Tom Pidcock reveals all on Milano-Sanremo misfortune, INEOS transfer, and Pogacar: “I know perfectly well what challenge I have signed up for”
CyclingThursday, 27 March 2025 at 11:04
Tom Pidcock’s 2025 campaign with his new team Q36.5 Pro
Cycling Team began in dramatic fashion as he lined up for his first Monument
with the squad at Milano–Sanremo. On a day that saw Mathieu van der Poel claim
a stunning victory ahead of Tadej Pogacar and Filippo Ganna in one of the most
thrilling editions in recent memory, Pidcock was left reflecting on what might
have been.
The British rider’s race was derailed by a crash at the foot
of the Cipressa, which left him out of position just as the key attacks were
made. Speaking to Wielerflits, he explained how the crash completely
altered his chances.
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“I started the first climbing sections of the Cipressa in a
particularly bad position,” he said. “After the crash, I was too far back when
Pogacar, Van der Poel and Filippo Ganna rode away. I didn’t see the front of
the race again.”
The disappointment was clear, but for Pidcock, the race was
also a milestone, not only was it his first Milano–Sanremo with Q36.5, it
marked the beginning of a new chapter in his career.
“I know perfectly well what challenge I have signed up for,”
he said. “But it is not just about me, it is about the team.”
His move to Q36.5 Pro Cycling surprised many. At 24, Pidcock
is entering what many consider his peak years. Some questioned his decision to
join a smaller, less established team instead of continuing with a WorldTour
giant.
“A lot of people wondered why I went here in my best years,
because it was time to win,” Pidcock acknowledged. “But that’s not all for me.
I think having fun is important, the story I write. Or the joy I get from what
I achieve. I want to leave a legacy, which I give to people who watch me. We
are entertainers – that’s what sport is all about. Earning the respect and
admiration of people by the way you perform or win – that’s important to me.”
Pidcock has already had success in his short career with his
new team, and finished second behind Pogacar earlier this month at Strade
Bianche.
While comparisons to the likes of Van der Poel, Pogacar, and
Evenepoel are common, Pidcock himself doesn’t see much validity in them.
“I don’t think you can compare me to them,” he said. “I’m a
different rider, to be honest. Mountain biking is still my best discipline. On
the road, I don’t have the sprint or pure power like some of them. Uphill, I’m
more of an Ardennes guy. I climb better than Wout and Mathieu, but in the
classics, I’m not as strong as them.”
He reiterated his individuality: “I think I’m quite a
different rider to all of them. On the road, I perhaps don’t have the sprint or
the raw power. On the climbs, I’m more of an Ardennes rider. I can climb better
than Wout and Mathieu, but in the classics, I’m not as strong.”
Despite being known for his success across multiple
disciplines – Olympic gold in mountain biking, world championship titles in
cyclo-cross, and stage wins on the road – Pidcock maintains that his path will
not necessarily mirror those of his rivals. His focus isn’t solely on
victories, but on building a legacy that reflects who he is as a cyclist and as
a person.
Pidcock has made a flying start to life at Q36.5
Looking back on his career so far, Pidcock considers himself
fortunate to have avoided prolonged setbacks. When asked about his lowest
moment, he pointed to a crash before the Tokyo Olympics as one of the tougher
times.
“To be honest, I’ve been quite lucky in that I haven’t had a
super deep point,” he said. “Maybe when I broke my collarbone before the
Olympics in 2021 – that was tough.”
Even then, he approached the challenge with a calm mindset.
“I didn’t let it affect me so much. I ended up on the floor
after being hit by a car, and there’s no point getting angry. It was done, so I
didn’t waste energy getting frustrated. I just concentrated on what I could do
to get better.”
His pragmatic outlook extends to the present, as Q36.5’s
wildcard status has left him unsure of his race programme.
“I know perfectly well what I’ve signed up for. It’s not
just about me, it’s about the team. If we don’t get invited, it’s not just me
who misses out.”
Looking to the future, Pidcock made it clear that results do
matter – but how he achieves them matters even more.
“How do I want people to remember me? Of course I want to
win some of the biggest races. And also win them in an interesting way – that’s
what gives me motivation.”
His passion for the sport is beginning to resurface after
what he described as a challenging period in his final year with INEOS
Grenadiers.
“I would say now I’m more similar to how I was when I
started racing than I have been in the last few years,” he said. “I feel more
like myself. I think I am of course wiser, I know more. But now it’s more of a
job. Before, it was a passion – you just go with the flow.”
“I feel a freshness that perhaps has been missing. That’s
how I could describe it. Last year was difficult, but now it’s a fresh start, a
fresh team. I chose to come here – everything is great at the moment.”
