Perfect from Pidcock! Q36.5 star takes first victory since INEOS departure with vicious attack on stage 2 of AlUla Tour 2025

Wednesday, 29 January 2025 at 13:44

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team's Tom Pidcock has taken his first victory since leaving INEOS on stage 2 of the 2025 AlUla Tour after a confusing finale that saw the race neutralised and the course cut by around 30km.

Five riders got themselves into the day's early breakaway, most notable being former Israel - Premier Tech rider Jens Reynders, who now rides for Wagner Bazin WB. The Belgian was also the best placed on GC, 8 seconds down after stage 1, so spent much of the day in the provisional race lead. Heading into the final 20km, just Reynders and Simone Raccani remained in the break, but the peloton was bearing down on them and within a minute of the catch. Very curiously though, the race was then neutralised momentarily and subsequently cut by around 30km due to issues with the road surface.

Read also

Confusion at the AlUla Tour as stage 2 is neutralised and cut by around 30km

As the peloton then rode as a block behind the race director's car, it came to light that only the final 5km climb would be raced for the remainder of the day, offering up a uniquely interesting finale. Notably, Reynders and Raccani who were both allowed to escape the peloton ahead of the flag drop and regain a 30 second gap to the bunch. Sadly for the attackers though, it didn't prove enough to take victory as they were swallowed up with 2.5km to go.

With 1.5km to go, UAE's Rafal Majka came to the front, really thinning things out behind. There was no separation between the big guns as they reached the flamme rouge though. There was a clear gap when Tom Pidcock launched a massive attack into the final 500km and there was no stopping the Brit from there as he took victory ahead of Rainer Kepplinger and Alan Hatherly at the line. Notably, Pidcock also secured 10 bonus seconds for the GC.