“The biggest achievement of my career” – Tom Pidcock comes of age as a GC racer at the Vuelta a Espana 2025

Tom Pidcock capped the 2025 Vuelta a España with the finest Grand Tour performance of his career, taking third overall behind Jonas Vingegaard and João Almeida. At 26, the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team rider far exceeded his own pre-race ambition of finishing in the top 10, and crucially edged out Jai Hindley for a place on the podium. For a rider often questioned about his GC potential, it was a breakthrough moment.

The doubts had been building for years. Since his spectacular win on Alpe d’Huez at the 2022 Tour de France, Pidcock had not delivered a sustained Grand Tour performance. His quiet showing at the Giro d’Italia earlier this season, following his departure from Ineos Grenadiers, seemed to reinforce the perception that he was better suited to one-off stages than overall battles. But over three weeks in Spain, Pidcock proved he could climb with the very best, even dropping Vingegaard during the second week in Bilbao.

By the end of the race, the Briton admitted he was running on empty. "I'm just really tired. But this morning I felt completely ready. We've had two easier days. The time trial wasn't easy, of course, but it was short. And yesterday was relatively easy. Today was a kind of one-day race, and I'm good at that," he told TNT Sports after the Bola del Mundo finale.

Pidcock explained how he managed the brutal gradients. "It's very difficult to find your pace on such steep climbs," he said. "The road surface was also poor. But I still felt in control. I was riding at my limit, but I stayed there and didn't blow myself up."

When asked to reflect on his achievement, he was honest about his exhaustion but also recognised the significance of the result. "I don't really know what to say. I'm quite proud of myself. It's the biggest achievement of my career. Maybe I've had more special victories, but... I'm exhausted, honestly. I can't find the words."

Looking ahead to his evening in Madrid, Pidcock admitted celebration was not the first thing on his mind. "Am I going to celebrate tonight? I want to relax first. You have to focus every day, be on point every day. Now I can just enjoy myself here and I don't have to put on this jacket, drink cherry juice, and take that awful recovery drink."

For a rider long seen as a wildcard rather than a contender, the 2025 Vuelta marked a turning point. Pidcock didn’t just compete for stages, he rode consistently enough to stand on the podium of one of cycling’s toughest races. GC Pidcock is here.