“By the end of his career he wants the broadest palmarès possible” – Tom Pidcock set for unique Il Lombardia & Gravel Worlds double-header just 24 hours apart

Tom Pidcock will close out his 2025 season with an audacious two-day schedule that underlines both his ambition and his appetite for racing. The Brit will tackle Il Lombardia on Saturday before flying straight to the Netherlands to line up at the UCI Gravel World Championships on Sunday — a gruelling double-header that perfectly captures his all-rounder mentality.

Pidcock’s coach Kurt Bogaerts has shed light on the thinking behind the packed finale to his season, stressing that the 26-year-old is already shaping his legacy with one eye firmly on the long term.

“Tom wants to keep performing in the Classics and also in the Grand Tours,” Bogaerts told Sporza. “By the end of his career he wants the broadest palmarès possible.”

The British rider has already enjoyed a prolific 2025 campaign, including podium finishes at Strade Bianche, La Fleche Wallonne and the Vuelta a Espana, as well as a top-10 at the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda. His third place at the Vuelta, in particular, has fuelled confidence that he can be a serious GC threat in the years ahead.

Bogaerts explained that Pidcock was determined to ride Il Lombardia this autumn after missing out last year due to selection issues at the INEOS Grenadiers that ultimately forced him to move teams. “It’s important for Tom to ride Lombardia for the first time, because it’s a race that should suit him well in the future,” he said.

The complication came when the Gravel Worlds, initially planned for Nice the following weekend, were moved forward and relocated to Dutch Limburg. Rather than pick between the two, Pidcock opted to do both.

The plan now sees Pidcock race the season’s toughest Monument against the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel before boarding a late flight from Bergamo to Maastricht on Saturday night. His gravel bike and kit will already be waiting for him in the Netherlands, where he’ll start the world championships at noon on Sunday.

“Of course, with Lombardia in your legs, you can’t be the top favourite for the Gravel Worlds,” Bogaerts admitted. “But Tom loves racing. He wants to finish his season in a way that feels enjoyable — off-road racing gives him that feeling.”

A podium on Saturday would delay the travel slightly, with post-race commitments taking priority, but team staff are prepared for either scenario. “If Tom finishes on the podium, we’ll happily take a later flight,” Bogaerts added.

Should he pull off something special on Sunday, Pidcock would add a third rainbow jersey to his growing collection, leaving the road world title as the only missing piece. But for the Yorkshireman, the significance goes beyond short-term results.

“Tom wants to keep adding different types of races to his palmarès,” said Bogaerts. “That means managing his preparation carefully. He wants to be competitive wherever he races, and that requires the right build-up and rest periods.”

With cyclocross likely to take a back seat this winter, the message is clear: Pidcock’s ambitions are only expanding. His final weekend of racing in 2025 — taking on a Monument and a World Championships in just 24 hours — is proof of that.