INEOS Grenadiers made a surprising addition to its Paris-Roubaix lineup on Saturday afternoon: Tom Pidcock. The young Briton had suffered a significant crash during the reconnaissance of the opening time trial at the Tour of the Basque Country, but has managed to recover in time!
Pidcock's fall in the Basque Country on Monday looked quite severe. In a later video update that evening, Pidcock shared some positive news: "I was caught by the wind in the corner, causing me to fall hard on my head. I don't remember everything, so I'm heading home now. Scans revealed no fractures, but it doesn't feel good, so I'll wait and see how I feel in the next few days. I'll focus on my recovery." On Tuesday night, Pidcock was seen with his girlfriend and two dogs, although he was also using crutches. "I still can't put weight on my right leg and need more scans. Hopefully, it's nothing serious," said the Briton.
Even on Friday, it wasn't certain whether the young climber would participate in Paris-Roubaix. Pidcock posted a photo on Instagram of a serious mountain massif and his bike, not exactly what you'd expect to see in the Hell of the North. However, the post indicated that Pidcock had resumed his training rides.
Read more below the tweet.
Pidcock stands for his very first participation in Paris-Roubaix
It seemed like a significant setback for Pidcock, especially considering his strong performance this season, as he aimed to further establish himself as a classification rider. In the Basque Country, he was up against competitors like Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic, and many others, all with their eyes set on the Tour de France. Pidcock's goal for the summer is to contend for the general classification in the prestigious race.
Read more below the tweet.
The form was already in great shape in the first months of the year. He finished sixth in the Tour of the Algarve, eighth in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, fourth in Strade Bianche, and ninth in the Tirreno-Adriatico. After a training block, the Tour of the Basque Country was the final test before the Ardennes Classics. Now, he finds himself making his debut in the Hell of the North earlier than expected, a race he has never ridden before. He is, in fact, replacing the seasoned rider Cameron Wurf, who has fallen ill. The INEOS selection is further completed by Ben Turner, Joshua Tarling, Ben and Connor Swift, Andrew AJ August, and Elia Viviani.
The inclusion of AJ August is also quite notable. At 18 years and 178 days, the American will be the youngest rider at the start of Paris-Roubaix, making him the youngest participant since 1937. Teammate Tarling, who made his Roubaix debut last year at 19 years and 53 days, thus loses his age record.
View the full selection below.
Selection INEOS Grenadiers Paris-Roubaix 2024
Tom Pidcock
Joshua Tarling
Ben Turner
Elia Viviani
Ben Swift
Connor Swift
Andrew AJ August
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