World Championships in Montreal: Pidcock aims for rainbow jersey

Tom Pidcock already has seven world titles – three in cyclocross, four in mountain biking – and two Olympic gold medals under his belt, but he comes to the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal with what he calls the “best opportunity of my career” to capture the coveted rainbow jersey in Sunday’s men’s elite road race.

Already decorated in every youth category at the World Championships, with a complete collection of junior, under-23, and elite titles in cyclocross, as well as under-23 and e-MTB gold medals and two elite gold medals in mountain bike cross-country, Pidcock has had a more challenging road career. His under-23 bronze medal at home in Yorkshire, beaten in a sprint by Samuele Battistella and Stefan Bissegger, remains his best youth finish. As an elite, his record is a sixth-place finish in Leuven in 2021.

Since then, however, the British rider has improved enormously on the road: a stage at the Tour de France on Alpe d'Huez in 2022, the Strade Bianche in 2023 and the Amstel Gold Race in 2024 have established him as one of the big favourites for Montreal.

"I think becoming the Road World Champion would be something really incredible for my career, because it's going to be incredibly tough to win," Pidcock told a small group of reporters at his training camp in Colorado this week. "I think this is my best chance yet, that's for sure."