Cycling
Pidcock: "I’m more motivated than ever to ride for the GC in future Tours"
Keep pace with British cycling star Tom Pidcock as he blogs from inside the peloton at the 2023 Tour de France.
Tom Pidcock needs no introduction, but here’s one anyway. The 23-year-old British cycling star has won big in every bike discipline he’s turned his hand to – whether that’s the cyclocross World Championships, Cross-Country Mountain Biking gold at the Tokyo Games in 2020, or iconic victories in road cycling’s Spring Classics.
In 2022, he added a Tour de France stage to his already illustrious palmarés, leaving the competition in his wake as he descended with panache before flying up Alpe d’Huez to take a stage victory in his debut Tour.
This year, Pidcock returns to the roads of France for three weeks of intense action. Part of a young INEOS Grenadiers team featuring 2019 Tour winner Egan Bernal, he’ll be aiming to help his team improve on Geraint Thomas’ third-place finish in 2022, while also looking to build on his own success.
Tom Pidcock battles Wout Van Aert in Stage Two of the Tour de France 2023
© POOL BERNARD PAPON/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images
Follow him throughout the 2023 Tour de France via the diary below.
01
Post-race reflections: You want to do stuff but you're just tired
Coming home from a Grand Tour is terrible. You have no recollection of how to cook or do any normal jobs. I made an omelette this morning; normally I’m quite good but it was terrible. The other thing is, you want to come home and do stuff – I got a new pizza oven and I want to make a pizza, but you’re just tired and lazy. So actually you end up doing nothing. It’s almost like five weeks of your life doing nothing for three weeks racing.
02
Stage 21: It’s bumpy, hard, painful, and just generally very unenjoyable
Paris is the worst stage of the Tour. It’s so good on TV when you’re young and you’re watching it and a British sprinter Cav [Mark Cavendish] is winning. But you arrive and it’s bumpy, hard, painful, and just generally very unenjoyable. It sounds bad to say because everybody would probably dream to be able to ride around there with hundreds and thousands of people lining the streets but it’s horrid.
Although I came away with nothing from the 2023 Tour de France, I learned some invaluable lessons over the three weeks. Last year’s race had given me the complete wrong idea; I knew it was hard but I was experiencing it from a completely different perspective – one where I played a supporting role rather than trying to stick with the general classification group.
It’s the hardest sporting event in the world, and if you’re not completely ready, cracks will show, which is what I experienced. I struggled mentally and I wasn’t tough enough, which isn’t normal for me. I’m a confident person, but also a realist, and I’m not great at giving my all for a result that isn’t the win or a podium – I need to get better at this.
Ultimately, I didn’t appreciate how hard racing GC actually is – before, in races such as the Baby Giro [the U23 Giro d’Italia], which I won in 2020, it was much easier. But I’m now more motivated than ever to ride for the general classification in future Tours.
03
Stage 20: The stage win was looking possible if we'd stayed away
The penultimate stage was a hard, fast day. I was in the break again but the peloton didn’t give us much chance, to be honest. I was caught on the last climb and then switched to helping Carlos [Rodríguez] limit his losses. He had a fair old crash but he's a warrior and I was glad I could help him to the finish. It was a shame though – I think the stage win was looking possible if we’d stayed away.
04
Stage 19: It was good to be back racing
On Stage 19, it was important for me to switch on and get a good final couple of days in the race. I fell apart a little bit in the middle of the Tour and I needed to come out strong, looking towards the Mountain Bike World Championships in August. I got myself in the break midway through the stage – I’d missed it at first and then got across. I was figuring out in my head how to beat all these big boys. I ended up 10th but it was good to be back racing.
05
Stage 18: Since I had heat stroke, I’ve been holding a lot of water and I'm almost 3kg heavier than when I started the race
Stage 18 was all day headwind. There were a few guys in the break and they are strong riders – I was thinking ‘at least we’ll get to the finish quite quickly.’ The breakaway just about survived, which was pretty cool. I made sure I was drinking and eating a lot. My body hasn't been responding so well over the last four to five days. I’ve been holding a lot of water since I had heat stroke on stage 14 and I’m super-heavy now – almost 3kg heavier than when I started the race. I’m really struggling with saddle sores as well, which is part of the problem; it’s not very pleasant.
