Tom Pidcock has explained how he battled against the heat and humidity at the men's cross country race at the Olympics.
Pidcock broke clear from the field on the fourth lap and
ended up taking the win over Switzerland's Mathias Flueckiger by 20 seconds. However, Pidcock didn't find it as easy as it may have looked from the outside as temperatures in Izu today hit 30°C with humidity in excess of 80%. These conditions are alien to most cross country riders who ply their trade in the mountain ranges of Europe and sapped their legs of energy. Pidcock told Eurosport after the race, "Once the race started, I knew I was in a good place. The heat, I mean, obviously I didn’t feel good but everyone just told me no one will feel good."
The British rider knew the heat and humidity was going to be an issue before he flew to Japan and had even set up a heat tent in his home in Leeds, Yorkshire that he trained in prior to the Games.
He told Reuters on Sunday, "I've been doing a lot of heat work, which I'm happy to tell everyone now, but before I didn't want to advertise it in case someone downplays the heat. Basically, at the end of training, I jump in heat chamber for 30-45 minutes and sit in a really hot box pedalling very slowly. My spare room has a tent in it. It keeps tripping the electricity actually, that's the only problem."
Pidcock also told the BBC he had lingering doubts over his collarbone that he broke in a collision with a car in June. The Olympics was Pidcock's first full race since he had surgery and he didn't believe he was in his best form coming into the race. He told the BBC, "In the back of my head I thought, 'I'm going to get to the Olympics, I'm not going to be in my best shape, we're just going to see how it is'. The last week I knew I was in really good shape but there was always doubt in the back of my head because I haven't competed at my best level so I've got nothing to compare but once the race is going it becomes routine really."
Pidcock is set to fly home immediately from Tokyo to begin preparation for the Vuelta a Espana road race but has confirmed he will not be leaving mountain biking fully yet. He joked with the BBC that he will now have to show off a golden bike and then he will, "see what's possible later on."
The U.K. only functions at 15C with light rain; any colder/hotter/wetter/dryer and the country grinds to a halt/people die in the streets/the whole country floods/we run out of drinking water, respectively.
JP
I used to wear riding gloves in winter only back in the 90s, then in Taiwan I had to wear them in summer to catch all the sweat that was dripping down to my grips from my armpits. Also my heart rate has not been over 180 since I left, and it used to take about three minutes of gentle spinning to get up there.
Japan won’t be that bad, but Leeds it ain’t.
Interesting that Tom’s team mate just won the men’s road race. I am guessing Ineos were considerably more involved in Olympic preparation than British Cycling or Ecuador Cycling for that matter.
I think Tom is just one of the strongest, most punchy bike riders in the world and his main competitor nailed himself on lap one (unfortunately for us fans).
It'd be interesting to know the basis on which Matt Simmonds was sent to Tokyo with the MTBers - presumably funded by BC to help with the skills element on that awesome course?
And it's not-uncommon for some events (e.g. sailing) to be held 100 miles or more from a host city.
Fortunately, Seven is also streaming almost everything live on its digital platform. The ad breaks are much shorter and far less frequent. RIP broadcast TV.
I guess that's why HBO & streaming services like Netflix took root so well there.
Hope his agent is now negotiating with Ineos to allow him to ride Pinerello on the road/CX and a different brand for MTB, he deserves to get paid (more).
Imagine if there were some photos of him from the race he's talking about :/
No budget to make articles reach the next level?
So it made no sense to send a Photographer.
In case of the US, I think NBC got the rights this time, it wasnt Outside for sure either.
The IOC is corrupt and oldfashioned as h$ll.
That's why we won't see piddock's performance on here, sadly.
Coverage in the US REALLY makes you appreciate how RedBull covers mtn biking. RedBull is far from perfect but the NBC coverage is just terrible.
Hence it's a huge gamble to piece it all together in the right way. Race WCs, race the tour, train at altitude, etc. In the men's road race, the top 3 were in the tour as well until the very last day. So pulling out early doesn't seem to deliver the results except Pidcock which was caused by injury, not planned.
You can do two Olympics within just over 4 years, not sure how you reckon on fitting in 10 WC in that time frame? Even with the pandemic delayed 2020 games, you could still have attended three in the last 9 years (2012, 2016, 2021). In the worst case scenario where you started elite level in 2013 you still get to two games within 8 years.
Not everyone lives and trains *always* where you live. That goes the same for altitud for example.
Saying "is not that big of a deal" is like saying that you would perform at the exact same level on UK weather, which, I highly doubt.
People getting used to weather, altitud, timezone, humidity, etc. is a big talk point.
Also, Pidcock raced cyclocross this past winter. He is more than just a *roadie.