Strade Bianche winner Tom Pidcock will not take the start line at Milan-San Remo on Saturday after showing mild concussion symptoms, his team Ineos Grenadiers has revealed.
The Brit abandoned the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico on Sunday following a crash in the first hour of racing. He was treated after the stage for mild abrasions and was said to have no serious injuries.
Since the crash, Pidcock has undergone continuous monitoring from his team doctors, and has now been ruled out of Milan-San Remo.
A statement from Ineos Grenadiers read: “After presenting symptoms of a mild concussion, Tom will now be rested for a prescribed period, in line with established concussion protocols.”
The UCI formally adopted a protocol for sports-related concussions in 2020 in response to widespread cases of head injuries suffered by riders. While diagnosing a concussion can be challenging, the UCI recommends teams look for symptoms, such as speech and balance issues.
Under the UCI’s protocol, the minimum time before an athlete returns to competition should be one week after symptoms have gone. This period extends to a minimum of two weeks for those in the junior ranks.
Rod Ellingworth, Ineos Grenadiers’ deputy team principal, said: “This is obviously disappointing for both Tom and the team. We saw at Strade Bianche the sort of form he’s in and I know how keen he was to carry that into Milan-San Remo.
“But rider welfare is our first priority and he’ll follow the advice of our medical team to ensure that he’s 100% ready to safely resume his Classics campaign.”
After winning Strade Bianche with a 50km solo attack, Pidcock was considered among the favourites for victory in the first Monument of the season, and was expected to lead Ineos Grenadiers at the race.
“I’m on great form,” he told Cyclingnews at Tirreno-Adriatico last week. “Milan-San Remo is certainly a race I want to win at some point, but I also know it’s also a really difficult race to win.”
Ineos Grenadiers did not specify when Pidcock will next compete, but UCI protocol will allow him to return to his racing calendar at the Belgian one-day Dwars door Vlaanderen on 29 March.
