Tom Pidcock disappointed with lack of top result at Liège: "This week I broke all kinds of records during training"
Cycling
Ahead of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Tom Pidcock hit record numbers in training but kept it a secret. He hoped to go for the win this Sunday, but was left with a 10th spot that in no way fulfilled his ambitions in what was the last of the spring classics.
The INEOS Grenadiers rider's race was not the luckiest simultaneously. A big crash split the race with 95 kilometers to go and although he was in the front part of the split, he punctured shortly after and was forced to begin an unnecessary chase. Together with Mauri Vansevenant he managed to work his way back through the peloton, but was annoyed to find out the group he had attacked from returned with the help of the convoy quite a lot.
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“I had to make a huge effort there. I just heard that other riders were able to return behind the car. That's frustrating," the Briton admitted in a post-race interview. "I went very deep there, cutting off my own legs. That was a shame. Because I didn't say too much about it before this race, but this week I broke all kinds of records during training. I went really well.”
The efforts he made in this part of the race ended up being key for his result, as he no longer had the legs to match attacks when they began at the Côte de la Redoute. In fact, a Top10 in itself was quite unlikely, and only made possible as he collaborated with among others Mathieu van der Poel to return to the chasing group in the final kilometers.
He made it to a tenth spot on the road, but even in that sprint he was put in a bad spot: “The sprint was very hectic. I wasn't even really sprinting, I was boxed in. I had to find my way. Am I satisfied with the shape? The legs are good, I know that. It's frustrating, but that's how it is.” His calendar for the spring on the roads ends here, although he may soon take on some MTB events in anticipation to the Olympic Games.
On Egan Bernal, who rode an aggressive race but finished far behind in the group, Pidcock commented on: “It's so nice to see him racing like this again. He has had to go through more than I can imagine. It was very nice that he was there. Who knows what might have been possible if it had gone smoothly. We could have played two cards.”
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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It's 10th on the line for @tompidcock after a frantic run-in at #LBL. The Brit and @Eganbernal came home in a much reduced group behind lone winner Pogacar (UAE) after a tough day in the Ardennes 👊
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