Who is Tom Pidcock?

Most people who read Singletrack will know who Tom Pidcock is. Or at the very least know his name. But for those of you who don’t, here’s a little insight into the 21-year-old following his incredible performance at the Tokyo Olympics. 

This is Tom Pidcock

Tom Pidcock hails from Leeds, and is a triple threat on a bicycle. He rides road, cyclocross and mountain bikes competitively, and does all three very well. Currently riding for the Ineos Grenadiers, the team announced he would be joining them in September 2020. One of the most important things about Tom, he’s now the first British person to win an Olympic medal in mountain biking.

In 2020, he made his debut on the mountain bike world cup circuit to race XCO in the U23 category. It was a short season due to Covid, but his results highlighted his talent. Tom secured two wins in the U23 category in Nove Mesto at rounds one and two of the XC World Cup. He also took home the World Championship title in both the U23 XCO World Championship and racing in elite at the Ebike XC World championship. 

Coming Back from Injury

What’s more impressive is the fact that just weeks ago, he was hit by a driver whilst out on a training ride and ended up in hospital. His injuries included a broken collar bone. Just days after his surgery, he was riding a bike. This season has seen him take a 5th in elite at round one of the XCO World Cup in Albstadt, and the win at round two in Nove Mesto. He was unable to race during round three at Leogang due to the injury, and took it easy at round four in Les Gets, getting a DNF. A smart move just weeks from his Olympic race. Today, on 26 July 2021, he took home the gold at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Born on 30 July 1999, Tom Pidcock grew up in Yorkshire. With a family of keen cyclists, it didn’t take him long to get the hang of things. He started riding when he was just three years old. From that moment he and his bike were pretty much inseparable. He competed in his first race at seven, and by the age of ten decided he wanted to become a pro rider. Since then he’s had several wins, including those on a local and international level. 

Some of Tom’s Best Results To Date:

2017:

Cyclocross Junior World Champ

1st in the Junior Paris-Roubaix

1st in Junior World Championship Time Trial

2018:

Under 23 Cyclocross World Cup Overall

2019:

U23 Cyclocross World Champ

1st in U23 Paris-Roubaix

2020:

UCI World Cup XC, Round One, Nove Mesto – 1st

UCI World Cup XC, Round Two, Nove Mesto – 1st

Ebike XC World Championship, Leogang – 1st

U23 XCO World Championship, Leogang – 1st

British Cyclocross National Champion

Find his mountain bike results here and other results here.

Born to Mountain Bike

Riding a mixture of disciplines, he has said he was born to mountain bike. His transition from U23 to elite has not slowed him down. In fact, his form continues to improve. His Olympic win shows that he’s a force to be reckoned with. His place at the Olympics wasn’t a given, it was thanks to another rider, Frazer Clacherty and a low finish by a Romanian rider that meant Britain had enough points to send a male athlete to Tokyo. At 21, he was the second youngest rider amongst the 38 who competed in XC at the Games. His current team doesn’t currently have a MTB team and no frame sponsor. To allow Tom to race in cross country, Ineos created a specific program for him with BMC. 

Tom currently lives in Andorra and can often be spotted riding his downhill bike in the Vallnord Bike Park. Perhaps he’ll race a downhill world cup in future too? There’s seemingly not much this man can’t do on two wheels.

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Time to Celebrate

Rest assured, if you don’t know his name, there’s no escaping it now, and rightly so. His performance today was so much more than an incredible win. The profile of British mountain biking has been elevated. We’re not sure what lies ahead for Tom Pidcock, but whatever it is it will be exciting to watch. Perhaps mountain biking will steal his heart for good. However, for now, his team have said he’ll be continuing to combine disciplines, at least for the near future. Whatever happens, the Tokyo Olympics delivered, and as riders, we can celebrate Tom and his amazing victory.

Related Content:

Did Tom Pidcock win the Men’s Olympic XC? Or Did Nino Schurter? Spoilers!

Evie Richards and Tom Pidcock to Represent GB in Tokyo

Round-Up: Highlights from Nove Mesto UCI XC World Cup 2021

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