Are we witnessing the death of the multi-discipline star?

Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock are all making noises about focusing on the road. Is an era ending?

Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix 2023
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Good morning, and welcome back to The Leadout, your regular dose of analysis and opinion on Tuesday mornings. Remember, if you want to say hello or have a chat, feel free to email me on adam.becket@futurenet.com.

Over the past few years, one of the thrilling things about modern cycling has been the emergence of multi-discipline cyclists. It was not a new idea, and some of the best female pros of the past decade have excelled in more than one type of cycling (Marianne Vos I’m looking at you), but with the emergence of ‘the big three’ of cyclo-cross, we saw male riders try and do it all.

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Adam Becket
News editor

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW in 2021 he spent two years writing for Procycling. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds.

Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to riding bikes.