Tom Pidcock wants to retire after the 2036 Olympics, he revealed in an interview this week, with his biggest goal being the World Championships road race.
In an wide-ranging interview with The Guardian, published on Wednesday, the Pinarello–Q36.5 rider also argued that he could win a Grand Tour “in the right situation”, but that riding them does not excite him.
The British rider will return to the Tour de France next month after missing out last year, due to his team not being invited; a year on, he will be able to race at the biggest race of all once again. It follows his best Grand Tour result to date, third at the Vuelta a España last year.
“The Grand Tour thing doesn’t really excite me so much, but it’s an achievement,” he said. “If I manage to win a Grand Tour it will be the biggest achievement in my career, because for me to concentrate for three weeks is difficult.
“But I want to win the road worlds. Then I will have won all three disciplines. And the gravel worlds, actually, but if that never happens I’m not so bothered. I want a Monument. And for sure, I’m going for three Olympic medals. My goal is to finish my career after five Olympics, so after the 2036 Olympic Games I’ll retire.”
Pidcock has already won two Olympic gold medals, both in cross-country mountain biking, and also been world champion in cyclo-cross and XC MTB.
There is now evidence that Pidcock can perform consistently over three weeks, something he is now taking confidence from. However, the Tour is a step up from the Vuelta, with Tadej Pogačar presence being the biggest challenge.
“Everything I’ve ever achieved in my career, I’ve always imagined doing it first before I’ve done it,” he explained. “I’ve never done anything out of the blue, like magic. So having that stepping stone, I know I can be on the podium again.
“I’m not saying that I have the ability right now to beat Tadej and [Paul] Seixas and [Jonas] Vingegaard. But in the right situation, I can see it happening. And with the right situation, I can win a Grand Tour.”
This year, he has won three times, and notably finished second at Milan-San Remo behind Pogačar, on top of the five wins he took in 2025. It is an uptick in form since he left what was then Ineos Grenadiers for Q36.5.
“I’m a lot happier,” he said. “It’s no secret that it was not going well at Ineos. It’s brilliant and I also think you see that in my results. But we left on good terms.”
