Pocket Rocket

At a mud-caked cyclocross race in the Dutch village of Hoogerheide, thumping Europop is blasting across the gloopy, windswept fields and thousands of boisterous spectators in fancy dress are gobbling boxes of chips and drinking jars of gold-tinted beer. In the middle of this raucous cycling spectacle, a diminutive 5ft 2in rider from Leeds is trying to weave his way through the crowds and the puddles after his warm-up ride, as wide-eyed children and fans point, shout and stop him for selfies and autographs.

This is the world of Tom Pidcock, one of the most outrageously gifted and exciting young cyclists for generations. The 20-year-old crowd-pleaser, who likes to celebrate victories by pulling wheelies or lying across his saddle in a soaring Superman pose, has been dubbed a “mini-Sagan” by Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. A multi-talented rider, Pidcock has already declared that his dream is to one day win the cyclocross, road, cross-country mountain bike and downhill World Championships, as well as the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix – in short, everything. He has received several offers from WorldTour teams but insists he still has unfinished business in the youth ranks.

“I have got