'Biggest performance of my career' - Pidcock's gutsy ride seals Vuelta podium

Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) has all but secured the first Grand Tour podium finish of his career during stage 20 of the Vuelta a España with one of his gutsiest performances, of which there have been many over the years. 

It’s fair to say that Pidcock was on the rivet, as were the rest of the GC contenders, doggedly battling on the cruelly steep slopes to the top of the Bola del Mundo. The 26-year-old knew he needed to stick with Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), and locked his focus onto the back wheel of the Australian.

In the end, Pidcock managed to deliver the goods, finishing fourth on the stage behind Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike), who sealed the GC, but crucially, only five seconds behind Hindley, enough to secure a momentous third overall.

“To be honest, like I’m a bit… I don’t really know what to say to be honest, I’m really proud of myself," a tired Pidcock said to Eurosport at the finish. "I think it’s definitely the biggest performance of my career, maybe not the biggest single success, I think some more have been successful, but yeah, I think… I’m a bit exhausted, actually, to be honest, I can’t find any words.”

Pidcock, a double Olympic champion and a rider with victories in prestigious classics such as Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold Race, has added another string to his bow, proving his capabilities as a GC racer with this podium finish.

The decisive moments on the stage came when Hindley attempted to shake off Pidcock in the final kilometres to Bola del Mundo. Pidcock was continually hanging on and off to the back of the group, looking as though he was trying to manage his effort despite being on the limit. 

"I think it's just really hard to find a rhythm on such steep climbs and with that surface as well, but yeah I knew I was still in control, I didn't want to go over my limit, all I had to do was stay within that and not blow," he said.

Considering his lack of experience in his current situation, Pidcock has managed the final week superbly and insisted that, despite the increasing levels of tiredness, he was very motivated to get the job done on Saturday.

"I think just more tired than anything to be honest," he said. "This morning I was super up for today, you know. We kind of had two easier days - well, the TT's not easy but short - and yesterday was relatively easy compared to the days we have been having, so it was kind of like a one-day race, which I'm good at."

After three weeks of intense action, Pidcock was looking forward to finally relaxing after all but securing not only his first-ever top 10 in a Grand Tour, but a podium finish.

"I think the best thing is that now I can just relax. Day after day, you are so focused, focusing on everything and making sure you're switched on for the race every day," Pidcock said. "Now I'm just enjoying that I can just sit here, and don't need to put this bloody jacket on and drink cherry juice and have a disgusting recovery shake,” he added with a big smile on his face.

Pidcock now holds a 30-second advantage over Hindley as the race heads to the capital for the climax of the 2025 edition, where the British rider will stand on the podium alongside Vingegaard and João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).