“We have not yet seen the best of him” – Tom Pidcock’s coach explains why the Olympic gold medallist has not lived up to expectations
Cycling
Tom Pidcock’s future with the
INEOS Grenadiers has been one of the most talked about topics of the off season,
but recently rumours of his departure have cooled as he appears more content
with the situation at the British team. Pidcock himself recently admitted that
he has not lived up to expectations on the road since his win on Alpe d’Huez at
the 2022 Tour de France. Now his coach, Kurt Bogaerts, has spoken with
Cyclingnews about what the man from Leeds can accomplish in his career.
“The next two seasons are crucial
for Tom, to discover his limits on the road and see how far he can go,” he
said. “He can score in the classics and the grand tours and mentally he will
have more space for that, with the four-year Olympic cycle.”
Read also
So does that mean Pidcock won’t
have a busy cyclocross or mountain biking calendar next year?
“Tom has said he wants to do the
best he can on the road, so if he goes off-road, it will be in function of the
road,” Bogaerts explained, and he believes this why Pidcock has not lived up to
expectations on the road so far. "We can be honest that Tom has never had
an ideal preparation for the road season, so we do not know his limits.
“I think he can be very, very good
and he is only 25 years old”, he says. “Tom does not win as much as Pogacar,
but he already has some nice victories on and off the road. I think many riders
his age would like to win what Tom has already won.
“We have not yet seen the best of
him in the Grand Tours, there too we want to see what is possible with ultimate
preparation.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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