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Now living in Andorra with his girlfriend and two dogs,
Pidcock values the space and detachment from cycling that his new environment
provides. His girlfriend, an interior designer, provides a welcome distraction
from the intensity of professional sport.
“For me, when I finish a hard day training or a hard race, I
don’t want to talk about the race. I just want to talk about what she’s doing.
She’s got her own business now, doing interior design. She designed our house.”
“It's nice to be able to hear about her day and what she’s
done. I don’t have to talk about mine. I like to be distracted – to kind of get
away from it when I can.”
Tom now rides on the same team as his younger brother Joe.
He acknowledged that Joe may feel added pressure or expectation, but also
believes his sibling has the talent to succeed.
“I think he definitely finds it harder to extract his
potential compared to me. That’s something that perhaps I’m not – I’m quite
impatient with, perhaps I need to be more understanding.”
“He’s definitely got potential, and now he’s got the chance
to show it if he can be consistent.”
Pidcock also confirmed that his passion for multi-discipline
racing hasn’t gone anywhere.
“This year, hopefully in July, I’ll do some mountain bike
races. I’d like to race the mountain bike worlds. With Mathieu coming back,
that would be a nice battle.”
And the he confirmed his winter plans for next year, “I also
plan to go back to cyclo-cross next year.”
As for the road?
“The main goal at the moment is the focus on helping this
team grow. If we go to the Vuelta, then that’s where I’ll be.”
Perhaps this lack of Tour de France for the time being is
exactly what Pidcock needs. Things didn’t work out for him in recent editions
of the Tour with INEOS, but a year or two away may be perfect for him to
refresh.
Let’s see what the most talented British all rounder has in
store for us over the course of 2025.
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- I love it when the "little guy" wins!acem8214-05-2025
- Yeah, TdF is completely overrated, only amateurs and has-beens participate. And little ole skimpy Jonas has only won it as often as Switzerland or The Netherlands or Germany and Australia combined. Prestigewise there is NO comparison until he wins either the WC again or something big coz sorry G-W is basically a 2nd rate race at their level and he’s not won much else except a decent collection of stages, which Jonas and plenty of sprinters win too. Until now, MP is about pulling level with Asgreen who also won stages and classics, was a WC and HE got himself a monument and almost as many almosts as Mads but in a career only half as long.Mistermaumau13-05-2025
- Jonas is a great rider but only rides stage races so i would have to say he & Mads are about equal now. Stage racing in general is overvalued i think... (vs the power required to win one day races)Xrider5113-05-2025
- Jonas only does stage raXrider5113-05-2025
- First goats and now great danes, all we need now is a showdown at the tour of turkey, that could maybe slide into grease. Sorry, always happens when I get tired.Mistermaumau13-05-2025
- I think this kind of thing will become quite common in future in light of the way pros have had to up their game and risk-taking. Means more precarity but also a bigger pool.Mistermaumau13-05-2025
- Its difficult to compare the two, since both are fundamentally different as cyclists. Jonas is essentially a stage racer, whereas Mads excels in classics as well as in sprint stages at GTs. At this point of time, Jonas with his two Tour wins, beating Pogacar no less, has the better credentials. If Mads wins a few monuments and some Points Jerseys, the comparison may be closer.Cooldude13-05-2025
- I thought he did quite well in that team if not for the illnesses and strings of bad luck.
KerisVroom13-05-2025 - For his sacrifice, he was rewarded with nice haircut by his team lead. It's heartwarming to see a team lead who appreciates his domestique.KerisVroom13-05-2025
- Have you gone Mads? Jeez, this is the Giro, and apart from there being other races and riders not participating, there are over 150 riders with plots and subplots, including a thing called the GC for which I doubt VERY much he’ll come into contention. Are there no other stories or topics to propose currently? Does every article have to include MP? Comparisons to Wout, to Danes, how hell fare on every single stage. Soon Pogi will start feeling like he’ll have to do some publicity stunt to become relevant again. How about updating us on how his UCI ranking is evolving with all the frenzy?Mistermaumau13-05-2025
The guy is only 24? So very very young. At this age, what was MvdP doing, but building up a team as well. He's right, he's an entertainer, and yes, I've been entertained. Between him and MvdP, I started watching XCC and XCO mountain biking (now I want to go to the Quebecois race in Mont Ste. Anne that are only a few hours away), just like WvA and MvdP pulled me into cyclocross a few years ago. Multi-disciplinary awesomeness is fun. Pidcock is his own rider, and I'm curious where he'll be in 5 years. It will be fun to wait and watch.