21 things you didn't know about Tom Pidcock

Tom Pidcock is one of the most talked about and most exciting bike racers currently operating in the professional ranks.

Pidcock’s star rose even higher last summer when he landed a Tour de France stage victory on the famous Alpe d’Huez climb.

Since then, the Yorkshire-born rider won Strade Bianche in impressive style, and has continued to thrive in all three disciplines he competes in, the road, mountain bike and cyclocross.

This summer, Pidcock will ride the Tour once more and may well find himself in a position to grab a further stage victory in the opening week.

Up until this year, the Yorkshireman was world Cyclocross champion. Mathieu van der Poel took over the mantle from Pidcock with his win in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands in February. 

1. Before moving to the professional ranks, Pidcock won world titles at junior and under 23 level in all three disciplines he competes in.

2.  Pidcock has a sausage dog called Chestnut, who has been pictured giving the Yorkshireman a celebratory lick after many of his recent cycling exploits.

3. His first ever race came at the age of seven on the Castle Combe circuit in Wiltshire.

4. Pidcock's first success in a race came with a victory in the British National Youth Road series in Scarborough when he was 14.

5. The 23-year old claims that he's never experienced a hangover! According to Pidcock, he's only had alcohol four times in his life.

6. His favourite climb in his home county of Yorkshire is the Otley Chevin.

7.  After a powerful solo attack on the Carrefour de l'Arbre, Pidcock won Paris-Roubaix juniors in 2017. 

8. After a spell with Trinity racing, run by agent Andrew McQuaid, Pidcock joined the Ineos Grenaders WorldTour team.

9. As well as all of his other bikes, Pidcock can ride a unicycle.

10. You will no doubt already know that he took mountain bike gold at the Olympics in 2021, although did you know he became European mountain bike champion a year later in Munich, Germany?

11. Prior to that famous win at the Tokyo Olympics, Pidcock broke his collarbone in early June 2021, less than two months before the race in Tokyo. Thanks to miraculous work from his surgeon, Pidcock was back on the bike in a matter of days.

12. He was part of the Great Britain junior academy between 2015 and 2017.

13. In March 2022, Pidcock signed a new contract with his current team which will keep him at Ineos until at least 2027.

14. As well as alcohol, Pidcock also doesn't drink coffee.

15. His brother, Joe, is also a pro-cyclist and currently rides for his elder brother's old team, Trinity Racing.

16. At the last count, Pidcock has between 60 and 70 pairs of Oakley sunglasses.

17.  Pidcock had two of his teeth rebuilt after a heavy crash at the Tour de l'Avenir.

18. Earlier this year, Pidcock featured on the "Descent Disciples" YouTube channel, with an absolutely terrifying ride  down Tuna Canyon in Los Angeles. 

19. Pidcock's Father, Giles, is a former professional cyclist and still very active within the sport today.

20. He has an app available for smart phones called LinkMyRide, which Pidcock set up with a former teammate.

21. He currently has a house in Andorra which he is in the process of revovating.