‘Spy’ in peloton reveals inside story on Tom Pidcock drama: “Pidcock is a bit of a loner within INEOS”
Cycling
Reminds me of the Cian Uijtdebroeks saga (where he ended up moving from Bora to Visma).
Rumours were also that Cian was a loner (and some unverified sources even claim he was bullied - sad if true).
Look Ineos pay his wages atm so he is contractually obligated to live by their rules. If he wanted to mountain bike in the winter he should made it a contract stipulation. I can see no end to this untill another team steps in and ends this farce.
It doesn't have to be a buy out. If both Pidcock and Ineos want separation, I am sure they can mutually agree to void the rest of his contract and free him to go elsewhere.
EVERYTHING point towards Pidcock being perfect for gravel. Now all he needs to do is think of a sponsor who would consider him marketable ;-)
Pidcock is not the only young rider who wants to ride for himself. Successful teams have established leaders and you ride for the leader until it's your turn. For example G Thomas rode for C Fromme. Pidcock was probably on the verge of taking over as leader from GT and didn't seem to have the patience to wait. Q36.5 and he'll probably be the worse off when it comes to grand tours
That's what I took from all this, impatience. And maybe a young head.
Visma? If what the spy says is true, Pidcock would be a bit unruly, acting independently of his team. I don't think that a super organized and planned team like Visma would allow him to do what his PERSONAL doctor, PERSONAL trainer and PERSONAL sponsors decide.
But what if the spy is not true and cycling up to date are stooping to a new low on the story? Do not belive everything they put into print.
In any case, I wouldn’t pay a spy for this kind of « scoop »
The most interesting part of this episode is the spy’s identity.
If the "scoop" is worthless, what would it matter where it came from? The news doesn't surprise, except for some bits of info about Pidcock's buyout price, and the episode regarding Ineos stint in Canada. It only confirms what is in everyone's mind about Pidcock's future with Ineos. He is a talented rider, but in today's peloton mindset, being a team outlier is a definite turn-off, and talent alone may not be enough to attract offers, unless you're a Pogacar. Pidcock himself put it quite succinctly when he exclaimed in an interview that "he doesn't ride for anybody".
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