Roel Paulsen enjoyed Tom Bidcock’s mastery: ‘He can win the World Cup by 90%’ | mountain bike

“The race was impressive,” Roel Paulsen said right away. “This third-round attack was out of class. I saw right away that the rest couldn’t keep up. They tried to pursue high speed for a while, but had a setback. That makes sense.”

Roel Paulissen is still passionate about mountain biking. He lives and works in the Dolomites, northern Italy, where he runs a bike shop that is gradually waking up after a long winter. According to him, you do not have to look far for an explanation of Pidcock’s success.

“I think of all the disciplines that Pidcock does, mountain biking is best suited to him. The Brit is very light and the track in Albstadt has long, steep climbs, perfect for someone weighing 60kg. You have a heavier build and it takes its place on other trails.”

“To win a classic on the road, a lightweight like Bidcock has to be on top. For the Mountain Bike World Cup, he has it all physically and technically and can also win by 90%.”

Should we then ask ourselves questions about the current level of mountain biking?

“No, I don’t think so. Bidcock is just an exceptional talent. Also on the road, which can be considered the highest in cycling, someone like Matthew van der Poel could rejoin after a few weeks of preparation. With Bidoc he is.”

“Pidcock has also had stomach issues in recent months. This is something that can kill you in a 200-plus kilometer race, but you have much less of a problem at a roundabout or cross-country. In a long race in terms of nutrition, everything should be That’s fine. In shorter matches of an hour and a half, most of the food has already been absorbed beforehand.”

A mountain bike would of course benefit. When top cyclists are around, interest is heightened. This is a wonderful bonus.

“Nino Schurter is getting old now and she’s not getting any better. Besides the Swiss, there’s no super talent at that level of the mountain bike itself. So you only have one every few years.”

“Pidcock and Van der Poel are great for mountain biking. They give the discipline extra charisma. The Ineos buses arrive on the course, which is great. And of course everything comes into the picture with them.”

“In parts like bicycle and mountain bike, you have a problem that the sport gets paid so little that the riders are gone as soon as they can ride road bikes. At least that was the case with Cadel Evans, for example. We are lucky with Pidcock. And Matthew van der Poel, they come back because they love to ride a bike.”

“The big difference, of course, is that sponsors like Canyon (Van der Poel) also see the sport’s advantage. The mountain bike market is huge. If such a rider wins, that’s more than an advantage.”