Following his crash during the GP Sven Nys at the weekend, Tom Pidcock has withdrawn from the X2O Trofee in Herentals on Tuesday, leaving just one cyclocross race remaining on his season schedule.
The reigning world champion crashed hard on Sunday, flipping over course-side barriers on the race’s final lap from first place. He remounted to finish third and has since returned to training, but he’s not ready to race in Herentals, he said.
“I’ve ridden the bike after the crash but I’m not quite ready to race today,” Pidcock said in a statement issued to Twitter by his Ineos Grenadiers team.
“I’ve had a good block of races this festive period so there are plenty of positives to be taken from it. Now is a good time to draw a line and reset.”
The GP Sven Nys was Pidcock’s 13th race of the season, with nine of those races ending with podium finishes for the 23-year-old. He won the X2O Trofee round in Kortrijk and the Superprestige in Boom along the way.
Now, though, he’s only set to race again at the UCI World Cup in Benidorm on January 22, where there will be one final showdown between cyclocross’s ‘big three’ as he faces off against Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert before turning his attention to the road season.
“He still tested himself but quickly realised that racing in Herentals wasn’t an option,” Pidcock’s coach Kurt Bogaerts told Belga, according to Het Nieuwsblad (opens in new tab). “He’s still suffering from his injuries after the crash. Fortunately, the [shin] wound didn’t need stitches.
“Normally, the ‘cross in Benidorm remains on his schedule. It’s a pity Tom has to end his campaign like this. He raced with a good feeling lately and could duel with Van Aert and Van der Poel.”
Pidcock will soon travel to Spain to meet up with his Ineos Grenadiers teammates for a pre-season training camp. His final cyclocross event of the season in Benidorm will follow, but – as Bogaerts confirmed at the weekend – he won’t be defending his world title in Hoogerheide in early February.
“We are now taking some rest and then Tom and the team will go on a training camp in Mallorca,” Bogaerts added.
🗣️ “I’ve ridden the bike after the crash but I’m not quite ready to race today. “I’ve had a good block of races this festive period so there are plenty of positives to be taken from it. Now is a good time to draw a line and reset” – @tompidcock (2/2)📸 @Photopressbe pic.twitter.com/udgOzqFZapJanuary 3, 2023
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