'Maybe I should have looked more at the final' - Pidcock surprises himself with Catalunya podium

Speaking before the start, Tom Pidcock admitted he was still searching for his best sensations after his impressive Milan-Sanremo. The Brit described a recurring pattern in recent days: heavy legs early on, followed by improvement as the intensity rose.

“I still feel like that,” the Pinarello-Q36.5 rider said to CyclingProNet. “Maybe because the stages have been too easy. When we start going hard near the final, I’m suffering, and then I get better.”

The route change, which removed the summit finish due to strong winds, created uncertainty in the peloton. Pidcock hinted that the altered profile could open opportunities, though he remained cautious about how the race might unfold.

That uncertainty ultimately played into the hands of the sprinters. In Camprodón, Ethan Vernon powered to victory after a well timed leadout, holding off race leader Dorian Godon in the final metres. Pidcock followed to take third, capping a solid day both on the stage and in the overall standings.

Post race, Pidcock’s tone had shifted. The earlier heaviness was gone.

“I felt better today,” he said to CyclingProNet. “It was a hard sprint, a long drag. Maybe I should have looked more at the final, because it came quickly after the climb. But third is good. These guys are fast, I’m not that fast.”

Positioning proved decisive in a headwind finish. Pidcock explained how he briefly dropped back inside the final three kilometres before committing on the uphill drag to the line.

“There was a big headwind, and it’s hard to stay at the front. I went back a bit, then just committed on the climb and followed the right wheel.”

By collecting bonus seconds at intermediate sprints and at the finish, Pidcock moved up to second overall, overtaking Remco Evenepoel and closing the gap to Godon. Still, the Brit downplayed the immediate impact. “A few bonus seconds won’t make a big difference in this race,” he said, pointing instead to the tougher days ahead.

Tomorrow, the riders face the toughest stage of the race, featuring over 4,400 metres of climbing and five categorised ascents, with an uphill finish on the Coll de Pal.