Tom Pidcock celebrated his 25th birthday on Tuesday as a two-time mountain bike Olympic champion. However, his preparation for Saturdayโs menโs road race is already on the horizon, with a chance at a second gold medal. Following his win on Monday, Pidcock took a needed break to spend time with his family.
โNormally after a mountain bike race, I do a long ride. But this time Iโll take time to recover, to refresh and go from there,โ Pidcock explained regarding his recovery plans. โI want to spend time with my family because I get to see them so very little in the year, and I see this as a special time.โ
On Wednesday, Pidcock will shift his focus to the road race, likely training with Josh Tarling, who has remained in Paris after the time trial. The 18km city centre finishing circuit will be closed to traffic on Thursday afternoon for a final reconnaissance ride. Pidcock and the 90-rider menโs field will then taper for Saturday.
โIt is crucial how he will digest the next two days,โ his coach Kurt Bogaerts told Sporza. โEverything that comes now is a nice extra. The road race course is not ideal for him, but he can compete for a medal.โ
Pidcock had several Olympic obligations as a medal winner on Wednesday but was given the day off from training by Great Britain Performance Director Stephen Parks. โTom has to enjoy the moment. He was massively focused on this race, and it emotionally and physically takes a lot out of you,โ Park said. โBeing the consummate professional he is, heโll be right back on it. Heโs already on the post-race recovery protocol. Iโm sure heโll be in a good spot.โ
Pidcock was a favourite for the mountain bike race and will be a contender for the road race, facing top Classic riders including Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands), Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel (Belgium), Biniam Girmay (Eritrea), and Julian Alaphilippe (France). Pidcock has also achieved success in races like Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold Race, and he will lead the Great Britain team in the 272km road race. The team includes Josh Tarling, Stevie Williams, and Fred Wright.
Winning gold in the mountain bike race, especially by diving past Franceโs Victor Koretzky on the last lap after fighting back from a puncture, was intense but inspiring. โI think winning will give him a huge amount of confidence for the road race,โ Parks suggested. โThereโs no doubt that we need to ride well as a team, and everyone else will be motivated. Tomโs got the legs, and heโs up for the race, so theyโll be keen to ride for him. So it should be a fantastic race.โ
Double gold is possible for Pidcock and Great Britain, but Parks knows the road race will be far less predictable. โItโs possible,โ Parks said. โBut if there was one event in cycling, I wouldnโt put a wager on itโs the road race. Because itโs such a tough race. Itโs normally a war of attrition and if the entire peloton rides against you, then itโs incredibly difficult to win.โ
โBut it is possible. Weโll just have to see how it plays out, but weโll definitely be in the running.โ
Main photo credit: Getty