"Putting us in danger isn't going to help your cause" - Tom Pidcock angry with outcome of La Vuelta disaster

Out of everyone at the Vuelta a Espana today, Tom Pidcock was the rider with the most to win. The leader of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team had attacked the final climb and could have well been on his way to a massive victory, but found himself confused and angry and the last-minute changes to the stage due to the protests that made it unsafe to return to the finish line in Bilbao.

"It's hard to describe the disappointment, to be honest. I felt like today was my day, I feel like there should always be a finish line, we are not riding a fucking sportive, are we," Pidcock said after the stage, as reported by Domestique. The Briton attacked the climb to the Alto de Pike, dropping everyone including race leader Jonas Vingegaard in the ultra-steep ramps of the Basque climb.

But there wasn't a stage win up for grabs anymore by the time he reached the summit, and the Briton didn't know this was the case. “I was just doing a Tom Pidcock thing, I knew the finish line was at 3 kilometers, but I actually didn’t know when 3 kilometers were. I was too busy trying to stay with Jonas. We passed through there and realized there wasn’t going to be a winner."

The protests at the finish line, where many tried to break through the barriers with the peloton incoming, made it unsafe for the stage finish to be held. "It's not easy, the Vuelta did what they could, the organisation to keep us safe, I don't want to say anything political or I will get in trouble".

From a rider's perspective, it is haunting the danger that the Vuelta peloton is undergoing, with protests occuring on the daily and road blocks possible at any moment - including sections of high-speed racing. "Putting us in danger isn't going to help your cause, that simply isn't going to help what they are protesting for. Everyone has got the right to protest whatever they want, but putting us in danger is not the way forward.”

The Briton argues that a great percentage of the peloton thinks the same, but is afraid to talk about it due to the outrage that may come as a result of contesting the pro-Palestine protests. "I think a lot of people have held back from talking about it publicly, but it is a bit scary in the peloton sometimes, but as long as our safety is first, then we can continue the racing, and that's what we are here to do."

"A lot of people talk about what's on paper, you know, I'm not saying I would have won, but I had a good chance to win, and yeah, it's disappointing, but not going to waste any energy on it, there's a long way to go. I was told today was going to be the biggest day of protests, so I think from now on it might be better," the Briton added, trying to look on the bright side.

DS Kurt Bogaerts explains the situation through his point of view in the team car, which was no less chaotic than it was for the riders. “I think, what was it, 15km to go or something? They say it was not going to be possible to finish, and that they were going to take the time at 3km to go, and that times will count at 3km to go. That’s what it was".