Tom Pidcock won his first elite world title and enjoyed a few days of sightseeing in New York before quickly moving on and switching from cyclocross to road racing.

The two-discipline Briton, who also competes in mountain biking, has weathered the 2021-22 cross season well, winning two World Cup races before taking the world title in Fayetteville, USA, on Sunday.

He has interwoven his race schedule with training camps at his club, Ineos Grenadiers, allowing him to ride on the road while still hoping to be competitive at the world championships.

And the Volta Ao Algarve in mid-February will be Pidcock's road season opener.

"The time is a little short, but the intensity is there," Pidcock said of the conditions after donning the rainbow jersey.

"It's a different way to go into the road. I don't take very long breaks, but I guess it's like taking a break in the middle."

Pidcock will kick things off at the Volta Ao Algarve, February 16-20. The following weekend, the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the Couleurs Brussels Couleurs will mark the opening week of Belgium's so-called Classics.

He will follow a similar path in Strade Bianche (5th last year) and Milan-San Remo (15th last year), and is confirmed to run the main cobbled Classics again, which he did poorly in last year. However, he has made a comeback in the Ardennes Classics, winning Brabantspaille, finishing second in Amstel Gold, and second in La Flèche Wallonne.

He could make his Liège-Bastogne-Liège debut this year, but the Ardennes period is so close to the Giro d'Italia in May that Pidcock will compete in his second Grand Tour with Ineos Grenadiers.

Pidcock will then take a mid-season break to prepare for the Mountain Bike World Championships in France in August before returning to the road for his third World Championships of the season in Australia in September. Pidcock has previously spoken of his ambition to win all three titles, so could he achieve the historic Rainbow Triple?

"I didn't say in the same year. I said in my career, but not out the window yet," he admitted.

However, Pidcock will first fly to New York for a short vacation with his girlfriend, taking a few days off. Then he will return to Europe via Belgium, where the cyclocross season continues through February.

Pidcock planned to stop at the World Championships, so his rainbow jersey will be put away for 10 months, but he revealed that he is a little tempted to show off his rainbow band.

"Next Sunday is Belgium. I'm flying straight back from New York, so I don't think a race is a good idea." He added, "I'll be in Belgium next Sunday, so maybe I'll race."