Serge Pauwels impressed by Tom Pidcock: "Maybe he can surprise us in two weeks and be on the podium in Paris"
Cycling
Tom Pidcock has been quietly going about his business so far at the Tour de France. In his first real general classification ride, the 23-year-old has been there or thereabouts throughout and currently sits in 8th. ex-pro Serge Pauwels has been impressed.
"Pidcock has not often said things that he does not live up to or that he does not support," says the former Giro d'Italia stage winner, Pauwels to Sporza as part of his role as an analyst. "He knows very well what his career planning is. We haven't seen him much in the picture yet, but he is there. Top ten riding in the Tour is not for everyone."
5:26 down on the overall race leader Jonas Vingegaard, it's fair to say that barring something incredible, the Maillot Jaune is out of reach for Pidcock. Just 2:46 off Jai Hindley and the podium though, and having put time into the Australian on the first summit finish of the race at the Puy de Dome, that third spot on the podium in Paris is up for grabs for the INEOS Grenadiers rider.
"I expect that next year or the year after that he will go to the Tour with real classification ambitions as the only leader at INEOS Grenadiers. Then I will see him on the podium. Winning with Pogacar and Vingegaard is not easy," says Pauwels. "Maybe he can surprise us in two weeks and be on the podium in Paris. Everything is still possible between positions 3 and 12."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
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Ready for stage 11 🫶 #TDF2023
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