06
Stage 17: The groupetto isn't a fun place – it's full of people who are surviving and not in the race
The queen stage was not great. I had a really bad start and then found myself in the groupetto [the group behind the lead peloton]. To be honest, it’s not really a fun place. It’s full of people who are surviving and not in the race. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen again. But there was plenty of time to reflect and think about how to improve and get better.
07
Stage 16: I was suffering like a dog and not going anywhere
Time trial day. I did a good ride in the morning, trying to activate my muscles after an easy rest day, so I wasn’t arriving at the start switched off. It didn’t really work mind you. In the time trial I was alright but then come the last climb to Combloux I was completely stuck on the road and not going anywhere. The thermometer in the car said almost 39.5°C. I was cooked, and I was suffering like a dog and not going anywhere. My heart rate wasn’t going up either. Despite this, I think the effort will do me good for Stage 17 – this year's queen stage (aka the hardest).
08
Rest day two: After my crash, it was time to take it super easy
Me and my body weren't really responding so well to efforts, so we decided to take it super easy. I was trying to recover and I was holding a lot of water since the crash. I took it easy on my bike; I did a ride in the morning and then also one before dinner just to stay awake. I also had a good hour-and-a-half sleep in the day, and I had lunch with my girlfriend Beth and my dog Chestnut.
09
Stage 15: It's hard when you're on your own; it's lonely
The day after the disappointment of stage 14, it was all about trying to refocus and get back into it. I was with the GC favorites group for most of the stage before getting dropped on the final climb up Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc. It's hard when you're on your own; it's lonely. It's down to you to overcome the mountain and do it for yourself. But I think I did a good job.
10
Stage 14: I got mild heat stroke and suffered really badly
Stage 14 was the stage to Morzine and I was really looking forward to it. My plan was to do a good race, try and stay at the front on the last climb up Col de Joux Plane and then attack in the descent like I did last year to win my stage up Alpe d'Huez, or have some teammates in the break and go across in the climb before. They were ambitious plans, but I was feeling confident.
It all went wrong straight away. I was involved in a big crash at the start – my back was hurting and I had a little cut on my leg. It wasn’t too bad but I completely forgot about eating and cooling. It was super warm and I basically got mild heat stroke and suffered really badly.
11
Stage 13: Third up the Grand Colombier with Pog and Vingegaard was a good day
When I was third up the Grand Colombier with Pog [Tadej Pogačar] and [Jonas] Vingegaard, it was a good day. I did well. I did a good climb. I put in some time to the GC guys. It was all going well. My teammate Kwiatko [Michał Kwiatkowski] won the stage. It was funny because we were talking about him coming back to the bunch to help us position for the final climb because the break had barely any time, but then suddenly they had four minutes and he won the stage, so that was pretty cool.
12
Stage 12: I've never seen a stage like it
It was strange stage. After about two hours, the break still hadn’t gone. People were attacking constantly and then, after a couple of minutes, there would be a truce and no one would attack because everyone was just properly in the red. I’ve never seen that before.
The start wasn’t too bad for me – my job was to just follow the guys a bit further down the GC [general classification], take any opportunities, and get through the day's riding while using as little energy as possible because we’ve got a big four days in the mountains now. I’m feeling pretty good though and it’s nice to feel a bit better compared to stage 11 when I was half asleep.
13
Stage 11: I'm starting to feel tired
Stage 11 was the first day that I felt tired; tired and grumpy. It doesn’t help when the riding is slow because then you don’t ever really wake up; you never really feel better – the legs just get a bit heavier. Every day, I’m getting more and more hungry as well, so I need to eat more. I’ve also started to sleep worse and I’ve been waking up earlier in the mornings, which doesn't help with the tiredness. But from stage 12, the Tour starts properly with four hard days before the next rest day.
14
Stage 10: It's nice when you’re one of the riders who are comfortable in hard situations
It was full gas all day, but I felt pretty good actually. In 2022, we had a similar stage and I was completely on the limit, but I felt alright on Stage 10. It feels nice when you’re one of the riders there who are comfortable in those situations. It was pretty fast day and towards the end of the stage we pulled on the front of the peloton – we didn’t want to give too much time to Bilbao.
