TOKYO (Reuters) – Britain’s Tom Pidcock has left nothing to chance for Monday’s Olympic mountain bike race, training in a heated tent at home to prepare for Tokyo’s soaring temperatures.
The 21-year-old, a road rider with Ineos Grenadiers but returning to his cyclo-cross roots for a shot at gold, is one of the favourites along with reigning champion Nino Schurter and Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel.
Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30s again on Monday at the demanding 4.1km circuit but Pidcock thinks his unusual training regime in which he rides his training bike inside a tent will help him cope.
“It’s the biggest factor,” Pidcock, said of the heat and humidity that will test the 38-man field.
“I’ve been doing a lot of heat work, which I’m happy to tell everyone now, but before I didn’t want to advertise it in case someone downplays the heat.”
“Basically, at the end of training I jump in heat chamber for 30-45 minutes and sit in a really hot box pedalling very slowly. My spare room has a tent in it.
“It keeps tripping the electricity actually, that’s the only problem.”
Pidcock, an Under-23 world champion in cross-country last year, has not competed on the road since the Spring Classics in a bid to prepare for the Olympics.
The heat has been a factor in the road racing events with riders stuffing ice down their racing suits in an attempt to avoid over-heating in the stifling humidity.
Storms are expected in the Tokyo region next week.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
