"After last year you can no longer say that Pidcock is still part of the 'Big 3'" - Experts analyse winter prospects of cyclocross' biggest stars

The 2024/25 cyclocross is underway. As of yet though, the three biggest stars of the discipline, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock are yet to return to the field with the exact date their presence will be felt even less clear.

On the latest episode of Eurosport's Kop over Kop podcast, the winter prospects of the so-called cyclocross 'Big 3' were touched upon. The question is though, is there even a 'Big 3' of cyclocross anymore? "Is Pidcock still in that list?" asks Sander Valentijn aloud to his colleagues. "There was actually only one big one last year," replies Jeroen Vanbelleghem, noting Van der Poel's all-conquering dominance last winter. 

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As mentioned, Pidcock's lofty reputation in particular is questioned by the experts. The 2022 World Championship winner took victory just once last winter in his eight appearances, and heads to this year's cyclocross calendar clouded in controversy after a recent public drama with the INEOS Grenadiers following his controversial deselection from the team's Il Lombardia lineup.

"Nobody knows with Pidcock. If the wind comes from the left, he might ride an entire season. If the wind comes from the right, he doesn't ride at all. Things are difficult with his team, but I think he still decides for himself what he feels like doing and what he's going to do," assesses ex-pro Thijs van Amerongen. "After last year you can no longer say that Pidcock is still part of it (the Big 3 ed.)."

The star power of the Brit would be something very beneficial to the sport of cyclocross this winter though, Vanbelleghem insists, especially given the uncertainty regarding Van der Poel and Van Aert's race programmes. "I don't think Van der Poel and his team know yet, so we can't know either. I suspect he doesn't feel like it at all now, but will ride two or three races for the World Championship in December. With Van Aert I foresee ten or twelve races and with Pidcock I really don't know," he concludes. "I hope he will really do a lot of cross-country racing, because he is an asset to the sport."

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