Q36.5 Pro Cycling spoke of four tests for Tom Pidcock to get through if he was to finish on the podium at the Vuelta a España. Two have passed. One was cut short – good news for him – and the other one he didn’t just survive, but thrived. Pidcock is not just holding onto third, but tightening his grip, albeit marginally. Four days to go, two tests to go.
On the climb to Alto de El Morredero on stage 17 of the race, a mountain ravaged by devastating wildfires just a few weeks ago, Pidcock expectedly came under pressure from Jai Hindley, the man pursuing him in fourth, but the Briton extinguished the attacks, and then went on the offensive himself. He crossed the line two seconds ahead of the Australian, and claimed an extra two bonus seconds. There were fears from his team that the 32 second lead Pidcock held over Hindley on the second rest day might not be enough to keep the 2022 Giro d’Italia winner at bay, but now, with only two major tests to come, that advantage has swung out to 36 seconds. In a battle that is predicted to come down to seconds, those four seconds could be ever so precious. They could be the difference between standing on the podium or not.
This is Pidcock’s first time fighting for the GC in the final week of a Grand Tour, but the way he rode up the Alto de El Morredero was like that of an experienced veteran. He didn't panic when Hindley made his moves, instead riding his own pace, confident that he’d bring him back. While Hindley had company, his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate and white jersey wearer Giulio Pellizzari who went onto win the stage, Pidcock had no one. His Q36.5 team have performed admirably and exceptionally given their second-tier ProTeam status, up against three superteams in Red Bull, UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike, but the reality is Pidcock had to do it all himself: the 26-year-old was defending, controlling and attacking all on his lonesome.
Pidcock looks at home in this Vuelta alongside Vingegaard, Almeida and Hindley.
“I sacrificed the stage,” Pidcock said afterwards, a verbal confirmation of what the legs proved just before – that he belongs in this Vuelta’s front group alongside leader Jonas Vingaegaard and his nearest challenge João Almeida. “It could have been really nice, but we’re racing for the podium – that’s the main goal.”
Once – and still is – a do-it-all multi-disciplinarian, winner of mountain bike, cyclocross and road titles, Pidcock is looking at home in the fatiguing tests of three-week racing. Stage 18 sees the peloton move to Valladolid for a mostly flat 27km time trial. Hindley stoked the flames a few days ago by insisting that his comparatively weak time trialling capabilities have improved under the tutelage of aero experts Dan Bigham and Jonny Wale – but he forgets that Pidcock has also been a pupil of Bigham and Wale when all three of them were employed by Ineos Grenadiers. Pidcock shouldn’t be too concerned about a Hindley comeback in the time trial.
It’s the penultimate day's test in the mountains north of Madrid that is set to act as the final battleground. The last 3km of the stage, up the Bola del Mundo, is horribly steep, nasty and unforgiving. A gap of 36 seconds can easily be wiped out. It offers an opportunity for Hindley to reduce his deficit, but also an opportunity for Pidcock to comprehensively secure his first Grand Tour podium. He’s passed every test he’s had so far. Who’s to say he won’t get the job done.
