It's been a solid start to life at the
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team for
Tom Pidcock in the first part of the 2025 season. Although he's not managed a big win so far this Classics season, the positive signs have continued in the Ardennes with a top-10 at the
Amstel Gold Race, followed by a podium finish last Wednesday at
La Fleche Wallonne. Ahead of a
Giro d'Italia debut next month, can the Brit now cap off his Spring with
Liege-Bastogne-Liege success?
One of Pidcock's key helpers en route to his 3rd atop the Mur de Huy earlier this week was 23-year-old Spaniard
Marcel Camprubi who rode home in a creditable 33rd position in his own right. “I felt really good and very motivated for this race,” Camprubi told the
official website of the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team post-race. “This has always been one of my favourite races because I saw Purito Rodriguez win here on TV. Riding here was a great opportunity for me, despite the weather. We thought at the start it wouldn’t be so bad, but I was really happy I chose the Vampir rain jacket [team prototype] because it was also cold.”
As mentioned, Camprubi's main role was looking after his team leader Pidcock, something he did very well throughout the race. “In these conditions the racing is even harder in this race and you can really make a difference,” explained the former EOLO-Kometa youngster. “My job was to go with a bigger move but that didn’t go so I stayed with Tom. I helped him position before the climbs. There was even some wind so we helped get him back after a split.”
Pidcock (R) celebrating a podium finish at La Fleche Wallonne 2025
And following Pidcock's strong finish, there is renewed hope and optimism within the team ahead of this weekend's battle at Liege-Bastogne-Liege - a race where Camprubi will once again hope to be right by his team leader's side for as long as possible.
“It’s great that he got onto the podium. I wanted to be there in the final and if I had raced smarter I could have, but I am proud of how I could help Tom,” he said. “My legs are a bit sore now because I raced a lot already this season but I just heard I get to do Liège-Bastogne-Liège as well and that is also a dream coming true. So now it’s time to recover and get ready one more time for a big Monument.”
Pidcock wins when you never expect him to, then loses when you think he should. He is fun to watch no matter what.
I tend to agree and in many cases that can be attributed to the way pressure works on a person’s mind, not sure everyone can overcome that if they suffer from it because it’s not impossible that it has to do with the cocktail f chemicals released for the event. How to tweak adrenaline (and other useful secretions) release, that’s probably something being worked on quietly.