Evenepoel and van Aert dominate, Pidcock struggles after altitude training: "Did he win? Oh well, there you go"

Until Milan-Sanremo, Pidcock was certainly one of the sensational riders of 2025. After switching from INEOS Grenadiers to Q36.5, he kicked off with two stage wins, an overall victory in the AlUla Tour, and a stage in the Ruta del Sol. In Strade Bianche, he daringly challenged Tadej Pogacar and finished second before competing for stage wins almost every day in the Tirreno-Adriatico and finishing sixth overall.

After a disappointing Milan-Sanremo due to a minor crash, Pidcock headed to Andorra, where he also lives, for altitude training. Q36.5 was awarded wildcards for the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España during that period, but Pidcock focuses first on the Ardennes classics. He returned to competitive racing in the Brabantse Pijl, a race he won in 2021, but it was just a warm-up.

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Still panting from his sprint in the chasing group, Pidcock stood in front of the Eurosport camera after finishing eleventh. "I wasn't surprised that Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert attacked in the first local lap, no. They had the teammates to shake things up, and the first lap here is always where it happens. I lacked a bit of explosiveness today. It went well, but I was suffering when it got really serious."

Pidcock, ill for a few days after Milan-Sanremo, is not panicking. He should normally be better in the Amstel Gold Race (which he won last year), the Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "It's okay; I always struggle a bit in my first race after a period of training. I can't come back like Remco, although I'm not even sure if he won. Yeah? Oh well, there you go. I can be satisfied, but there's work to be done."