Tom Pidcock is a man used to World Championships. This year's UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, is actually his 16th appearance at a Worlds, across road, cyclo-cross, and mountain bike, in different age groups. He knows how they go.
He's a multiple-time world champion, at elite in cyclo-cross and mountain bike, and in the junior time trial on the road. A medal at elite level in the Road World Championships has so far eluded him, however, which is very much the target for Sunday's road race.
"We're here to do well," the 26-year-old explained in a press conference on Friday. "I wouldn't travel all the way to Africa if I didn't think that I could perform. We'll see. I mean, it's not like we're not here to race to win. That's evident. Worlds is always a day where anything could happen. We're not making too many expectations now."
What Tom Pidcock is not used to is finishing third at a Grand Tour, something he did for the first time at the Vuelta a España earlier this month.
"I recovered pretty well to be honest," he said. "I think I'm actually too fresh, maybe. I've never finished a Grand Tour in such a good condition. A fairly new thing for me, it's a tricky balance to make sure I'm recovered but to make sure I'm also training as well.
"I took four or five days easy and then got back into training. I did seven hours last week one day, and just some intensity. The travel gets in the way a little bit, but I did some good training yesterday. People are talking about the altitude or smog, but it's quite tough here actually, tough conditions."
The Vuelta a España was the main thing on Pidcock's mind this summer, but it must be nice to be back to the chaos of a one-day race, the kind of event where the Brit, a winner of Strade Bianche and the Amstel Gold Race, and podium finisher at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, has thrived before.
"I haven't put much thought into this, I was just thinking about the Vuelta and not what's going to come after," he said. "I was pretty stressed when I got home cos I wasn't doing any organising and there was a million things to do. I didn't look much beyond it. It's nice to have a one day hit out."
Pidcock is also not used to riding in Rwanda or Africa more generally, something novel for most of the peloton in Kigali.
"I don't know what my expectations were, but I've come here and stayed in a nice hotel with a nice view," he said.
"Everywhere is super clean, there's less litter here than there is in Europe, all the people are super nice and friendly. It's really nice.
"I like going to places and getting new experiences racing my bike, so it's a nice experience."
This has already been a successful Road Worlds for GB, with golds for Zoe Bäckstedt in the U23 time trial and Harry Hudson in the junior road race.
"It's good, of course, when you have success as a team it always brings a positive atmosphere into it, and it normally reflects on other races," he said. "Hopefully, we can see the effects of that in the junior girls tomorrow and then our race."
Beyond Pidcock, all eyes are on Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia and Belgium's Remco Evenepoel. Pogačar is the defending champion, while Evenepoel was dominant in the elite time trial last weekend, catching Pogačar during his effort.
Asked where he thought Pogačar would attack from, after his 100km-long escapade last year, Pidcock wouldn't be drawn.
"I dunno, I'm not really bothered about wasting energy speculating on that," he said. "[After] what happened in the time trial he will want to prove something on Sunday."
Pidcock will not be alone either, with a strong GB team which includes Oscar Onley, fourth at this year's Tour de France.
"Oscar has also shown his strength this year," Pidcock explained. "It will be a hard, attritional race, it's nice to have someone like him in the team, someone I'm pretty sure will be solid on Sunday."
A first African Worlds elite men's road race beckons, with Pidcock in seemingly the form of his life. Pogačar and Evenepoel stand in his way, among others, of completing the set, but the GB rider is relaxed, and ready.