15
Rest day one: The first nine days didn't start very well, but each day I’m getting better
I woke up, had my breakfast, did an interview and went for a bike ride for a couple of hours. I spent a bit of time on my time trial bike. I wasn't really doing efforts, but 'good spinning' as my coach Kurt Bogaerts would say.
After my lunch of pasta, salmon, peas and veg, I'm going to try and have a sleep and then go to the physio for a massage, but I'm not very good at sleeping in the day.
I don't think the first nine days started very well, but each day I’m getting better. I’m quite positive about that and enjoying it. The next few days are going to be a hard block. We’ve got the first part out of the way and everyone’s just going to be fighting for the break every day, and it’s going to be much more like the intensity of last year's Tour now.
16
Stage 9: It was nice to be at the front with the GC boys
Stage 9 was pretty good. The break went and we just let it go. It was a super-hot day, so it was important to stay cool – I had a lot of bottles of water poured on my head and ice down my jersey. You can see the difficulty on the bus – everyone is feeling pretty tired. But it’s nice. The day was good and it was nice to be at the front with the GC boys. The crowds were pretty mad at the bottom of the Puy du Dôme, too.
I’m feeling alright overall. I'll aim to get a good rest day and then lead into the second week and look towards a podium.
17
Stage 8: I was gutted for Cav – it's sad for the Tour
I was hoping for an easy day but these days in the Central Massif are bloody hard and I’d forgotten about that. It was a pretty savage day in the end. I was a bit gutted for Mark Cavendish. It’s sad for him to crash out of the Tour. It was chaos in the final – people losing time, crashes. It was a proper hectic and fast day because of a headwind. I was happy to get through and I’m feeling alright in the end, which is a bonus.
18
Stage 7: I got a bit scared going under the tunnel with 1km to go
The day was quite strange – four guys attacked and then one stopped and came back, and then another, and then another, leaving just one guy in the break. Two French guys attacked near the end and then the sprint finish was super fast and hard.
It’s always weird when you start off on easier days thinking you don’t need to eat, but then it all catches up; I think I managed it quite well though. I was going to sprint at the end but I got a bit scared going under the tunnel with 1km to go.
19
Stage 6: It's nice to be in the top 10
The Tourmalet was hard from the bottom. I was thinking strategically though. Putting in a big effort wouldn't have made a big impact on the stage or the race overall, so I didn't push myself too hard to stay with the main group because I knew I'd catch up with them on the descent. The last climb was good – I ate a lot and came up it a bit better.
It's nice to now be in the top 10. Last year, I just found myself there and hung on, but this year, I've worked my way into it, which is nice. Stage 7 is the flattest day of the tour, which will be a welcome break from the mountains.
20
Stage 5: I'm feeling better than last year
Stage 5 was just full gas all day. A 30-strong break went up the road and got 30 seconds, but UAE were already pulling at the head of the peloton so there was no break. I was pretty happy with where I am though – I feel good and happy, and each day I'm getting a little bit better and that's giving me more confidence, which is nice. I'm feeling better than last year, that's for sure.
21
Stage 4: A day spent preparing for tomorrow's riding
Stage 4 was always going to be a day that was contested by the sprinters, so my ride was spent eating a lot in preparation for the first big mountain day on Stage 5.
You have breakfast at 9am, start racing at 1pm and then don't have your lunch until 5pm when you get back – it's a long time without eating, so you can get pretty hungry. And despite being in the middle of the biggest race in the world, you notice that hunger if you're not involved with big efforts during the stage.
22
Stage 3: Everyone is pretty respectful of each other this year
It was a relatively dull start today, although the scenery made it a bit better. Once you reach the coast, it's pretty beautiful here in the Basque Country. The riding was very strange though. Last year's Tour de France was my first one, and it was full gas every day – we didn't have more than 10 minutes of relaxed, 'easy' riding during the whole race. Today's stage was relaxed for the first three hours.
I didn't eat enough at the start, so I was paying for that by the end. The finish was super hectic as expected. There are so many sprinter teams interested this year and GC is a bit chaotic, but it wasn't too bad – there weren't too many crashes and everyone is pretty respectful of each other this year, which is nice.
