Servais Knaven on Tom Pidcock: "That Grand Tour is also possible one day. But if he wants to, he has to let things go and make choices"
Cycling
Tom Pidcock is one of, if not the most versatile rider in cycling at the moment. A blessing for the Briton who has thrived over three disciplines at the very best over the last few years, but also a responsibility as he is forced to make choices on which to focus on.
“Tom is much more of a climber type, who is also explosive. Wout and Mathieu are especially strong bears," former team DS Servais Knaven told RIDE Magazine regarding the Tour de France. "He has the potential to make it to the podium. Winning is only for a few. I see him winning a monument for now. Except for Paris-Roubaix, they all match his qualities. That is already possible this year. That Grand Tour is also possible one day. But if he wants to, he has to let things go and make choices.”
Pidcock is an expert off-road rider, already a crowned Olympic MTB champion and Cyclocross World Champion despite being only 23. On the road he's won races such as Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold Race which bring forward his puncheur abilities, but has also won a mountain stage at the Alpe d'Huez during last year's Tour de France.
Over the past year, and something which is likely to continue in the future, are the debates on which paths he will follow. The two off-road disciplines have seen him thrive immensely, but even within the road there are many choices. Whilst Pidcock is an explosive rider suited to the hilly classics of Belgium mostly, his lightweight stature and occasional high-level wins have also proven his talent in the high mountains.
Dutch MTB coach Gerben de Knegt has also shared his opinion on the reigning Olympic Champion: “I always like to see Pidcock. His favor factor is higher, as a guy between the two guys who are Wout and Mathieu. But you do see a certain fire in Tom. He'd rather die than lose. Pidcock has the bravado and flies in, just like Wout and Mathieu.”
"That is why I also think that a focus on the grand tours goes against Tom's nature. That's just boring. Everyone remembers his descent in the Tour, to Alpe d'Huez. That's who Pidcock is. And he really already has a serious track record, doesn't he. Not everyone appreciates that, mountain biking is really big worldwide. But continuing to do everything and winning the Tour is almost impossible for God," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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