TOM Pidcock is hoping to change the shape of cycling.

The 18-year-old is a prodigious talent, having won junior world titles in cyclo-cross and road time-trial disciplines.

He often takes the top step on the podium, but usually his rivals in second and third place appear to dwarf him.

Pidcock is listed as 50kg and 1.57 metres (or 5ft 2in) on his cyclo-cross team's website, but that does not deter him from his ambition.

"I want to win the elite Paris-Roubaix," said the teenager, who is the son of former Otley race director Giles Pidcock.

"Heavy riders are riders who win that race. I'm not sure that will be me, but that's still my goal.

"Nothing's impossible. If big riders generally win, then I could be the first small rider."

Pidcock won the junior version of the 'Hell of the North', across the cobbles of the battlefields of northern France, in 2016.

He says he prefers one-day races to the stage races, like the Tour de France, and there is time before his career path is determined.

Pidcock was the rider Sir Bradley Wiggins was referring to when he recently cautioned young riders against joining Team Sky.

Wiggins suggested his tongue was firmly in cheek when he said "they'll ruin you", but the 2012 Tour champion and five-time Olympic gold medallist has been embroiled in scandal of late. Team Sky and Wiggins deny wrongdoing over the therapeutic use exemptions received for an otherwise-banned substance.

Pidcock was reluctant to talk about Wiggins, despite now riding for his eponymous team, as he has yet to have an opportunity to have much of a conversation with him himself.

"I've met him twice. Once at the team launch and one time when I was little in Majorca," Pidcock said.

"I didn't have a chance (to tell him about the Majorca meeting). He was a bit busy.

"Throughout the season hopefully there will be opportunities (to speak to him)."

Wiggins was a versatile rider on a bike – successes in the four-kilometres individual pursuit to the 3,500km Tour showed that – but Pidcock will take any advice with a pinch of salt.

"Cyclocross... have you seen that video? Falling off. I'm not going to take advice on that," said the teenager, referring to a YouTube clip of Wiggins face-planting into mud.

Pidcock appears destined to make the move to the elite road racing scene, although the Leeds rider's major target for 2018 may now be beyond him after Team Wiggins was not invited to the Tour de Yorkshire. Pidcock may yet be selected in a Great Britain team.

He knows from the experience of Adam and Simon Yates that it will be possible to make it to the World Tour, whether he is in the British system (he is not currently) or not. Simon Yates came through British Cycling's Olympic academy, while Adam did not.

"One took the GB path and one took the do it yourself path. They showed it's possible to do it both ways," Pidcock added.

"It doesn't matter which path you take. If you're good enough you'll make it."

*Tom Pidcock was speaking at Wembley Park, host of the OVO Energy Tour Series on Tuesday, May 29, 2018: www.wembleypark.com/tourseries