“I'm not going to Canada on holiday”: Pidcock returns from MTB with a win and sends a warning ahead of the World Championships

Just a week after being crowned world champion in XCO in Val di Sole, Tom Pidcock has swapped mountain biking for road cycling without needing practically any adaptation period. The Briton won solo at the GP Industria & Artigianato in Larciano and, beyond the victory, he was particularly satisfied with feelings he didn't expect to find so soon. His next destination is Canada, and the World Road Championships in Montreal is among his major goals.

Tom Pidcock wins in Larciano a week after being crowned world champion in XCO

Pidcock arrived at the GP Industria & Artigianato with a significant unknown. Just seven days had passed since he claimed the rainbow jersey of XCO in Val di Sole, and his immediate return to the road required a complete change in the type of effort. But the adaptation has turned out to be much quicker than expected.

"After the MTB World Championships, I came here to regain the right pedal stroke also on the road. It was a really hot and tough day, but I'm happy with how it went", Pidcock explained after the race.

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The Briton also acknowledged that his own feelings had surprised him. As he explained after the finish, he usually needs some time to feel competitive on the asphalt after competing in mountain biking, but this time he found good legs practically from the first day. And he didn't just win. He did it by attacking and going solo.

The Italian race, 196.5 kilometers long with a start and finish in Larciano, had initially been marked by a breakaway of nine riders that managed to exceed a five-minute lead. The situation changed with the successive passages through San Baronto, and in the final part, a new front group formed in which Quinten Hermans played an important role for the interests of Pinarello-Q36.5.

The decisive move came on the last ascent to Mungherino, a 6.2-kilometer climb at 6% that Pidcock had already indicated as the place where he wanted to resolve the race.

Pidcock, the man

A week after being crowned MTB world champion (XCO), the Briton takes the GP Industria & Artigianato after an attack 12 km from the finish.#GPIndustriaArtigianato #LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/bnSuZ7OP28

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) September 6, 2026

"I knew that the last climb would be decisive for the victory and I tried to take advantage of it in the best way," he explained.

Pidcock attacked about 13 kilometers from the finish, reached the head of the race, and accelerated again. Hermans was able to accompany him initially, but a new change of pace left the XCO world champion alone at the front approximately 12 kilometers from Larciano.

From there, another of the terrains where Pidcock usually makes a difference appeared. He crested solo and took advantage of the descent to consolidate his lead before facing the final kilometers to the finish.

Christian Scaroni, Anthon Charmig, Roger Adrià, Alessandro Fancellu, Antonio Tiberi, and Thomas Gachignard arrived 12 seconds later. Scaroni finished second, Charmig completed the podium, and Adrià was fourth and the best Spaniard.

From the rainbow jersey of XCO to winning on the road in seven days

Pidcock has just completed one of the fastest discipline changes of his season. On August 30, he was crowned XCO world champion in Val di Sole after a race in which he started from the fifth row and finished ahead of Charlie Aldridge and Tyler Punchard. Seven days later, he was already raising his arms on Italian asphalt.

"Normally, after mountain biking, I need some time to find my road legs again. It's a very different type of effort. I'm very happy with how I felt today and a bit surprised", the Briton acknowledged after his victory.

He also highlighted the work done throughout the day by Pinarello-Q36.5 and, especially, Hermans' role in the decisive phase. The Belgian allowed the team to be represented in the movements leading up to his leader's final attack.

For Pidcock, this is his fifth road victory of the 2026 season and the fifteenth of his professional career in this discipline. Additionally, he wins again 77 days after his previous triumph at the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica.

Pidcock warns before the Montreal World Championships: "I'm not going to Canada for a vacation"

The result in Larciano takes on even more importance for what comes next. Pidcock will travel to Canada on Tuesday to face the upcoming races on his calendar, where he expects to encounter a level considerably higher than that of the Italian classic. The main goal is the World Road Championships in Montreal.

The Briton still does not have the elite road rainbow jersey in a palmarès that already includes world titles in XCO and cyclocross, and he has not hidden that he wants to try to add it.

"It is clear that the Montreal World Championships is one of my goals. I'm not going to Canada for a vacation," he assured.

Pidcock, in any case, avoided drawing excessive conclusions from his victory in Larciano. He knows that the depth and level of his upcoming rivals will be greater, but also that the first test after temporarily leaving mountain biking could hardly have ended better.

A week ago, he left Val di Sole wearing the rainbow jersey of XCO. Now he returns to the road winning solo and, above all, discovering that his legs have adapted much sooner than expected. With just a few weeks until the Montreal World Championships, the warning has been issued.

Top 10 GP Industria & Artigianato 2026

1. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) – 4:33:08
2. Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana) – +0:12
3. Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Mobility) – +0:12
4. Roger Adrià (Movistar Team) – +0:12
5. Alessandro Fancellu (MBH Bank-CSB Telecom-Fort) – +0:12
6. Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) – +0:12
7. Thomas Gachignard (TotalEnergies) – +0:12
8. Mathys Rondel (Tudor Pro Cycling) – +0:18
9. Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla) – +0:28
10. Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United) – +0:40