Tom Pidcock's coach questions criticism: "Double Olympic champion, world champion in two disciplines, Strade Bianche, an iconic stage at the Tour... How is that not enough?”
Cycling
Tom Pidcock has quickly become the leading light of the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, since his much-discussed transfer from the INEOS Grenadiers over the off-season. That hasn't stopped the Brit from being on the receiving end of criticism though, with even Pidcock's recent AlUla Tour win caveated by doubters as they point to a perceived lack of competition. Pidcock's coach, Kurt Bogaerts has now hit back.
“I read things about Tom, and you see the palmarès and then people say sometimes, ‘yeah, nice, but we expected more.’ Then I say what? What do you expect?!’” Bogaerts questions in conversation with Velo. “If you see what he wins until now, it’s quite insane — double Olympic champion, world champion in two disciplines, winning some quite big races on the road like Strade Bianche and an iconic stage at the Tour de France — and I started with a kid of 18 and then when he’s 25 he’s done all this? How is that not enough?”
One of the sticks used to beat Pidcock with by some, is the fact that despite much hype and strong words over recent years, he has been unable to mount a serious general classification challenge at the Tour de France. According to Bogaerts though, even this doubt has a simple response. "In today’s current atmosphere, not everyone can win the Tour de France at 20 years old,” Pidcock's coach insists, urging patience. “What he has shown on the road is just the tip of the iceberg. People who are close to Tom know this. I’m 100 percent confident in that. Tom has had pressure since he was 16 years old.”
And could the move to Q36.5 be the ideal move to unlock that potential? “I don’t feel it as a step back. It’s definitely a team with potential for growth. That’s the goal. I think we have similar goals. Tom wants to progress in his career and the team wants to progress. Our ambition is to compete with the best riders in the world on certain days, and I think that’s a healthy ambition,” says Bogaerts. “Tom is a winner. He has the physical and mental capabilities to win the biggest races on the calendar, and that’s what we need to go after. That’s what Tom wants and that’s what the team wants.”
"Winning a monument is a top priority. Milano-Sanremo has been close in the past, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège is a great opportunity—he was second there before and is strong at that time of year,” Bogaerts continues. “Last year, he won Amstel Gold Race, so we know he can go the monument distance. We weren’t able to do Il Lombardia, but he was second in Giro dell’Emilia just before that. He has the ability to be in contention for every monument he races.”
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Perhaps because so many were already equating him to MVDP, WVA, Pog or Remco on the road and he’s really nowhere close to any of them. Yes he’s a star in mtb, cross he only really wins when both WVA and MVDP are absent, on the road he hasn’t really shown the capacity to do a good stage race, hasn’t ever beaten the really good guys in a monument or classic except once outsprinting WVA after he’d already won the previous classic and before he won the next beating Pidcock back. Arguably his best achievement of the road. He was touted as a British Remco.
I guess you don't watch MTB, as you would realise he's a level above MvdP, and Wout doesn't even race on the MTB. You sound like the classic ignorant roadie...
No need to be rude whippy. That aside I agree. MVP and Van are no match for Pidcock on a longish climb. Their weight no matter how strong eventually works against them. On top of that Pidcock is sharp and spotting any opening. It's becoming obvious that changing team and getting away from the safe zone that Ineos became, has done him good. Lets hope it continues.
I thought the average age here was high enough that a paragraph could be dealt with and it couldn’t be dictated that in order to satisfy the lowest common denominator we were limited to tweeting. What next, Newspeak?
I think the whole discussion was/is based on past results and opinions. Am sure everyone would be pretty happy if Pidcock improved to a level to rival the best more often on the road. I am willing to be patient but it doesn’t change the fact his entourage and fans were putting the cart in front of the ox as they say in some parts.
No idea how Ineos was unhappy. Olympic Golds alone are worth his paycheck. Forget what he does in cross and the random classic
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