Tom Pidcock: I made too many mistakes in ‘opening weekend’
British rider sets his sights on Strade Bianche next weekend.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Despite failing to land a top result in “opening weekend” Ineos Grenadiers still came away from the first two cobbled races with much to celebrate.
The British squad was on the front foot in both Omloop and Kuurne, while several of their young squad put in memorable performances. Magnus Sheffield attacked solo in Omloop, while Ben Turner and especially Jhonatan Narvaez had standout rides.
Team leader Tom Pidcock went on the attack several times throughout the weekend, but he admitted at the conclusion of Kuurne that he had simply made too many mistakes out on the road. He finished 18th on Saturday and backed that up with 70th in Kuurne to close out “opening weekend.”
Also read:
At the conclusion of Omloop, he had noted that his frame of mind wasn’t quite where it should have been and that tactical mistakes had crept in.
On Sunday, he reiterated those words but also stressed that the future of the British team in the spring classics looked promising.
“In terms of how we raced as a team, today we were pretty impressive in my opinion,” Pidcock said.
“We took the race on, young guys, and the amount that we improved from yesterday was phenomenal and I think that’s a really good sign for the classics, this year and beyond. Six of us today were under 24 and there’s Ben Swift. It’s a team that can certainly learn and grow.”
“I made too many mistakes this weekend, for several reasons. I’m certainly still learning. I’m learning to lead the team. The level here has been much better than last year. We’ve had three of the best sprinters in the world here but last year there weren’t any. The level has been much higher this weekend.”
Next up for Pidcock is Strade Bianche, a race he excelled in last year finishing in fifth. Since then, he has won Olympic and world titles, and cemented his place as one of the most talented one-day riders in the world. The Italian race is one of his major objectives this spring.
“I’m looking forward to next weekend, it’ll be a good race. Strade should be good fun. The difference is made on the climbs. It’s more about next weekend. Strade is one of my favorite races so it would be great to win that one day.”
