Tom Pidcock: "I don't have many question marks for myself" ahead of Flandres

Cyclocross World champion and Olympic Mountain Bike champion Tom Pidcock will be leading a very strong INEOS Grenadiers team at the upcoming Tour des Flandres and he has talked to the media ahead of the race where he talked about his preparation and his expectations for the race.

Leading up to the race, the Cyclocross World champion has had a difficult run-up, with month and a half of racing where he's struggled to show himself at the head of affairs due to ongoing stomach issues: “I don't know if I've fully recovered yet. We can't tell exactly what's wrong. But I haven't been feeling well for a while. In Milan-San Remo I then reacted very strongly to a lot of sugars that I took in during the race. Before that I had suffered from stomach flu for a long time and I also missed Strade Bianche.”

However, this week at Dwars door Vlaanderen where he finished third, he's shown glimpses of his best form. Whether he'll have a consistent performance this Sunday or not is a question that can only be answered on the spot, however the signs are good: “Wednesday I felt good again and I enjoyed the race. Does the distance not play tricks on me? During the World Championships in Leuven I showed that I can race in a race of 250 kilometers plus, but it is also true that I have not ridden very often such long races. But I don't think I should hide behind that."

Asked about a comparison between him and debutant Tadej Pogacar, he's added: “Whether my experience makes me more ready than him? I didn't race in Flanders that often, you know. I have now done a number of classics and in all those races the course of the race is largely the same. So you learn quickly in a short time. You know where it happens and what the key points are. I'll take that to Sunday. With Pogacar there is a good chance that we will get a race again as we have seen more often in the last two years: the final starts much earlier than traditionally was the case."

As for Wout van Aert, who is currently unclear of his participation in the race, Pidcock - who's been racing with the Belgian champion for years on the road and in cyclocross - has said: “He was without a doubt one of the most serious contenders for a win. If he's not there, it will definitely change course. We will probably see a different final, with a different composition of the elite group than if he had been there. And the strength of Jumbo-Visma as a team will also suffer.”

“I don't have many question marks for myself. I have a lot of confidence in Dwars Door Vlaanderen. It was a hard course. We ourselves picked up the hatchet first. The final may not have gone perfectly for us, there are things we could have done differently. Only I was happy with the way I raced, but also how my legs felt and how we handled the race as a team. That is positive with a view to the Tour of Flanders. I really hated those cobbled slopes. But I have to adjust that now: I've started to appreciate them a bit more. Although it remains difficult for me here in Flanders. I'm just a lightweight and don't have the raw strength like others have. But after 270 kilometers my weight can also weigh in my favor," he added.

Pidcock will be one of the team leaders for Flandres, but INEOS will also count on Dylan van Baarle who finished runner-up at the World Championships last year after a very strong spring that included a win at Dwars door Vlaanderen. Youngsters Jhonatan Narváez and Ben Turner have also been quite impressive and consistent so far this spring and will provide the team with several cards to play en route to Oudenaarde.

“What makes the race so special is the frenzied crowd. I've never experienced that before, so I'm really looking forward to it. Along with the history of the race, of course. It is definitely a race I would like to win at some point in my career. Do I dare to call myself a favorite for this edition? No that is not me. There are guys who have proven themselves in this race. I do have a chance, though. But then everything has to fall into place in the race," he concluded.

INEOS Grenadiers for Tour des Flandres: Tom Pidcock, Dylan van Baarle, Ben Turner, Ben Swift, Magnus Sheffield, Jhonatan Narváez and Kim Heiduk.