Tom Pidcock targets top five and stage win at Tour de France
Ineos Grenadier rider keen to fight for high GC placing alongside teammate Carlos Rodríguez
![Tom Pidcock riding for Ineos Grenadiers at the Tour de France 2023](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u5rtefos9ZhJt77yFq5HVQ-415-80.jpg)
After an impressive climbing performance on the Puy de Dôme, Tom Pidcock has set his sights on a top-five placing in the overall standings at the Tour de France, and hopes to win a stage.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider looked assured on Sunday’s ninth stage as he kept pace with his rivals on the final climb - a steeply-pitched volcano. As a result, he rose two places in the GC and now sits in seventh, 47 seconds adrift of Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) in fifth.
“It’s nice to be at the front of the race,” Pidcock told Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews outside his team bus after the stage. “Each day I’m getting stronger and more confident.”
The Brit made his Tour de France debut last year, winning the Queen stage atop Alpe d’Huez with a solo attack. He ended up finishing 16th at the race, and second to Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in the best young rider classification.
“I’ve never really been in the GC, racing the GC before in a Grand Tour, or any stage race for that matter. It’s all new and I’m learning every day,” he said. “I seem to be getting better with each GC day. Long may that continue.”
"If I can try and fight for a top five on GC, then that motivates me," he added.
Alongside his ambitions in the overall standings, the 23-year-old also outlined his hope for an individual victory at the race. “I want to win a stage,” he said. “I want to get my hands in the air. That’s what motivates me, but we’ll see.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Pidcock is not the only Ineos Grenadiers rider currently in the top 10 at the Tour. 22-year-old Spaniard Carlos Rodríguez entered Monday’s rest day in fourth, having stretched out the gap to Yates by a handful of seconds on the Puy de Dôme.
“I’m happy to be at the front, in the action,” Rodríguez said. “It was an objective of mine to try and do the best possible, and see where I could get. At the moment, it’s all going well, so I’m happy and I hope the second week goes well, too.”
The team’s deputy principal, Rod Ellingworth, has been impressed by the level of the young duo. “I think our guys are doing exactly what was asked of them, which is just to keep that same rhythm, keep that same tempo,” he told Cycling Weekly. “And they’re doing a really good job. They’re exactly on target in that sense.”
Although no GC expectations have been laid out, Ellingworth believes top-five finishes are “doable” for the pair.
“At the end of the day, we didn’t put a placing on it,” he said. “We just talked about consistency through the race, so that’s the main thing. I think it’s doable, isn’t it? I think for both [Pidcock] and Carlos. They’re capable. You see all these lads, as they grow, they always have an off day somewhere, so it’s about trying to minimise having an off day.
“I’m fairly confident that they’ll keep that same level," Ellingworth added.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is the host of The TT Podcast, which covers both the men's and women's pelotons and has featured a number of prominent British riders.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides.
He's also fluent in French and Spanish and holds a master's degree in International Journalism.
-
Ribble Cycles looking to capitalise on 'big summer of sport' with 30% off highly-rated models
Direct-to-consumer Ribble Cycles has always been rated highly among the Cycling Weekly tech team. This is our pick of the best Road, Gravel and E-bikes from their 'Summer Sale'
By Matt Ischt-Barnard Published
-
Merida Scultura 9000 review: a slept-on road bike with racing pedigree
The Scultura is light, stiff, and reasonably priced
By Joe Baker Published
-
Tarling, Finucane, Pidcock and more: Eight British riders to watch out for at the Paris Olympics
The cycling events start this weekend, we’ve picked out a handful of riders to keep an eye on in the French capital this summer
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock criticises 'bland' mountain bike course at Paris Olympics
'When you just gravel over a nice hillside, it's not really mountain bike,' says reigning champion
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tadej Pogačar broke 288 Strava KOMs during Tour de France victory
Slovenian won his third Tour title in Nice last weekend, and picked up a host of new trophies on Strava
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Primož Roglič reveals he suffered back fracture in Tour de France crash
Slovenian abandoned race after being caught up in crash on stage 12, Vuelta a España participation now in doubt
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
It's time to stop expecting so much of Ineos Grenadiers at the Tour de France
The British team are always under pressure to match their past best, but it’s not going to happen anytime soon
By Adam Becket Published
-
'A bigger result than winning': Jonas Vingegaard hails second place at the Tour de France
It turns out second place is not always 'first loser'
By James Shrubsall Published
-
'Even if I never come back to the Tour de France I will be satisfied': Tadej Pogačar revels in third victory
Three Tour de France wins before turning 26, the Giro-Tour double, the suggestion of a triple crown. Records tumble for the Slovenian
By Adam Becket Published
-
Remco Evenepoel: No one should doubt me anymore
The Tour de France's third-placed finisher suggests that he will have to reduce his time trial work if he is to beat Tadej Pogačar
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published