There are riders who will participate in the Tour of Lombardy on Saturday, and there are riders who will compete a day later in the Gravel World Championships in South Limburg. And then there’s Tom Pidcock, who will contest both events. A very challenging combination, says his coach Kurt Bogaerts.
Pidcock has already had a long and grueling season (with 74 race days), but this weekend he will race twice more. The leader of Q36.5 Pro Cycling will end his season with a very striking combination: on Saturday there is the Tour of Lombardy, and the next day the British all-rounder can let loose on the unpaved roads of South Limburg for the Gravel World Championships.
"Tom said at the start of the year that he absolutely wanted to do the Gravel Worlds," his coach Kurt Bogaerts told Sporza. "Why? He wants to finish the season in a fun way. Offroad races give Tom a good feeling. But they didn’t make it easy for us by changing the location and date of the Gravel Worlds," the Belgian laughs.
Normally, the Gravel Worlds were supposed to take place the weekend of October 18 and 19 in Nice, but the French city had to withdraw due to organizational issues. Golazo Netherlands stepped in, but the Worlds in South Limburg will now be held a week earlier, on the same weekend as the Tour of Lombardy.
Flying from Lombardy to South Limburg
However, this is no reason for Pidcock to skip the Italian classic. "Due to circumstances, Tom couldn’t ride that race last year. It’s important for him to ride Lombardy for the first time, because it’s a race that should suit him well in the future," explains Bogaerts. "But with Lombardy in your legs, you can’t be the top favorite for the Gravel Worlds the next day."
So after the Italian race, Pidcock still faces a considerable transfer to South Limburg. "What time is the flight? That depends on his result in Lombardy. If Tom finishes on the podium, there will be some extra obligations (press conference, etc.) after the race. Then we’re happy to take a later flight."
Tom PidcockNo races scheduled
