by It was hardly the first consideration at the end of a chaotic vuelta, an Espana that was characterized by protests and public disorders, but they had to feel for Tom Pidcock.
The Yorkshireman was stopped on Sunday to celebrate its first Grand Tour Podium when the final in Madrid had to be canceled when his first victory in the race on the 11th race on the 11th level in the race on the 11th stage in the race on the 11th stage.
Advertising
Of course there are bigger things in the world at the moment. Pidcock would be the first to recognize that. Nevertheless, it was a shame for the 26-year-old who has driven brilliantly in the past three weeks and showed new reserves of strength and resistance to point out that this could be a springboard for even bigger things.
How impressive is Pidcock’s podium?
Okay, so there was no Tadej -Pogacar in the Vuelta. The Slovenian is in a class of one of Grand Tours. Primoz Roglic was similar to Mia. And Remco Simepoel. But it was still a high -quality field.
Advertising
Jonas Vingegaard, who won his first Vuelta on Sunday, is the second best general classification rider in the world. A two -time tour winner with a lot of experience. Even if the Dane was held a little from the trip on the Tour de France in July to stay from it within three minutes, and within two of Joao Almeida, another experienced Grand Tour candidate, was an enormous performance. Pidcock’s best Grand Tour finish so far was the 13th place at the Tour de France 2023.
Pidcock managed to hold the charges of the former Giro d’Italia winner Jai Hindley in a strenuous second half of the race, which included the fearsome Angliru, in which the Q36.5 -rider showed real estate. Position on GC.
Advertising
What was so impressive about Pidcock’s Vuelta was the way he never panic. In fact, he seemed to grow with confidence when the race occurred in the last week, and often quoted his number of power, which he said again and again that they were the best of his career. Its performance opens up a world full of possibilities.
Can PIDCOCK be a tour candidate now?
That is the millions of dollars question. Does he want? And if so, when?
Pidcock’s reasons to bring a division of Ineos Grenadiers to the first quarter that runs in the ProSerien of the Teuci, a rung under the world tour, were never really explained. Yes, the relationships with Ineo’s team management were tense for a while, but it was more than that. “I think the entire TOM topic could be a book in 10 years,” commented John Allert, CEO of Ineos Grenadiers, in January.
Advertising
Whatever it was, Pidcock lost his Mojo in the British super team. After winning this stage on Alpe d’Huez in his Virgin tour in 2022 and winning Strade Bianche the following season, the hype went in overdrive, and that was perhaps the problem. Despite his enormous salary, Pidcock was not a productive winner. The pressure was always switched on. Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted results. The INEOS co-owner wanted the tour. Pidcock wanted more freedom and felt less like he was part of a machine. “I like things easier,” he said in February. “I like my own goals and goals and not to be influenced by people, organizations and sponsors who tell me what they want. That’s exactly what I can do here.”
PIDCOCK has become confidential since his departure of the former Ineos team at the end of 2024
The move paid immediate dividends. Pidcock won his first total stage victory, the Alula tour in January, and won two stages in five days. At his next race, Vuelta a Andalucía in February, he won again. “I have the feeling that the fog clarified,” he said. “I can see clearly. I know what to do, I know how to win.”
Advertising
Pidcock admitted that it was a kind of “relief” not to drive through the tour this year. But he clearly has long -term ambitions in this area. He took part in two Grand tours for the first time this season and gained experiences in Giro d’Italia in May, where he took 16th place and put the lessons at the Vuelta well.
Whether PIDCOCK can bring it to the next stage and can compete with Pogacar, Vingegaard and Sidepoel at the greatest breed of everyone, if everyone is in top form, is a matter for the debate. The thought is left back into the frenzied hype after winning this level on Alpe d’Huez in 2022 after a white knock from the Galibier. Sir Bradley Wiggins, who spoke in his podcast, described Pidcock’s appearance on this day as “almost superhuman” and explained that he could definitely win the tour “definitely 100 percent” for a day. Pidcock did not make favors.
Tadej Pogacar, who was absent in this year’s Vuelta, remains the man who can be beaten on big tour events – Shutterhock/Guillaume Horcajuelo
“Much of the pressure [on Pidcock] It came outwards where people said “Tom Pidcock has to go to the Grand Tours for GC,” Pundit Matt Stephens noted on Saturday. But finally he is in a place, in a team, in an environment where he can still be Tom Pidcock, but in fact the freedom to drive him as he wants to drive without this external pressure. “
Advertising
For his part, Pidcock always struggled to point out that he only won this day in 2022 because the GC candidates did not go on stage. He tried to do justice to the hype on the tour in the next few years.
However, it is clear that Pidcock has gained great confidence in the past few weeks. He has now proven himself and others that he can recover from repeated efforts. He had his best legs in the third week. He may want to prioritize classics and one -day races for a while, but if he only has a solid evidence for the tour to point out that his time is not wasted.
“I want to know what[PIDCOCKSPLLANTDanachist”says”Erist26Years’Year-Year-Year-Year-Year-Year-JonasYears’HatnichtalleseHigherHatinHighpartofthecareer[PIDCOCK’SPLANSHISTHISNOW”FormerProadamblythesaidontntontonsaturday“He’S26he’Sthreeyoungershanjonashe’Snotitallinfrontofhimbuthe’sgotalotalotofhiscareerstillinfrontofhimandthiMandthiMandthiMandthimandtelyDiffelyDifferentdoorhecannowpickandchooseiSeimporttlyheknowsthathecandoit[PidcocksPlanjetztdanachist”sagtederfrühereProfiAdamBlytheamSamstagaufTNT„Erist26JahrealteristdreiJahrejüngeralsJonasErhatnichtallesvorsichabererhateinenGroßteilseinerKarrierenochvorsichunddiesöffneteinevölligandereTürErkannjetztauswählenundwählenWichtigerweißdassereskann[Pidcock’splanisafterthisnow”formerproAdamBlythesaidonTNTonSaturday“He’s26he’sthreeyearsyoungerthanJonasHe’snotgotitallinfrontofhimbuthe’sgotalotofhiscareerstillinfrontofhimandthisopensacompletelydifferentdoorHecannowpickandchooseimportantlyheknowsthathecandoit
Advertising
“There are obviously areas to improve. He was very, very limited today, and that in itself is an unusual place to set himself. He treated it as a day, but it is a day at the end of three weeks. It’s just so much to celebrate.”
