Unlucky Pidcock crashed at a crucial moment of the World Championships: 'My legs were feeling really, really strong'

With about 80 kilometers to go, Pidcock crashed hard. The Brit fought his way back to the front, but hadn’t yet closed the gap before the climb up the Voie Camilien-Houde. At that moment, Isaac Del Toro accelerated. Pidcock wasn’t with the lead group, but he caught up again later. He attacked several times but couldn’t prevent Brandon McNulty from claiming the rainbow jersey. The Brit finished seventh.

So it was a disappointing day for Pidcock. “The crash certainly didn’t help—it was kind of a chase,” he tells Eurosport. “But tactically, it was very difficult. My legs felt really, really strong. But to make a difference, with the wind the way it was blowing, and with Matteo (Jorgenson, ed.) riding for the United States…. He was super strong after Brandon attacked, and of course he also had Del Toro,” he says meaningfully.

Once McNulty was gone, Jorgenson turned out to be a liability for the chasers. Pidcock may have been the strongest rider in the chasing pack, but the American still managed to fend him off every time. “It was going to be really tough to make a difference after six hours. It’s a little disappointing, but I can be happy with how my legs held up, and there are more years to try again.”

For a moment, it looked like Pidcock was going to make the break. His pace brought the chasers within just a few meters, but then the group held him back. “There wasn’t much else I could do. Nobody in that group wanted to work together; they wanted to wait and gamble on the final lap. It was really tough. I don’t think I have anything to regret.”