Two-time Olympic mountain bike world champion Tom Pidcock
will battle for the rainbow jersey at the 2025 Short Track and Cross Country
Mountain Bike World Championships in Switzerland from September 9 to 14. The
Briton, who claimed the title in 2023, is prioritizing the road with Q36.5 Pro
Cycling Team and will line up at the Vuelta a España instead, meaning fans will
miss a much-anticipated clash with Mathieu van der Poel on the trails.

“It’s a shame, because I would have loved to participate,
especially to battle Mathieu. But I want to focus more on the road, and we’re rebuilding
with our team. So it makes sense for me to ride the Vuelta,” Pidcock told De
Telegraaf. Since his move from INEOS Grenadiers, Pidcock has already raced the
Giro d’Italia and many other races this season. On August 23, he will roll out
from Turin for his second Vuelta a España, the race he made his grand tour
debut in in 2021.

Pidcock’s early months with Q36.5 were promising, though the
Giro brought a quieter showing, with no stage wins or GC contention. He has not
won a Grand Tour stage since Alpe d’Huez at the 2022 Tour de France three years
ago, but he heads to Spain with stronger preparation and the hope of a better
outcome. His 2025 campaign has already included victory in a stage of the
Arctic Race of Norway last weekend, two stage wins and the overall title at the
AlUla Tour, a stage at the Ruta del Sol, plus podium finishes at Strade Bianche
(2nd behind Tadej Pogacar) and La Flèche Wallonne (3rd).

But, it is true that it feels like Pidcock needs a big
performance at the Vuelta. For his exceptional talent across
multiple-disciplines, it is time for him to start performing on the biggest
stages on the road.

Van der Poel, meanwhile, will chase the MTB rainbow jersey
instead of the road world title this year. Pidcock still rates the Dutchman
highly. “Mathieu might not be having the best time on the mountain bike, but if
he sets his mind to something, you know he’ll eventually succeed,” he said. Van
der Poel has collected seven cyclocross world titles, one road race rainbow,
and one in gravel. The MTB crown remains his most coveted prize.

Back in March, Van der Poel admitted to Helden magazine, “It
would be really cool to become world champion mountain biking one day. That
feels like the last piece of the puzzle of my career. I would really like to
tick off that title. If I stop and the world title in mountain biking is
missing, that would be the only thing I would think at the moment: too bad. For
the rest, it doesn’t really matter to me.”

Pidcock enjoys going head-to-head with him. “Normally, he’s
among the world’s best, and that’s why I enjoy racing against him. Yes, I might
have some prizes he’d love to win, but Mathieu is way ahead of me in terms of
major road victories. He’s won nine Monuments and world titles in three
different disciplines: cyclocross, gravel, and the best of all: road. I’d
really love to win the road.”

Looking ahead, Pidcock knows his road ambitions will require
progress. “My time trial still needs to improve a lot, but maybe I can aim for
a top ten. Being on the podium of a Grand Tour would be amazing, but winning a
Grand Tour is the hardest thing in the world for me. I know what it’s like to
win a one-day race, but a Grand Tour? Phew, that’s a different story.”