Tom Pidcock "very happy" after first monument podium of his career at Liege-Bastogne-Liege

Although he wasn't able to follow the eventual winner Remco Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Tom Pidcock recovered well and took the first podium finish at a monument in his career, much to his delight.

“Of course I always want to win, but this is my first podium in a monument. I am very happy," the INEOS Grenadiers rider revealed in a post-race interview taken just moments after the 23-year-old had outsprinted Santiago Buitrago and Ben Healy to secure second place. “I didn't have the best relationship with Liège-Bastogne-Liège yet. Two years ago I was sick, and last year I was even sick in the race. This is only my first successful Liege.”

After Evenepoel made his race-winning attack, Pidcock was the only man able to initially follow the Belgian. When the world champion made another acceleration, Pidcock admits he just couldn't keep up anymore. "I took care of myself on the Redoute, because I knew I could close the gap in the descent," he says. “But after that I was really on the limit."

"Evenepoel asked if I wanted to take over, but I really couldn't anymore. Then he rode full-on," continues Pidcock. "I then made the choice to wait a while and still go full for second place. That was completely successful.”