GC Pidcock's up and down Tour continues
Tom Pidcock's leap to fourth overall on Friday's stage didn't overly worry other GC contenders at the Tour de France, with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and Lidl-Trek both predicting the Briton would pay for his breakaway effort. Early on Saturday's 14th stage, Pidcock appeared to be gamely going for it in the early break.
But under the inexorable onslaught of race leader Tadej Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad, all contenders were caught and Pidcock ultimately ceded 3:34 at the finish, dropping back to ninth. It's all part of the up-and-down Tour for the Pinarello-Q36.5 captain, who has said he's not necessarily focused on GC but rather is racing for a different objective. “I want to enjoy being back at the Tour, and look forward to coming back here every year,” he said earlier in the race.
That seems to mean going for it regardless of the consequences, and despite the surge in the standings, even Pidcock himself acknowledges a top finish is unlikely. "I'm going to lose a lot in the [stage 16] time trial," the always plain-spoken Pidcock said before the start Saturday. Expect to see him in the break again, however, as he might target a repeat of his breakthrough Alpe d'Huez stage win from 2022.
