Tom Pidcock has signalled his ambitions ahead of 2022, revealing that he is planning to mount a triple world title bid.
The Briton has just completed his second full elite and WorldTour season, but already has his sights set on achieving a multi-discipline sweep of world titles. These include the Cyclocross World Championships in January, the Mountain Bike World Championships in August, and the Road World Championships in September.
The 22-year-old also wants to win some Spring Classics during that period, plus perform better at the Giro d'Italia than he managed in the 2021 Vuelta a España.
Pidcock told VeloNews: “I want to go to the cyclocross worlds to win. I want to win some classics next year, and the Giro is the grand tour I want to ride. Then I want to focus on mountain bike in the second part of the year and try and win mountain bike worlds.
“I want to be world champion in all three, all in the same year. I just need to wait for when all the courses suit me – next year, we still don’t know the course for road worlds, so we’ll have to see.”
While the Wollongong Road Worlds route hasn't been announced, Pidcock knows that he will head to Arkansas in the United States to try and achieve the first of his goals, at the Cyclocross World Championships on January 28-30.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider finished second at the 2020 Cyclocross Worlds, and is looking to go one better this time around.
He then hopes to follow that up with strong performances in the one-day races and Spring Classics, adding to his Brabantse Pijl victory earlier this year. However, it's likely he won't compete in Paris-Roubaix, with the event pushed back a week later.
He said: “There will need to be some compromise because of the Giro, but I will do both cobbled and hilly classics. But now Roubaix is a different time I’m not sure if it will fit."
Pidcock picked up the Olympic gold medal in the moutain bike event in Tokyo, which he is aiming to add to with World Championship victory at Les Gets at the end of August.
He will then round off his ambitious season at the Wollongong Road Worlds in September, where he is looking to add the rainbow jersey to his list of achievements.
A sixth-place finish earlier this year in Flanders is something that Pidcock is confident he can improve upon.
He said: “With a bit more experience I could have done more with the shape I had this year, but I think it went pretty well ready.
“I learned a lot. I showed I got some good results and can be at the front. Next year, with more experience, I can go into races a bit differently.”
