“Tom Pidcock’s in that group,” my colleague Tom said to me atop Le Markstein as, for the first time, we watched the race cross the finish line on Saturday’s stage 14 of the Tour de France, straining as everyone else did to watch the action unfold. My answer was probably not as succinct as “no, he can’t be”, but it was something similar.
In between the rain storms in the Vosges, we managed to get a glimpse of the actual action – the first time I’d actually seen the bike race I’m writing about in person in the nine days I’d been out here. It might surprise readers how little journalists at the Tour actually see of the Tour, or how hard it is for us to keep up with what’s going on in each stage as it goes on, as we encounter a series of logistical hurdles, from driving, to checkpoints, to buying lunch as the press room has no food again.
News editor at Cycling Weekly, Adam brings his weekly opinion on the goings on at the upper echelons of our sport. This piece is part of The Leadout, a newsletter series from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here. As ever, email adam.becket@futurenet.com – should you wish to add anything, or suggest a topic.
I had completely missed Pidcock’s presence in the first chase group, in front of the peloton, as they powered past us on Le Markstein, and it did seem unlikely, hence my sense of disbelief. The day after the Pinarello Q36.5 rider had escaped up the road to Belfort, flying up to fourth on general classification, he was there again. Surely, the original effort had taken it out of him, but on checking the race situation, there he was, outstandingly. Not to win, necessarily, but to try and build a buffer on the GC riders behind him, before the final climb.
Looking back at the video I took of them cresting the climb, on Pidcock’s wheel was Quinn Simmons of Lidl-Trek, the American champion standing out in his stars and stripes jersey. He hadn’t been out in front the day before, but the pair had both been away in another of the race’s key breakaway days, on stage nine to Ussel.
The next day, there they were again, on the road to Plateau du Solaison. Both Pidcock and Simmons made it into the day’s escape, and were there until the final climb, Simmons essentially the final man to be caught by the group of favourites.
Neither Pidcock nor Simmons have won a stage yet at this Tour de France, but few could accuse them of not trying; between them, they have three stage podiums, and a handful of most combative prizes between them. Aside from the riders at the top of the general classification and the stage winners, they have been my standout riders of this year’s race, always visible, always trying.
As Pidcock put it post-stage 15: “Has anyone ever been in the breakaway three days in a row in the top 10? I don’t think so. Tadej [Pogačar] can break loads of records, but so can I.”
The Briton is in the odd position of being in the top 10, in ninth, but being eight minutes ahead of his nearest rival, Jordan Jegat of TotalEnergies. Therefore, he can put energy into trying to get up the road, to animate the race. Top 10 overall at the Tour would be huge for Pidcock, and his ProTeam, but a stage win would probably mean more. He almost has a free role in this final week.
Simmons is almost doing his own thing; he helped his Lidl-Trek teammate Mads Pedersen to a stage win on stage five, and has put work into the green jersey challenge, and Juan Ayuso’s bid for the top five, but has also seemingly got into the break whenever he wants to.
There might be some Anglophone bias at work here – credit should be given to Lotto Intermarché’s Baptiste Veistroffer for his efforts out front too – but while the yellow jersey battle has been over for almost two weeks now, I’m glad Simmons and Pidcock have kept active, kept heading up the road, kept trying to do something different. The Tour de France is better for them. With five more chances, can either get the stage win they crave? Either way, they will be in the breakaway once again, standing out.
This piece is part of The Leadout, the offering of newsletters from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here.
If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com.
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