While his preparation is far from perfect, Tom Pidcock feels he is in "the best shape possible" as he goes for Olympic gold at the Tokyo Olympics in mountain biking early next week.

After a successful debut in the Classics, the 21-year-old British all-rounder, who switched to slick tires on the road, has been equally impressive at the elite level of cross-country mountain biking this summer.

But after his first World Cup win in Nove Mesto, he suffered a setback in early June when he was hit by a car while training in Andorra and broke his collarbone in five places. He immediately underwent surgery and was back on the bike in less than a week, but the pain remained.

"I honestly don't really feel it, except when I'm carrying my backpack at the airport," he said.

"I've done my best in rehab and training to come back from that and I think I'm in pretty good shape now. I'm going into the race in the best shape possible and that's all I can do."

Pidcock added that the crash was the first time he had broken a bone, and said the recovery and healing process was a learning experience.

"The biggest discovery was the energy it took for the bone to heal. It was the first time I had ever broken a bone, so that was a big learning experience. I was only off the bike for a week, but I still couldn't train like I used to.

"Honestly, I'm pretty positive. That's just the way it is. I've learned that you have to work through setbacks and just get on with things. I didn't have any big crashes, but I did have a big crash before the World Cup in Yorkshire."

An important part of Pidcock's preparation is targeting the conditions expected in Tokyo on Monday. Temperatures are expected to exceed 30°C (86°F) and humidity will be high, making for a strenuous race.

"That's the biggest factor," Pidcock claimed, explaining that he set up a temperature-controlled tent in his spare room to simulate the conditions in preparation for Tokyo.

"I've done a lot of work to prepare for the heat. I'm happy to tell people about it now, but before I didn't want to advertise it because people might underestimate the heat. [Basically, I would jump into a heat chamber for 30-45 minutes at the end of my workouts and slowly pedal in a really hot box. I have a tent in my spare room. That's the only problem.

As for preparation, Pidcock suggested that one of his main rivals, Mathieu Van der Pol, has also compromised a bit, not because of injury but because of the Tour de France. The Dutchman, whom Pidcock will face in cyclocross and classic road, made a successful Tour debut, winning a stage and wearing the yellow jersey for a week, but left just before the first rest day.

"He had no choice because of sponsor obligations. Pidcock said of Van der Pol's entry in the Tour, "The fact that he retired after one week shows that it was not ideal preparation.

"But he was a really good Tour. He will go into the Tour at 100%. It's his big goal and he's not going to do anything but give his best."

Pidcock arrived in Tokyo on Saturday and spent the first few days at the Team GB hotel before moving to the "cycling village."

He has been training and will tackle the MTB course in Izu today and over the weekend (4 km long with about 180 m elevation gain per lap).

"I haven't seen it yet. I have a video, but I haven't actually seen it. Pidcock added, "But there are a lot of hills, short steep climbs, and from what I've seen it's a pretty technical course.

"But there are a lot of hills, short steep climbs, and from what I've seen it's a pretty technical course."

Pidcock described his first Olympics as a "crazy" experience, but admitted that it was not a "very normal" event, as the coronavirus outbreak has led to reduced crowding in the Olympic village and a ban on spectators.

"It's cool to be at the Games and represent your country," he said.

He seems to have already gotten a taste of it, and perhaps it is a sign of the 21-year-old's ambition that he is already looking ahead to Paris in 2024.

"I was thinking today, in Paris I want to be in mountain biking and road racing, and I'd love to be in the world of cycling," he said.