Tom Pidcock: "Anyone in that group could have won today"

After a start to the season that has been harmed by a series of health complications, Tom Pidcock has shown glimpses of his best form today at Dwars door Vlaanderen as he rode into second place in the race, after a very strong collective performance.

"I’m happy with the podium. It’s a massive improvement from Sunday. I felt really good. I was enjoying the racing there at the end and getting stuck in. Anyone in that group could have won today.

INEOS Grenadiers were the ones to split the race at the Berg ten Houte as Ben Turner hit the front with Tom Pidcock in the wheel and from that move surged a small group that went on to fight for the race win. The duo showed good form and grabbed third and eighth spot in the end, and have taken motivation towards the weekend where they'll surely have the company of Dylan van Baarle and Jhonatan Narváez when the big moves pop out.

It was not the most suited race to the young Briton has the final 40 kilometers were mostly flat, but he has nevertheless rode his most successful day of the road season so far: "It’s just cat and mouse in the end. I think that was just the last move and the elastic snapped. Every other move someone closed it, and just that time Stefan hesitated a bit. And that was it. Ben pulled and I won the sprint."

"[Tour des Flandres] will be similar that it will be full gas like this, but with another 100km added on. It will be a long, hard day, but hopefully if I have legs like today I’ll be happy with that," he concluded.