Tom Pidcock set to skip Giro d’Italia as hints point to Tour de France spot after recent recon
British rider checks out the cobbled stage of the Tour de France alongside teammate Michał Kwiatkowski.
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VeloNews understands that Tom Pidcock will not race the Giro d’Italia and that the British rider is no longer in the running for a spot on the eight-rider roster at Ineos Grenadiers.
Pidcock has suffered from illness throughout the spring and was forced to abandon Strade Bianche on the eve of the race due to stomach problems. He returned to racing later in the spring classics campaign but was never able to reach his top form in the key races. He abandoned Fléch Wallonne, and raced Liège-Bastogne-Liège but was involved in a major crash that took down dozens of riders and left world champion Julian Alaphilippe with multiple fractures.
Pidcock told VeloNews at the finish in Liège that he had possibly broken a finger and that he was glad to bring the curtain down on his classics season.
“I’ve had a classics season to forget to be honest,” he told VeloNews. “A lot to learn but I’m glad that it’s over.”
However, on Monday, teammate Michał Kwiatkowski posted a video on Instagram showing himself and Pidcock riding recon for the cobbled stage of this year’s Tour de France. Ineos Grenadiers would not comment regarding Pidcock’s next race when approached by VeloNews at the Tour de Romandie but the fact that he rode recon over the cobbles ten days before the Giro d’Italia — coupled with his turbulent spring — are clear indications that the Giro is well and truly off his program for the rest of the spring.
The obvious question is whether the recent recon indicates that Pidcock is firmly on the long list for the Tour de France. Certainly, a spot in the eight-rider team for July isn’t out of the question, and it would tally with his new long-term contract at the team. He will race on a mountain bike at some point over the coming months, but his complete schedule has yet to be confirmed.