Pidcock sees "excellent" Van der Poel repeatedly outclass the competition, is there an answer?

Tom Pidcock and his coach Kurt Bogaerts are grappling with a challenging gap to Mathieu van der Poel. In the Gavere race, Pidcock trailed the Dutchman by a whole minute. Is there still a chance for him to vie for the top spot in this cyclo-cross season? "I genuinely believe Van der Poel could sweep all the races he participates in," Pidcock shared with several media outlets, including IDLProCycling.com.

The 2022 Christmas season was a showcase of intense rivalry among the top three contenders in the field. In both Diegem and Loenhout, Van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Pidcock battled fiercely for victory. This year, however, such a scenario seems more like a distant dream than a realistic expectation. "I started the season aiming to win a race, which I achieved, and I hoped to be in contention for victories during the Christmas races. But in Gavere, I was nowhere near winning," Pidcock reflected.

Does Van Aert's lesser form also mean fewer chances for Pidcock?

A closer look at the reasons reveals Pidcock's disadvantageous starting position. Beginning from the fourth row puts him at a significant disadvantage. Moreover, he suffered misfortune with his bike chain in the second round at Gavere. Another interesting observation from the 2022 Christmas period was the frequent breakaways by Van Aert and Van der Poel, with Pidcock struggling to keep pace. In both Diegem and Loenhout, this pattern repeated, often leaving the Brit in a position where he had to play catch-up.

In Diegem, Van der Poel fell back significantly due to 'bad legs', allowing Pidcock to engage in an exciting duel with Van Aert. Before Van der Poel dropped back, Pidcock had already been left behind three times by the pair. In Loenhout, it was a similar story. Van der Poel and Van Aert accelerated, and Pidcock was just able or unable to keep up. When Van der Poel and Van Aert slowed down, Pidcock managed to catch up.

More than once, Pidcock seemed to be able to take advantage of Van der Poel and Van Aert's duel. Does Van der Poel's current superior form over Van Aert disadvantage Pidcock, given the less frequent pace changes at the front? "Actually, I don't think so," Bogaerts states. "A race like Loenhout doesn't really give a complete picture. Tom had a packed schedule leading up to that, resulting in significant fatigue. That impacts how he handles those bursts of speed. With less fatigue, he might not need to wait for others to slow down."

Text continues below the video.

Pidcock just barely holds on in Gavere

Pidcock: "I have myself to blame for starting at the back"

Pidcock himself does not see this as a disadvantage. "The fact that I start in the fourth row is definitely a much bigger disadvantage. I think I can show more if I start at the front. But that's the situation, and if I want to start further forward, I need to race more. It's my own fault that I start at the back."

Pidcock will be racing pretty much full-time in cyclo-cross until January 7th (Zonhoven). After that, he will only race in Benidorm (January 21st). Can there be a turnaround in this period? "A big difference from last year is that everyone in the top three is at a different point in their form curve," Bogaerts explains. "We will certainly try to win and focus mainly on ourselves. Besides, I think Tom is the least true cyclo-cross rider of the three."

Pidcock on Van der Poel: "I wouldn't be surprised if he wins all his races this season"

The rider himself is hopeful but doesn't see Van der Poel's dominance ending unexpectedly. "I wouldn't be surprised if Mathieu wins every race he enters for the rest of the season unless he falls or has mechanical issues, of course. I don't know if he's beatable, but he's certainly outstanding."

Pidcock has six more cyclo-cross races on his schedule this season. He races in Diegem on December 28th and in Hulst on December 30th. In the new year, he races in Koksijde on January 4th, followed by Gullegem and Zonhoven on the weekend of January 6th and 7th. Pidcock ends his cyclo-cross campaign in Benidorm on January 21st.