"Special rider" Tom Pidcock's decision to skip Cyclocross World Championship defence vindicated by Strade Bianche win according to Rod Ellingworth
Cycling
After there having been much discussion over Tom Pidcock's decision to skip the defence of his Cyclocross World Championship Title, the Brit has been vindicated by victory at Strade Bianche according to Rod Ellingworth.
"Strade Bianche was his first big goal of 2023. It was the reason why he didn't do the cyclocross worlds and that proved to be the right choice," INEOS Grenadiers team manager Rod Ellingworth says of Pidcock to Cycling News. "You can feel it in the team, victory at Strade Bianche has lifted everybody and that’s exactly where you want them to be. To kick off early with a big win settles everybody down."
Pidcock's solo win was a ride that will live long in the memory and Ellingworth was gushing in his praise of the 23-year-old Brit. "I told him earlier how I was really impressed with his ride. Most people would have given up when the gap to the chasers fell to just eight seconds but he didn't."
"I love that in a bike rider. It was impressive but that’s Tom's character. He can step up on the big occasions," he continues. "The special riders, they step up like that. Think about the Tour de France last year when he won on L’Alpe d’Huez, the mountain bike race at the Olympics. They're all big, big moments, so seeing him do that again on Saturday was impressive."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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