Spot Chat: Tom Pidock (European Champion)

A very proud European Champion was at Round 3 of the National Trophy, Tom Pidcock who dominated his race. We chatted afterâ€¦

Spot Chat: Tom Pidock (European Champion)

At Hetton Park last Sunday, Tom Pidcock wearing the colours of European Champion, dominated the Junior race, winning by over a minute and this despite having felt tired all week. He explained he felt good on and off the bike (running) despite that tiredness and flew up the steep muddy bank called the Run Up on his way to riding solo for most of the race out front.

Last year, his â€˜cross took a back seat to the track he was doing with the GB Academy but this year he says, thatâ€™s changed. â€œI am not racing the track for GB during the winter because of the cyclo-cross but Iâ€™m still riding the track league.â€ And winning in that track league as this weeks results showed but thatâ€™s no surprise.

Asked about his programme in the winter, Tom explained that â€œas far as the cyclo-cross racing goes, I donâ€™t think we need to do as much as I thought. I am doing most of the World Cups and have Koksijde (World Cup) next weekend. The World Championships are the big goal. The Europeans werenâ€™t really a goal, more a stepping stone but its mint wearing this jersey for the first time.â€

Tom says that racing the winter can be brutal and heâ€™s trying not to wear himself out which is quite a common thing in cyclo-cross where the enthusiasm riders have to start a season flat stick find they run out of steam before the nationals. Tom, who lives only 15 miles from where the nationals are next year in Bradford, not only has an eye on them but the big one, the Worlds at the end of January.

He doesnâ€™t expect to be doing any more Trophy events with his World Cup programme and says that heâ€™ll start training more at the start of December in preparation for the Nationals and then the Worlds. He is still at school as well so will be having to juggle training and school during the winter as he aims to do something he hasnâ€™t yet done and that is win a British title.

For someone so quick on a bike who not only made a great impression on his way to 5th in the World Championships last year but won the Euros solo, it is surprising to learn Tom has not as yet won a British title. Heâ€™s been on the podium many times he says but never won. That will be righted for sure at some point although the big one still remains the World Championship.

He certainly could become the next rider to follow Roger Hammond from being a world champion in cross and then onto the road. It is something he wants to do as he says he enjoys both disciplines and would like a career in both. For now though, he has the cyclo-cross to concentrate on but the road isnâ€™t far from his sights either.

As part of the GB academy, heâ€™s also looking forward to racing many a classic race in Europe, Paris Roubaix, Gent Wevelgem and so on which cater for not just the pros but the stars of the future. As he says, he has the best of both worlds doing both cross and road and we wish him lots of luck â€¦

Learn more on his website about Tom and his career on a bike so far