"Putting us in danger isn't going to help your cause" - Tom Pidcock angry with outcome of La Vuelta disaster
Cycling
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".
Angry and worried Pidcock
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".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 2visitors 2
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- No org will admit fault until the evidence in overwhelming and not even then. They have protected abusers and criminals.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- Schreiber won. UCI please admit your fault and correct result.averagecyclist10-11-2026
- She deviated from her line - end of
leedorney10-11-2026 - If I was Lucinda Brand, I'd refuse to wear the jersey. Is there a rule that she "has to" wear it, as the winner? It would certainly feel like stolen valor.wrsty10-11-2026
- but don't let your socks be too long or handlebars be a cm too narrow.mij10-11-2026
- Saw a casual interview with Geraint Thomas and him a few years ago. Seems like a nice laid guy and I wish him well.GregT10-11-2026
- Ernesto Maggioni - The president of the commissaires Mafia. It is getting evident that this guy is basically "Iamalwaysrightandyouarestupidsoiwontlistentoyou" kind of guy. So fire him so that he can be always right in his homeabstractengineer10-11-2026
- Somehow it has got into his mind that he is a GC rider. He is primarily a classics and stage rider who can perform on GC given his day. As a result he is wasting his time on TDF GC and once committed to GC you are too tired to do anything else.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- 🐐❤️Lozza09-11-2026
- This is such a black eye to women's professional cyclocross if this result remains. Marie Schreiber won this race fairly. This finish is not unlike others in cyclocross. Lots of moving around to get to the finish not to cut anyone off , but to generate a sprint on soft wide tires caked with mud and sand. This is not nearly the same as a road race between two riders sprinting to the finish on faster bikes and thinner firmer tires. The powers in charge need to use some common sense, reverse this result and remember this is Cyclocross not Road racing. Unbelievable. . .Zencycle09-11-2026
Loading
19 Comments