Pidcock wants another rainbow jersey this year: he won’t race in Great Britain and, after winning the XCO World Championships, turns his focus to Montreal

It seemed that Tom Pidcock was going to return to compete in the Tour of Great Britain this week. But no. After being crowned the XCO Elite world champion last Sunday in Val di Sole, the Brit is already preparing for his return to the road with another major goal in mind: the World Championship in Montreal.

Tom Pidcock swaps MTB for the road and is already thinking about another rainbow jersey

Tom Pidcock's calendar remains as varied as usual among the multidisciplinary cyclists in the peloton. Just a few days after conquering the XCO World Championship 2026, the Pinarello-Q36.5 rider will set aside mountain biking to return to the asphalt.

His next destination will be Canada, where he will compete in the two WorldTour classics that traditionally serve as one of the major events at the end of the season: the Grand Prix of Quebec on Friday, September 11, and the Grand Prix of Montreal on Sunday, 13.

This year, both events are even more significant because Canada will also host the road World Championship. The men's elite race will take place on September 27 in Montreal, giving Pidcock the opportunity to compete and adapt to the Canadian setting in the weeks leading up to it.

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Although there was much anticipation for Pidcock to compete this week in his home race, the team clarified that the Tour of Great Britain, which starts this Wednesday, was never part of his plans, despite reports suggesting a possible participation from the Brit.

Pidcock hasn't competed on the road since the Tour de France

In Canada, it will be the Brit's first appearance on the road since the last Tour de France, where he finished ninth in the general classification. A solid result, although without stage wins and unable to replicate the impact he had previously achieved with his podium finish in the general classification of La Vuelta.

The change of discipline will have to be quick. Between his victory at the XCO World Championship in Val di Sole and the Grand Prix of Quebec, there will be less than two weeks, although the characteristics of the Montreal World Championship may play in favor of a rider of his profile.

Pidcock already has world titles in cyclocross and mountain biking, but he still lacks the rainbow jersey on the road, one of the major goals remaining in his career.

So far, his best result in an Elite road World Championship is the sixth position achieved in Leuven in 2021. Last year, in Rwanda, he finished tenth.

The victory achieved in Val di Sole could also be Pidcock's last major appearance in mountain biking for a while. The Brit already hinted after being crowned world champion that he plans to step away from MTB in 2027 and return in 2028, when he will start preparing for his goal of seeking a third consecutive Olympic gold.

Before that, Pidcock has another rainbow jersey in his sights. From Val di Sole to Montreal and from mountain biking to the road in just a few weeks.