Tom Pidcock says he’s ‘strong and fit’ and ready to go ahead of Opening Weekend
Pidcock set to lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday
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.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
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.”
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 has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine.
Since joining the team, he has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the World Championships in Glasgow. He has also covered major races elsewhere across the world. As well as on the ground reporting, Tom writes race reports from the men's and women's WorldTour and focuses on coverage of UK domestic cycling.
-
I'll never rate a performance '10', it's important to my delusions of greatness that I can always believe I could have tried harder
Protecting your ego is as easy as pretending you didn’t try, writes CW's columnist 'The Doc'
By Michael Hutchinson Published
-
Mavic Allroad SL wheelset review: in an increasingly carbon world, can high-end alloy still cut it?
Mavic has always done things differently, but how does the feature-packed, jack-of-all-trades Allroad SL compare to similarly priced carbon options?
By Neal Hunt Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel vs Wout van Aert: Cyclo-cross World Championships form guide
Van Aert was a surprise addition to the CX Worlds lineup last weekend after he was initially not scheduled to race in Liévin
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock's Q36.5 gain wildcard invites to Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche Wallonne
It is the first time the Swiss team will race Liège
By Adam Becket Published
-
Changing the final Tour de France stage in Paris is an exciting prospect but I think it should be for one year only
The race's organisers were reported to be exploring the possibility of bringing the cobbled streets of Montmartre into the race’s final stage in Paris this summer
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Should Wout van Aert ride for GC at a Grand Tour?
The Belgian superstar's main ambitions in 2025 are finally winning the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Tom Pidcock opens up on departure from Ineos Grenadiers: 'Things weren't going how I imagined it'
The former winner of Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold is targeting a Grand Tour podium with his new team
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Tom Pidcock expected to make Q36.5 debut at AlUla Tour
British star likely to begin career with new team at stage race in Saudi Arabia
By Tom Thewlis Last updated
-
Tom Pidcock's coach leaves Ineos Grenadiers, likely to join Q36.5 Pro Cycling
Kurt Bogaerts confirmed to have left Ineos Grenadiers and is expected to imminently follow Pidcock to Swiss team along with soigneur
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock to miss cyclocross season to build for road with new Q36.5 team
Former world champ says he won’t race his CX bike this winter, Wout van Aert will ride six races
By Tom Thewlis Published