Tom Pidcock says he wants to ride a Grand Tour in his debut season at WorldTour level, with his eyes on the Vuelta a España.
The British multi-discipline star is making the highly anticipated step up from under-23 to WorldTour level with Ineos Grenadiers and has brought forward his transfer to the team.
Pidcock had initially planned to start with his new team in March after finishing his cyclocross season, but the 21-year-old will be joining the British WorldTour squad in February, after the CX Worlds on January 31.
Speaking with the Lantern Rouge Cycling Podcast, Pidcock said: “I finish cross on the 31st at the Worlds then as of February then I change to Ineos. It was March but we changed it to February now.
“I’ll be racing. I’m Mediterranean Epic the mountain bike race first, then [Volta ao] Algarve and Opening Weekend [Kuurne-Brusselles-Kuurne and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad]. I’m not having much of a break, I’m going straight into the road.”
Pidcock said he has some idea of his programme for the rest of the season, which will include Strade Bianche, a mountain bike block in June, then the Tokyo Olympics.
He also revealed that he wants to ride the Vuelta a España, but will not be racing the Tour de France or Paris-Roubaix.
In December, Pidcock took the biggest CX victory of his career at the Telenet Superprestige, where he beat world champion Mathieu van der Poel.
Last season the Yorkshireman also dominated the under-23 Giro d’Italia and led the British team in the men’s elite World Championships road race for the first time.
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Pidcock will be joining a wave of new talent at Ineos Grenadiers, including Adam Yates, Laurens De Plus and Dani Martinez, while Richie Porte who has returned to his old team for 2021 after a spell with Trek-Segafredo.
