"I did my best-ever hour effort and was still seven minutes behind" - Tom Pidcock impressed by Simon Yates' Finestre raid
Cycling
Tom Pidcock did not get the desired result in his Giro d'Italia debut, but the 25-year-old Brit has enjoyed the race. It was quite a great Giro for the British riders with Simon Yates taking the glory as well as overall victory on Colle delle Finestre. For Pidcock, it was a different day - one that he only needed to survive after missing the chance to join early breakaway.
"What Yates did was pretty phenomenal. The speed they went at the last climb was incredible. I did my best-ever hour in terms of power and was seven minutes behind," Pidcock told the Times.
"The thing is, for me, I've never raced up an hour-long climb before. And I've never trained for an hour-long effort. So, it's a big area that I haven't touched, and, obviously, if I ever want to podium a Grand Tour, I need to get much better at that."
Is a GC result at a Grand Tour something that would fulfill Pidcock's road career? "I think if I do manage to ever win a Grand Tour or get on the podium, it would be one of the biggest achievements ever."
The next bid could come at the Vuelta a Espana, but after the Brit got stuck around the 15th spot in GC for most of the race, maybe it would be a better goal to fully target stages. Or whether the 25-year-old would pick different goals for the summer. But all of that can be decided within the two months until the race starts.
"We have a lot more time. I want to sit down with the team and figure out where the gaps are and what I want to do. At the end of the day, I like having success – winning. If that means just going only for stages and targeting those, so be it," he admits that the strategy could be different.
Read also
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 7visitors 7
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
Loading
4 Comments