Tom Pidcock questions safety measures: 'Maybe we should just ban carbs'

Tom Pidcock is gearing up for the Vuelta a España, kicking off his late-season campaign in Norway at the Arctic Race. Now riding for Q36.5 since his transfer from the Ineos Grenadiers for the 2025 season, the Brit feels confident about the road ahead of him. “I feel fresh,” he said to MARCA and other media before the start of the Arctic race. “There’s still room to improve, but if I can get back to the form I had earlier this year, I’ll be in a good place.” The next few weeks will reveal whether Pidcock can position himself among the contenders in Spain.

Beyond race goals, the 25-year-old also weighed in on one of the more polarising discussions in the sport: how to deal with increasing race speeds and rider safety. In recent months, new regulations have included limiting gear ratios or enforcing narrower handlebars in an effort to reduce velocity. Pidcock is not convinced by the logic. “If everyone has the same top speed, the bunch stays tighter. 

That just makes descents more dangerous because we take up more of the road,” he explained. “The handlebar debate also feels like a distraction. We are not talking about the things that really matter.”

With a touch of dry humour, he added, “My brother joked that if we keep going like this, maybe we should just ban carbs and put everyone into ketosis. That’s the only way races will actually slow down.” For Pidcock, racing is meant to be fast, and attempts to artificially limit its intensity risk missing the essence of the sport. “We’re cyclists. Maybe people should focus on other things.”