"I sacrificed the stage" - Tom Pidcock puts full aim on La Vuelta podium into decisive days

Tom Pidcock can finish in the podium of the Vuelta a Espana, and that is in no way out of reach as the race enters its final difficult days. The leader of Q36.5 is close to finally reaching his full potential as a Grand Tour contender as he gained ground on his main rivals on the brutal summit finish of the Alto de El Morredero.

Reaching stage 17 of the Vuelta still on the podium, the Briton could also come across a new challenge, that of recovery and fatigue after almost three weeks of racing at the highest level. That was not the case, at least when comparing to his direct rivals. Pidcock responded to several attacks of Jai Hindley on the final climb directly, cementing his current position.

But on the final kilometers of the stage, the GC group became quite tactical as first and second in GC Vingegaard and Almeida did not have the legs, and BORA had two men. Pidcock gambled, looking to benefit from the work of Matthew Riccitello, but also looking not to put his nose to the wind too much.

"I sacrificed the stage. That could have been really nice, but we're racing for the podium, that's the main goal," he said in a post-race interview. "It's a bit of a shame really, but we have to make decisions. For the stage, there are so many opponents. You must keep Jonas and Pellizzari in check."

Pidcock did a great climb, and behind Giulio Pellizzari, sprinted to second place on the day, even gaining time on the road on the three men that surround him in the overall classification. But his stage win did not come. "We were all alone in the final, apart from the Bora boys, and they kind of showed it. Well done to them," he concluded.