Bogaerts on potential Pidcock cyclocross return - 'He would want to be competitive right away'

Whilst he has spent many previous Januarys racing cyclocross, Tom Pidcock and company are heading to South America in January for a three-week altitude training camp in Chile, as Pinarello-Q36.5 seeks optimal winter training conditions away from Europe's frozen mountain resorts ahead of the upcoming road season.

The unconventional choice came to light when new signing Quinten Hermans revealed the team's plans to Play Sports. "To South America, in Chile. There, we'll find the perfect weather conditions for training, at the right altitude," the Belgian said.

While Tenerife's Mount Teide, Spain's Sierra Nevada, and Italy's Livigno have long been some of the go-to destinations for professional cycling teams, Bogaerts explained why those traditional European bases are problematic in January.

"The reason is simple: it was a matter of finding solutions to go on an altitude training camp," Bogaerts said. "At this time of year, you need to be able to go on a training camp somewhere with a good climate for training, so you don't have to constantly improvise."

The team will base itself near Santiago at a former ski resort at 2,700 meters altitude, benefiting from the Southern Hemisphere summer. "In that respect, our training location is similar to Tenerife: there's one mountain where we're staying, and you can climb it from different sides," said Bogaerts. "The advantage is that it's the beginning of summer there now, so it will be around 30 degrees Celsius in Santiago. On the mountain itself, it will still be 15 to 20 degrees Celsius."

The ambitious plan was championed by Pidcock himself, who finished third overall at the 2025 Vuelta a España. "Tom himself was the driving force behind the idea when it was put forward at the end of last year. It was important that he was fully behind it," Bogaerts revealed.

Pidcock's difficult decision to sacrifice cyclocross for his road ambitions looked to have paid dividends so far with the Vuelta podium, but Bogaerts revealed that a return to the discipline next season is a genuine possibility.

"It's certainly possible that Tom will be back in cyclocross next season," Bogaerts said to Wielerflits. "Last season, Tom rode two Grand Tours and raced up to and including Il Lombardia. Add to that all his mountain bike races, and you get more than 80 racing days."

Pidcock, a former world champion, has a packed schedule that has left no room for cyclocross this winter, but Bogaerts doesn't rule out a return to the mud where Pidcock made his name. There is, however, one important condition.

"If Tom were to start racing again, he would want to be competitive right away and compete for the gold," the Belgian stated, noting the challenge with starting from the back of the grid due to a lack of ranking points. "Because Tom didn't race cyclocross this past winter, he would have to start from the back in his first cyclocross races. Having to start from the back and catch up isn't ideal."