NICE
ONE, Tom Pidcock, for leaping up six places to fourth overall in the general
classification on stage 13 of the Tour on Friday. Pidcock finished third on the
stage behind stage winner Mauro Schmid.
If Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) wasn’t already on race
leader Tadej Pogacar’s radar, he is now.
He well remembers how Pidcock almost pipped him for
victory the opening
Spring Classic in March, Milan – San Remo.
And he will recall how
Pidcock became the youngest winner, the first Olympic mountain bike champion
and the first cyclocross world champion, to win on legendary 21-hairpin climb
of Alpe d’Huez in the 2022 Tour. That year saw Vingegaard win the Tour for the
first time, with Pogacar second.
At last, the British press have some home interest
in the Tour, to make room amongst the football, tennis, golf and cricket which
has consumed them so far this July.
The demanding stage 13 of 205.8km from Dole to
Belfort was over the category one Ballon d’Alsace climb with 30km to go.
Schmid of Jayco-Alula and several others including
Pidcock got away from the large leading breakaway group which was running some
8 minutes ahead of Pogacar and his GC rival in the main field.
They had let the big group go – no one in it seen as
a threat. Until now.
Pidcock,
26, is now four minutes and 15 seconds behind yellow jersey wearer Tadej
Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Lying second is Vingegaard - three minutes and 36 seconds down
overall - and third is Belgium's Remco Evenepoel, four mins 6 sec off lead:
with Pidcock on his shoulder in fourth.
Pidcock
has got aboard the GC train just in time, as fireworks are expected in the
Alps.
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