Coach had to keep Pidcock in check, because there is still a lot to win in this Vuelta: "Only Vingegaard came back"
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Follow us on GoogleTom Pidcock was supposed to be the winner of stage 11 in the Vuelta a España, but the 26-year-old Brit from Q36.5 had to settle for gaining some time in the GC and nothing more. Due to a massive protest at the finish, the stage was ended early, and we did not get an official winner. And that while Pidcock was on his way to a wonderful day with Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike).
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Pidcock had broken away on the final climb of the day towards Bilbao and even cracked Vingegaard for a moment. The Dane in red came back, but the others (including João Almeida of UAE Emirates-XRG) conceded ten seconds or more. When the finish was moved to three kilometers from the end, it hit Pidcock hard.
“To be honest, it’s hard to put my disappointment into words. I felt like today was my day. I feel like, there should always be a finish line. We're not riding sportive, are we?” he wondered afterwards. Coach Kurt Bogaerts told various media outlets at the bus afterwards that he saw a disappointed leader arrive.
“It was pretty chaotic on the radio, and I'm not 100% sure if Tom understood everything correctly, but he was disappointed,” said the Belgian coach. “He had made this stage his goal and showed on the climbs that he was among the best two. Only Vingegaard came back, which showed his level.”
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Q36.5 must keep Pidcock calm
On day 11, winning may not have been possible, but by gaining time along the way, Pidcock did move up to third place in the Vuelta classification. At 56 seconds behind Vingegaard, there is still a lot possible. “We have to stay calm and look at the bigger picture,” Bogaerts emphasized. There is still a lot to win."
“We're going to think about the next stages, but it's difficult to say what we can do in situations like Wednesday,” he continued. “The organization is doing what it can, and ultimately, the safety of the riders remains the priority. Of course, we want to race every day, and it's frustrating not to see a battle to the finish.”
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026