Even thumbtacks couldn’t decisively deflate Tom Pidcock’s Tour de France ambitions as he came away from the opening weekend in the Basque Country with reasons to believe he is on track to take another step in his progression as a rider.
While the Yorkshireman wasn’t able to match the top GC riders on the steepening slopes of Côte de Pike on stage one, he finished in the front group on stage two despite being one of several riders who got tacks in their tyres (see p8) and said he was “reasonably comfortable” on the final climb, an ascent more representative of what is to come at this Tour de France.
“I want to go for stages as my main priority, but still
