Tom Pidcock is continuing to prove that no matter the bike, he is capable of riding it at the top level. 2021 proved to be very fruitful for the Brit - he won the men's cross-country Olympic gold in Tokyo and produced some sterling results at WorldTour road races, too.
For 2022, things don't appear to have slowed down for Pidcock. An intensive training process has rewarded him with good form for the cyclo-cross season, where he has podiumed five of the six races he finished: two of which he won.
He isn't a stranger to success on the cyclo-cross course. In 2020 he was UK National Champion but missed out on gold at the World Championships, coming in second behind his nemesis Mathieu van der Poel. The sandy course of the 2021 World Championships in Ostend, Belgium would be his undoing, although he would still achieve 4th place after a strong performance. The Fayetteville course looks to better suit Pidcock and, with Van Aert and van der Poel not attending, he will fancy his chances.
A cursory glance at Pinarello's catalog and you will notice that the Ineos Grenadier bike sponsor doesn't actually have a cyclo-cross bike in its roster. Unlike the 2021 MTB campaign, where Pidcock raced XCO World Cups and Olympic Games on unbranded BMC, he will be racing Pinarello's yet-to-be-released 2022 Crossista.
The frame itself is a cyclo-cross-specific design, with a bold top tube shape that has presumably been designed to offer a more secure shouldering position when carrying the bike. The dropped seat stays and bulgy head tube are clearly inspired by Pinarello's road-going Dogma range.
The build comes from Shimano and he will be using 11-speed Dura-Ace R9100 Di2 groupset, rather than the new 12-speed groupset released last summer. We suspect that this is down to its proven reliability and that riders didn't have sufficient time to test the new groupset before the cyclocross season started. Gearing consists of a 46/39T 2x setup which is partnered with an 11-30T cassette. Braking is also handled by Shimano and Pidcock is running 140mm rotors.
Tubular is still the preferred option for Pidcock and he will be running Shimano Dura-Ace C40 carbon tubular wheels, they will be paired with a set of Challenge tires although which ones will depend on the conditions on the big day.
One interesting detail is the 'play your cards right' decal on the top tube. While we haven't been told what this signifies, we suspect it might be in reference to his performance at the 2021 Road World Championships in Flanders where he is quoted as saying "I just played my cards wrong, a bit of inexperience I guess" when reflecting on his sixth-place finish.
Tech Specs: Tom Pidcock's Pinarello Crossista
- Frame: Pinarello Crossista
- Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 Di2 11-speed
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace C40 carbon tubular
- Tires: Challenge tubular
- Cockpit: Most Talon one-piece bar and stem
- Saddle: Fizik Arione 00
- Pedals: Shimano XTR
- Accessories: Elite bottle cage
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