Tom Pidcock proves doubters wrong after going the distance to secure third place: ‘I’m pretty proud of myself.’
BOLA DEL MUNDO, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 13: Thomas Pidcock of Great Britain and Team Q36.5 Pro Cycling crosses the finish line during the La Vuelta – 80th Tour of Spain 2025, Stage 20 a 164.8km stage from Robledo de Chavela to Bola del Mundo. Puerto de Navacerrada 2253m / #UCIWT / on September 13, 2025 in Bola del Mundo. Puerto de Navacerrada, Spain. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images) (Photo: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Updated September 13, 2025 01:59PM
Few would surely have bet on Tom Pidcock claiming his first podium finish at a Grand Tour in the season after he traded the power and resources of the super team that is the Ineos Grenadiers for the second division Q36.5 Pro Cycling team.
However, having swapped the leadership uncertainty at the British squad to carry full responsibility at the Swiss outfit, the 26-year-old Briton has achieved exactly that by taking third place in the Vuelta a España.
Pidcock went into the race’s final mountain stage knowing that he had to keep Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe’s Jay Hindley right within his sights all the way to Bola del Mundo. As he has done in the past, the Australian who has a Giro d’Italia title to his credit had emerged as a late contender for a podium finish and went into the stage just 39 seconds behind the Briton.
Despite Hindley’s best efforts, which almost appeared to have cracked Pidcock on the fearsomely steep 3km ramps rising to Bola del Mundo, the Q36.5 leader grittily hung on, yielding just nine seconds in the end. This should now be enough to ensure that Pidcock not only claims his first top 10 finish in a Grand Tour, but a podium as well.
“This morning I was super up for it, ready for the stage,” he said once he’d got his breath at the finish. “We’d had two relatively easy days – well, the TT wasn’t easy, but it was short, and yesterday was relatively easy compared to days we’ve been having. So today felt like a one-day race and that’s what I’m good at.”
When asked if he’d almost yielded in the face of Hindley’s pace-making, Pidcock responded that he didn’t feel like he was going to crack. “It’s so hard to find a rhythm on these gradients and this rough surface. I still felt in control on the steepest climbs,” he asserted. “I didn’t want to go over my limit. All I had to do was stay within that and not blow.”
Pidcock admitted it was difficult to find the words to describe how he felt now that he’s on the verge of a first podium in a Grand Tour.
“I really don’t know what to say now, except that I’m pretty proud of myself,” he confessed.
“I think it’s definitely the biggest performance of my career. It’s maybe not the biggest single win – I think some have been more special – but… I’m very exhausted. I can’t even find the words right now…”
Although he said it’s still too early to celebrate with the final stage in Madrid still to come Sunday, he did admit that the pressure has eased on him immensely. “I think the best thing is that now I can just relax.
“Day after day, you’re so focused on everything, on making sure you’re switched on for the race every day. But now I’m enjoying the fact 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 said in typical down-to-earth fashion.
Having dueled with and rivaled the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and João Almeida, Pidcock has knocked back those who doubted his ability in three-week races, including some on his former team. His performance will surely have opened the door for his team to the Tour de France as well.