“I don’t expect any fireworks, but hopefully no explosions” – Tom Pidcock measures expectations for final big goal before Tour de France at Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Cycling
Tom Pidcock arrives at Liège-Bastogne-Liège with a clear sense of where he stands, framing Sunday’s Monument as both a key target and a test of his recovery following his recent crash.
He will be supported by a Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team lineup of Xabier Mikel Azparren, Sjoerd Bax, Marcel Camprubi, Chris Harper, Quinten Hermans and Xandro Meurisse.
Speaking to Cycling Pro Net on the eve of the race, the British rider described a steady progression back to form after his enforced time off the bike. “I think every day I’ve been getting better. It was tough getting back into racing with so little time after being off the bike and not much training again. But I’m really happy. Every day I was improving, so I can be fairly positive for tomorrow.”
That improvement, however, comes with measured expectations. “I don’t expect any fireworks, but hopefully just no explosions out the back.”
Not yet back to full level
Pidcock was clear that, despite the progress made during his return, he is not yet back to the level he held before his crash. “No, no chance,” he said when asked if he could reach that form immediately. “But I think it’s already a positive that I’m on the start line here. I’ll just see what I can get out of the race tomorrow.”
That realism defines his approach to Liège, particularly given the level of opposition expected, including Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.
Pidcock won a stage of the 2026 Tour of the Alps earlier this week
A disrupted but maintained schedule
The importance of Liège within his spring has only increased following the interruption caused by his crash. “Yeah, this was the last big goal of the first part of the season,” he explained. “So mentally it’s nice that I’ve been able to keep the same schedule, even if it was a bit interrupted.”
That continuity, even in altered form, is something he values. “Now I can have a bit of time off and reset before preparing for the Tour de France. It’s good from that point of view, otherwise it would have been a long time until my next race.”
Balancing ambition and reality
Pidcock’s outlook reflects a balance between ambition and realism as he returns to Monument racing. “I can be fairly positive for tomorrow,” he said, but that positivity is framed within the context of a rider still rebuilding condition rather than one targeting outright victory.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège, with its length and repeated climbs, will offer a far more demanding test than his return race at the Tour of the Alps earlier in the week.
A benchmark before the Tour
Beyond the immediate result, Sunday serves as an important reference point. With the Tour de France looming, Liège represents the final major checkpoint before a reset and the next phase of his season.
For now, the expectations remain grounded. But the trajectory, as Pidcock himself has made clear, is moving in the right direction.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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