud and in the sand. Tom is a lightweight, 58 kilograms. He is currently not far from his Tour weight."
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Pidcock did not really hit the heights - by his own standards - on the road last spring and Bogaerts said the focus this winter for the 23-year-old has to be ensuring he is in the best possible shape for the classics next spring.
"Tom will ride up to and including Liège in 2023, but with the necessary flexibility. We want to do a lot and that's why I prefer not to talk about his program," Bogaerts said. "When you see it on paper, many people will again comment that we are taking a lot on our plate. But I don't really lose any sleep over that."
Bogaerts added given the number of races in the spring that Pidcock can target, he may have to miss some in order to maximise his chances for the others.
“There is a lot of love for Paris-Roubaix, which is actually one of his favorite races. I also think he has the potential to win Roubaix. However, that race is very difficult, right between the Flemish and Ardennes bloc. If you want to ride both blocks, you need to have a phase where you can rest a bit and train for two weeks. Then you can't ride Roubaix. That's why we're considering whether we shouldn't just do the Flemish classics for once. Then Roubaix fits in very well."
In terms of Grand Tours in 2023, Bogaerts says Pidcock is likely to go back to the Tour, where he won on Alpe d'Huez on his debut this year, though added the composition of the Tour team would obviously depend on the wider plans set out for the season by Ineos Grenadiers.
