Tom Pidcock says he’s ‘strong and fit’ and ready to go ahead of Opening Weekend

Tom Pidcock says he is "in a good place" ahead of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday and will look to take the race on against Wout van Aert, who is the outright favourite for the win. 

Pidcock will go into the first cobbled Classic of the season after finishing sixth in the general classification at the recent Volta ao Algarve. The Ineos Grenadier explained that he is happy with his fitness ahead of Saturday’s test. 

"I know this race is always a tough one," he said in a release from his team. "These races demand very different things than other road races and the first one is always a shock. But for sure I’m in a good place, I’m strong and fit, and looking forward to taking that into Saturday."

The Ineos Grenadiers team rode a recon of the Omloop course on Thursday in order to round off their preparations for the weekend. 

"Recons don’t add much. It’s not like I memorise every cobble stone but it’s nice to familiarise myself with the route and flow," Pidcock added. "It can be like a TT in that way, knowing what is coming is so valuable in these races and you don’t need to depend on the DS in your ear all the time."

After competing in warmer weather in Portugal, Pidcock joked that he was looking forward to being back racing in the colder weather of Belgium. 

"Belgium has become a second home for me over the years,” he said. “I always feel a warm welcome and I get a lot of support from the fans which is nice, and makes up for the weather.”

Meanwhile, Visma-Lease a Bike’s Van Aert told Het Nieuwsblad that he would look to race hard across the cobbles and distance any sprinters looking to get involved in the run in for the line. 

"With the team we are at the start with, we cannot hide. We must dare to say that we want to win the race twice. However difficult that may be, it must be the ambition. There is little point in hiding," he said. 

Van Aert previously won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2021 and his teammate, Dylan van Baarle, soloed to victory this time last year. Van Aert and van Baarle are expected to be firmly in contention for the Dutch squad along with Christophe Laporte. 

Van Aert added: "I can sprint, too… We always want to make the game tough. And it is certainly not the intention to go to the finish with Arnaud De Lie, for example. Is he the favourite? Last year that was a bit more obvious because his run-up to the opening weekend was super strong. I would prefer to get rid of Arnaud before we go to the finish.”