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?”

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.”