Trajectory. Backing up his victory in the Junior race just two years ago, Tom Pidcock’s win in the U23 Paris-Roubaix last weekend shows he is on the correct trajectory.

Mirroring his National, European and World Championship Junior CX titles with the equivalent U23 crowns, ticking off the British Crit Champs and CX Champs long the way, throw in some finish-line flair, a couple of mad as racing saves, and a knack of making his rivals look very human, then you understand why it’s no understatement when commentators say that the 19-year old Yorkshireman is an exciting prospect for the sport.

Yes, there’s some truth in the old adage ‘past performance is no guarantee of future results’, especially as statistics show that early success is by no means a promise of a further victories, however Pidcock certainly seems to be following the right path. 

Before that path took him to last weekend’s Roubaix, I caught up with him briefly in the car park before the start of the Ronde van Vlaanderen Beloften (U23 Tour of Flanders), taking the opportunity to discuss the differences between his CX and road bike set-ups, plus what he mods had chosen for the Flanders route.

“There’s too not much in it really. My handlebars are narrower than my cross set-up. My shoulders are 38 and 38 are the width of handlebars I like but I use 40 in the cross just for a bit more stability. I swapped halfway through the cross season to 40’s and quite liked it, bit better base.”

“The stem is a centimetre longer on the road so my reach is slightly longer, and my saddle is slightly higher. That’s a Fizik Antares, the saddle that suits me best. Same as on my cross bike, carbon rails –  light saddle.”

“Today for Flanders I’ve got a 28 on the back and a 25 normal tyre on the front just to get more grip up the cobbled climbs. Pressure is 5.5 in the back, 5 in the front.”

“Gears are just standard, think it’s 39 x 28. You don’t need super small gear as you don’t really go that easy up any of the climbs so it’s not like you need a 32 or anything.”

“303’s today, 404’s are stiffer wheels but you want a bit of flex in your wheels on the cobbles so they are best for this sort of race.”