Tom Pidcock revealed Joao Almeida told him to “grow some balls” as the pair tried to reel in Jonas Vingegaard on Stage 9 at La Vuelta.
Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) did the heavy lifting on the summit finish to Valdezcaray, urging Pidcock (Q36.5) to contribute as they hovered 30 seconds behind the Dane.
Cameras caught the spicy exchange, with Pidcock towed through the final kilometre before pipping Almeida for second, 24 seconds down on race favourite Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike).
“I felt really good. I thought Almeida was the perfect wheel to go on, I thought maybe we could come back,” Pidcock said.
“But chapeau to him, I couldn’t give him many turns, he was shouting at me. He’s like a tractor. The last kilometre when he went, it was impressive. I could only come round him at the finish. I’m happy to be honest.”
Asked what Almeida told him, Pidcock said: “He told me to grow some balls! If he rides a bit slower, I’ll give him some more turns.”
‘He told me to grow some balls!’ – Pidcock lifts lid on Almeida clash
Video credit: TNT Sports
If his Alpe d’Huez triumph at the 2022 Tour de France was the peak, this was arguably his next best Grand Tour ride.
Unlike that stage-hunting win, Pidcock also rode with GC ambitions, climbing from 11th to fourth overall. With Torstein Traeen (Bahrain Victorious) expected to lose the leader’s jersey as the gradients ramp up in the second and third weeks, Pidcock is suddenly a genuine podium contender.
“Of course we wanted to go for the stage but Jonas is Jonas and you shouldn’t give him a gap. But I can be happy with that,” Pidcock said.
“It’s difficult to know what my capabilities are. Sometimes I’m a bit cautious. But that definitely gives me confidence heading into the harder stages.”
‘Pidcock could finish on the podium’
TNT Sports expert Matt Stephens called the Almeida spat “a proper staring competition” and praised Pidcock’s fight.
“If that’s what he said – ‘grow some balls’ – then I’m glad Tom put him away at the end,” he said on The Breakaway.
“That wasn’t tactical, he was a man on the limit. Almeida said ‘if you’re going to play for GC, come and play’. I love that. But Tom’s learning and put him away at the finish.
Tom Pidcock and Joao Almeida in action during Stage 9 of La Vuelta on Sunday
Image credit: Getty Images
“Brilliant ride by Pidcock. He’s properly in the GC mix. His team are galvanised. Whatever happens, this is a new trajectory. It’s exciting.”
Adam Blythe agreed, saying Pidcock’s original goal of a top-10 finish might be selling himself short.
“This is the hard part for him: the consistency of doing that day in, day out,” Blythe said.
“Because if he can do that, not only will be he in the top 10, he’ll probably be on the podium when we get to Madrid.
“An exceptional performance from him and I don’t see any reason why Tom won’t be able to back this up.”
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