A swollen upper lip is not what any rider would choose in the final days before a road world championship. Pidcock spent part of the week nursing a bee sting picked up in training, and he arrived at the pre-race press conference unbothered by the incident.
“Very painful initially, it was a bit of a surprise,” the 27-year-old told reporters in Montreal, before adding that he had recovered quickly.
Pidcock has never won the elite men’s road title. He is convinced Sunday’s 273.4-kilometre race around Mount Royal is the closest he has come to the right race at the right time.
“I think it’s the biggest opportunity, yeah,” he said.
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He put the same feeling more directly in another interview.
“I think this is my best opportunity so far in my career, that’s for sure.”
The Pogačar factor
That confidence is built partly on the absence of Tadej Pogačar. The reigning champion is out of Montreal after his crash at the Vuelta a España, an injury that ended his season and left him recovering on the Côte d’Azur rather than travelling to Canada.
Pidcock did not pretend the picture would have looked the same with the Slovenian on the start line.
“[It] 100% changes the contours of the race,” he said of Pogačar’s absence.
“I wouldn’t know who to bet on now; if Tadej is racing, I want to bet on him.”
Seixas and Del Toro named as the men to watch
With Pogačar out, the favourites list narrows to a small group of hard climbers and finishers. Pidcock singled out two of them by name.
“I think the two stand-out guys are Seixas and Del Toro,” he said.
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France’s Paul Seixas and Mexico’s Isaac del Toro fought out the recent GP Cycliste de Montréal on the same finishing climb, with del Toro edging Seixas on the line. Pidcock finished sixth in that same race.
Remco Evenepoel, who set a record fourth consecutive elite men’s time trial title in Montreal earlier in the week, leads a Belgian team that also includes Wout van Aert. The Netherlands is anchored by former road world champion Mathieu van der Poel.
Great Britain built around Pidcock and Yates
Great Britain has picked out Pidcock and Adam Yates as its protected riders, and Pidcock said the squad had come together well in the days leading in.
“I think we’ve actually come together quite well and talked about it quite a lot,” he said.
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“We definitely have a good team spirit.”
The 273.4-kilometre course starts in Brossard before hitting 12 laps of a 13.4-kilometre circuit around Mount Royal, with two ramps on every loop.
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