"I think Tadej. Jumbo seem a little bit anxious, worried, desperate" - Tom Pidcock picks his 2023 Tour de France winner

The dual for the Maillot Jaune between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard has been one for the ages at the 2023 Tour de France. As we reach the second rest day just 10 seconds separate the pair. 12th overall Tom Pidcock has predicted how he expects the final week to go.

"I think Tadej. Jumbo seem a little bit anxious, worried, desperate, they are working too hard to make things happen," said the INEOS Grenadiers rider when asked on Monday's rest day who he thinks will be able to claim the Yellow Jersey by the time the race reaches Paris. "I'm afraid that wasn't too diplomatic of me... Last year it just came together for them and it's not going exactly like that for them this year."

For Pidcock himself, the race has one of discovery. Mounting a general classification challenge for the first time at a Grand Tour, the Brit has acquitted himself relatively well and was firmly entrenched in the top 10 until the last couple of days. "I'm suffering a bit, let's get this time trial out of the way," he says. "Before I had the freedom to explore my own abilities but now I've fallen off the GC, well..."

With teammate Carlos Rodriguez currently sitting 3rd though, is Pidcock going to be expected to work as a domestique for the Spaniard? "I'm not the most experienced at pacing other people up climb and going getting bottles of water for them and stuff, but I'll do my best."