I'm not lot looking forward to tomorrow's stage though because it's going to be another day like today's.
23
Stage 2: It gave me confidence that I can animate the race
The crowds in the Basque Country are pretty nuts – my ears are ringing after every stage. The last climb was actually good and I'm happy – it was nice to be in the mix. Coming into the finish, I thought I'd try my luck to see if I could attack and Wout van Aert was straight on me. In the sprint, I got a little bit boxed in, Victor Lafay went away and won and I was fourth. So yeah, not bad – it gave me confidence that I can race at the front of these races and animate them.
It's what I needed, especially because the Tour de Suisse didn't go well either – I didn't really get confidence from that and I was coming into the Tour with no physical confidence. I'm able to build myself up mentally, but knowing you can do it physically is different.
Fourth place in stage 2 gave Tom some confidence in his on-bike abilities
© Kristof Ramon/Red Bull Content Pool
24
Stage 1: It wasn't what I hoped for but you can't go cry about it
I was disappointed after stage one, almost embarrassed really. When you believe in yourself and the team believes in you, then it's not good when it doesn't go how you imagined – especially when all indications before the Tour started seemed like I was going to be good.
I was working too hard for what we were doing in the race – on the second to last climb I was suffering, and although I was feeling better on the last climb, I was just completely stuck on the road and couldn't move up. You can't go cry about it can you – there are still 20 more stages to go.
25
Pre-Race: I want to win Stage 1
June 30
My preparation for the Tour followed the exact same structure as last year’s – I did the Spring Classics, a couple of mountain bike weekends, took a week to myself and then went straight into training camp and the Tour de Suisse.
This year though, there have been fewer setbacks – I had a concussion after a crash at the Tirreno-Adriatico in March, but otherwise it went pretty well and I felt I was at a higher level.
The Tour de Suisse was not where I wanted to be – I think I was in a weird place coming from altitude training straight to the race – but I didn’t get Covid like last year, and I managed to finish the race, so that’s a nice bonus.
Pidcock has become used to winning
© Twila Federica Muzzi/Red Bull Content Pool
This year’s Tour is only going to be a success if I win a stage
The team feels very different this year. The people I'm used to racing around like Luke [Rowe] and G [Geraint Thomas] aren’t here, and we have five Spanish-speaking riders [Egan Bernal, Jonathan Castroviejo, Omar Fraile, Dani Martínez and Carlos Rodríguez] and three English-speaking riders [Tom, Michał Kwiatkowski and Ben Turner].
You can never really compare year on year – it's always just different circumstances and different things going on. While not really big learnings, there are changes I’ll make in regards to nutrition and sleep based on my experience of riding the Tour last year.
It sounds stupid but when you start getting tired, you eat too much. On the bus, if you've got a long transfer, instead of having just pasta and chicken or rice and chicken, you have a wrap and then another one and you eat too much. The body absorbs it all and then that's the start of you going downhill. Also, after winning the Alpe d'Huez stage last year, I had two hours sleep, and that messed me up for the rest of the race. I didn’t manage to get to sleep until 3am and then I woke up at five.
Tom Pidcock in cyclocross action in Dublin
© Twila Federica Muzzi/Red Bull Content Pool
One day I’m targeting is stage 14 from Annemasse to Morzine. Morzine and Les Gets were where I always went on holiday with my family, so it's a place I love. I’ve not had good experiences when racing there on my mountain bike though – before the Olympics, I crashed on the short track and didn't finish the race because I re-pulled my intercostals after I broke my collarbone. Then, in the World Championships last year, I got sick the week before and finished fourth. I want to right that wrong. In the Tour, we finish down a descent into Morzine, but we have to go up the Joux Plane first – it's 11.6km at 8.5 percent, so it's a pretty big climb.
Ultimately, this year’s Tour is only going to be a success if I win a stage, maybe wear a jersey, and make an impact. I think that's what I want to do from stage one – it's a stage that suits me quite well. Targeting the yellow jersey on the first day is ambitious – there are plenty of guys that can win – but the legs are going to do the talking straight from the off.