Exclusive: Tom Pidcock plans to defend Olympic mountain bike title at Paris 2024 - 'It means more'

Updated 12/05/2023 at 08:03 GMT

Speaking to Eurosport ahead of the opening round of the UCI Cross-country World Cup in Nove Mesto, Ineos Grenadiers star Tom Pidcock revealed his plans to defend his mountain bike title at the Paris Olympics next summer. Pidcock is also targeting MTB glory at the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships – which combines all the major disciplines – in Glasgow in August.

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Ahead of the start of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Tom Pidcock has told Eurosport he plans to defend his Olympic mountain bike title in Paris next summer, saying the Games “mean more” and “transcend cycling”.

The Ineos Grenadiers star is taking a mini break from the road to target the opening round of the UCI Cross-country World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic this weekend. Pidcock will compete in the short-track (XCC) on Friday, which serves as qualifying for the Olympic distance race (XCO) on Sunday.

The event forms part of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, which you can watch live and on-demand on discovery+ and Eurosport. The action starts on Friday with the women's elite short track race coming at 16:45 UK time and the men's at 17:40.

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Pidcock arrives in promising form after winning the Swiss Cup round in Chur earlier this week, having enjoyed a stellar Spring Classics campaign on the road that saw him take a brilliant solo victory at Strade Bianche and earn podiums at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Amstel Gold.

The 23-year-old is hoping to claim the leader’s jersey at the opening round – albeit a jersey he will never get to wear due to his road commitments – before turning his attention to the Tour de France after a small break. After the Tour, he will return to the mountain bike in a bid to win the world title in Glasgow in August.

“This year my goal in mountain biking is to win the Worlds,” Pidcock told Eurosport.

“Last year I fell ill the week before. I still ended up fourth which I’m pretty amazed with, I just finished and I was completely empty, mentally and physically. This year I want to go back, especially with it being in Glasgow.

“I’m also focused on the Olympics next year. I want to go back and defend my title for sure. After Tokyo, I just realised the Olympics transcends cycling. I always wanted to win the Road Worlds or the Tour de France – the Tour is also massive – but the Olympics…

“No one cares where the medal comes from. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in ping pong or balancing a ball on your head. A gold medal is a gold medal. And everyone knows about it. That’s what makes it special. It means more, in a way.”

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Pidcock skipped the Cyclo-Cross World Championships to focus on the Spring Classics on the road, meaning an extended training block, and is now looking forward to a break after Nove Mesto.

“It’s been quite a long start to the season for me,” he said.

“I finished the cyclo-cross early so I could start preparing for the road earlier than usual. I’ve been training since the middle of January which is a lot longer than normal, so mentally I feel a bit tired.

“After Nove Mesto I have a little break before building up to the Tour and the road again. Even though the mountain bike is refreshing mentally, and a relaxed environment to be in… I feel the end is in sight.

“I’m still looking forward to racing, but when you get towards the end you’re looking forward to a little rest.”

WHAT EVENTS WILL PIDCOCK COMPETE IN?

The Nove Mesto round is part of the inaugural UCI Mountain Bike World Series.

For the first time, the biggest mountain bike disciplines are coming under the same roof with cross-country, short track, marathon, downhill, enduro and E-enduro uniting in 2023.

Pidcock will appear in the XCC on Friday before the main event, the XCO, on Sunday.

“The short-track (XCC) is just a race to get a good position for the real race, the XCO,” explained Pidcock.

“The XCC is like 20 minutes, real short and sharp, on Friday. And the XCO race is one hour and 20 minutes, one hour and 30 minutes, on a bigger course, more physical and technical.”

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Stream the 2023 cycling season, and the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk

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