Tom Pidcock was left frustrated on stage four of the Tour of Britain in Helmsley, North Yorkshire after narrowly missing out on a stage win.
The Ineos Grenadiers star was forced to settle for second on the stage won by Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar).
He was at the forefront of the action for the majority of the day in the breakaway along with Dylan Teuns of Israel-Premier Tech, and teammate Omar Fraile. The Yorkshireman launched a series of moves on the day’s key climbs attempting to force a split, although he was clearly frustrated at the lack of input from his rivals.
Pidcock said: “Of course I’m disappointed, it would have been nice to win today. We tried to take the race on and do our best to make a difference today. It’s difficult though when every other team looks at us.
“We’re the home team and we’re maybe the strongest here although there’s other strong teams here as well. It’s tricky but at least we tried.”
After Ineos Grenadiers forced the day's action for large periods of the stage, Pidcock explained that the team have consistently tried to spring surprises but need other teams to also push the tempo.
He said: “We’ve tried every day now but the course isn’t hard enough. On another stage we tried but were facing headwind and it just wasn’t possible to do anything. Everyone just waits for us to do something but six guys can’t make a race of course.
“At least we managed to do something today. It wasn’t the result we wanted but there’s four more days of course. We’ll keep trying.”
On a sunny afternoon in North Yorkshire in front of thousands of fans, Pidcock admitted that things very nearly fell into place for the perfect day for the county. He explained that stage four had been the toughest the Tour of Britain peloton had faced yet, but as a favourite for overall victory he wants to see someone emerge and challenge him in the stages ahead.
After a hectic year racing across Europe for the Yorkshireman, Pidcock said that being back at home with friends and family present was an extra bonus.
Earlier this summer the Ineos Grenadiers star took a maiden Tour de France stage win on Alpe d’Huez, and the Tour of Britain has been a welcome opportunity to catch up with his family.
Stage five takes the riders into Nottinghamshire with an expected sprint finish in Mansfield. If Ineos Grenadiers are going to catapult Pidcock into the leaders red jersey, then stage six in the Cotswold Hills of Gloucestershire could provide the next opportunity for the 23-year old to pounce.
