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Mattias Skjelmose may have been the biggest surprise of the Tour de France time trial, but Tom Pidcock also surprised a lot of people. The Brit from Pinarello-Q36.5 finished twelfth in the day’s results, but he was just one second behind Filippo Ganna, for example. What’s next for the new No. 8 in the general classification? Pidcock seems to have his game plan ready.
"This might have been my best time trial ever," Pidcock says right off the bat on his team’s website. "At the top of the climb, I think I had the fastest time of anyone who had gone before me. I took the descent pretty cautiously because those walls were pretty scary, but during the climb I felt super strong."
We can tell that the Brit was really feeling good from the following words: “If it had been a 20-minute climb, I think I would have ridden my best 20 minutes ever today—and that was on the time trial bike. That’s a good confirmation of the training I’ve done on this bike.”
And that’s certainly promising, given what’s still to come in the grueling third week of this Tour de France. “I think I’m getting stronger and stronger. Yesterday, after three days in the breakaway, I really felt it in my legs. Even this morning, my legs didn’t want to move, but once I got going today, I felt really strong.”
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Pidcock believes a top-ten finish is within reach at the Tour de France
Following the withdrawal of Florian Lipowitz, who took a hard fall in the time trial, Pidcock is now eight in the general classification. “The big week is coming up, so I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing so far. Unless something goes really wrong, I think a top-ten finish is achievable. That would be great for me and a fantastic result for the team,” the Brit said, outlining his ambitions.
The gap to yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogacar is more than 12 minutes, so Pidcock is also a bit torn. “I’m also far enough back in the peloton to maybe try a few more breakaways and go for a stage win”—a stage victory is still a goal.
Because: “I know I might lose a few minutes on some of the mountain finishes, so a breakaway could also be a good way to gain time. But of course, I want to try to win a stage.” So be sure to keep an eye out for that Pinarello Q36.5 rider wearing a Red Bull helmet in the third week!
