'Every top contender comes straight from the WorldTour ranks'—that's Tom Pidcock's take as he gears up for what might be the most audacious racing weekend of his career. Picture this: battling Italy's legendary climbs on Saturday at Il Lombardia, then catching a flight to chase gravel glory at the World Championships in the Netherlands just 24 hours later. Ambitious? Absolutely. Impossible? Pidcock doesn't think so.
Tom Pidcock is preparing for an extraordinarily demanding final weekend of competition, marking his first-ever appearance at the prestigious Il Lombardia monument race in Italy on Saturday before immediately pivoting to compete at the UCI Gravel World Championships in the Netherlands the following day.
The Q36.5 squad captain will be racing against the clock—literally sprinting to catch a northbound flight immediately after going toe-to-toe with cycling superstars Tadej Pogačar (representing UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Remco Evenepoel (riding for Soudal-QuickStep) on Saturday. While conquering the final Monument Classic of his road racing calendar stands as his number one priority, the tantalizing opportunity to claim a gravel world championship title—which would add to his existing rainbow jerseys in cyclocross and mountain biking—is proving too attractive to pass up. Should Pidcock succeed, he would make history as only the second rider ever, and the very first male athlete, to capture elite world championship titles across cyclocross, cross-country mountain biking, and gravel disciplines. He'd be joining the exclusive company of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who currently holds this remarkable distinction alone.
But here's where it gets controversial: Is Pidcock spreading himself too thin by attempting this double-header? Some critics might argue that dividing focus between two major events within 24 hours could compromise his performance at both. Others see it as the mark of a true champion—someone who refuses to leave opportunities on the table.
"The organizers certainly didn't do us any favors by switching up both the venue and the scheduling," Pidcock acknowledged candidly. "But at the same time, it's crucial for Tom to experience Lombardia for his inaugural attempt, especially considering it's a race that should align perfectly with his strengths and capabilities in the years ahead."
The 2024 men's gravel world champion Mathieu van der Poel won't be defending his title at this year's Worlds, but don't mistake his absence for a weak field. The start list reads like a who's-who of cycling excellence, featuring newly crowned European Gravel Champion Mads Würtz Schmidt, former WorldTour standout Romain Bardet, Tim Merlier (a former cyclocross specialist who transformed himself into a world-class sprinter), 2023 World Champion Matej Mohorič, and a formidable roster of Classics specialists and cyclocross veterans including Tim Wellens, Tibor Del Grosso, Quinten Hermans, and 2022 World Champion Gianni Vermeersch. In other words, this isn't going to be a walk in the park—it's stacked with legitimate contenders who know how to win big races.
Setting His Sights on Il Lombardia
Pidcock officially launched his Q36.5 chapter this past January, capturing victory at the AlUla Tour following his high-profile separation from Ineos Grenadiers. The British powerhouse team controversially 'deselected' Pidcock on the very eve of last year's Il Lombardia—a decision that ultimately catalyzed his successful transition to Q36.5 and perhaps worked out in his favor after all.
The Yorkshire-born rider demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout the entire season, performing solidly across both the Spring Classics campaign and various stage races. While he experienced some frustration at the Giro d'Italia, where stage victories eluded his grasp, he bounced back impressively at the Vuelta a España, securing an outstanding third-place finish on the overall classification. Beyond the headlines, he also accumulated a substantial collection of UCI ranking points—a strategic achievement that should virtually guarantee Q36.5 receives automatic invitations to every 2026 WorldTour event, including cycling's crown jewel, the Tour de France.
Pidcock claimed tenth position at the Road World Championships held in Rwanda and followed that up with a strong runner-up finish at last Saturday's Giro dell'Emilia. Remarkably, he still possesses both the physical energy and mental hunger to keep pushing.
"Honestly, I feel significantly better after competing at the Worlds," Pidcock revealed. "Before that race, I felt somewhat blocked—like I couldn't quite find my rhythm. I probably didn't strike the right balance between recovery and training intensity following the demanding Vuelta. But after putting in a hard effort at the Worlds, it's like something unlocked. I feel like I've opened myself up and found my form again for these final races of the season."
"If I manage to land on the podium at Lombardia, I'll be absolutely thrilled—super happy, in fact. We completed the reconnaissance ride on Wednesday, and I felt really strong out there on those roads."
"Like pretty much everyone at this point in the season, I'm dealing with the typical accumulated fatigue that comes with a long campaign. But with any luck, I can deliver a strong performance and cap off the season with a memorable final weekend of racing."
And this is the part most people miss: Pidcock's willingness to push boundaries might be exactly what modern cycling needs. In an era where riders increasingly specialize and carefully manage their calendars, is his multi-discipline, go-for-broke approach refreshing—or reckless? Does attempting both races show admirable ambition or poor judgment?
What do you think? Is Pidcock's double-race weekend a brilliant power move or a strategic mistake? Should elite riders stick to one discipline at a time, or is this exactly the kind of versatility that makes cycling exciting? Drop your thoughts in the comments—do you admire his ambition or think he's biting off more than he can chew?
