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Tom Pidcock runner-up in stage 9
Tom Pidcock rode to a second place in the stage to the ski station of Valdezcaray. In horrible weather circumstances he followed a move by Joao Almeida to counter Jonas Vingegaard and Giulio Ciccone. The Dane attacked at the bottom of the climb at 11 kilometres from the line. With his second place Pidcock also moves up in the general classification. The British rider is now fourth ahead of the first rest day.
31 August 2025
The stage started really fast as many riders wanted to try and be in the breakaway. Xabier Mikel Azparren was one of the riders trying a few times but in the end it was a group of five without Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team representation that went clear. Nick Zukowsky helped to keep the break under control all stage. The gap never went over a dangerous margin and at the foot of the finish climb the last riders were caught.
Visma – Lease a Bike moved quickly with an attack to set up Jonas Vingegaard but Pidcock was well-positioned thanks to the work of the team. He followed Joao Almeida’s counterattack. Vingegaard was too far away to catch but Pidcock sprinted to second place ahead of Almeida.
Tom Pidcock said: “I felt really good. When Jonas goes it’s always so difficult to follow. He has so many teammates up there. I thought Almeida was the perfect wheel to follow. Maybe we could could come back together, I thought. Chapeau to him. I just couldn’t give him any turns. He shouted at me, but he’s like a tractor on the flattest section of the climb. He went again in the last kilometer and it was impressive. I could only come round him at the finish.
I am happy to be honest. We went for a stage win but Jonas is Jonas so I can be happy with this result. It’s great for the general classification. I know it’s difficult to fully know what my capabilities are and sometimes I can be a bit cautious. This gives me confidence for the stages to come. The team committed a 100% to me and I am super grateful for that. We have a great group of guys here. We are having fun. We have these opportunities to ride two grand tours this year, so we have to make the most out of it.”
Week one recap
The second place of Pidcock caps off a week of solid performances by the entire team. Pidcock already had an 8th, 9th and 10th place in the first nine stages. Grand Tour debutant Fabio Christen already has three top ten places: 7th, 7th and 8th. David González had his best Vuelta stage result on the opening day by sprinting to sixth place. He added another top ten on day 8. The Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team also won the team classification on two stages.
The best sign the entire team of Pidcock, Christen, González, Camprubí, De la Cruz, Azparren, Zukowsky and Howson are in good form was the eighth place in the team time trial.
General manager Doug Ryder stated on why that eighth place means so much:
“The team time trial is a beautiful discipline in cycling, where riders move in perfect harmony – fluid, fast, and focused combining intense speed and concentration as they race against the clock on the most advanced bikes the sport has ever developed.
We didn’t win that stage but actually we did as a team. Months of preparation from the head of racing Alex Sans Vega riding the course many times on his bike, to wind tunnel testing to test helmets, kit, fabrics, socks, gloves, bike positions. We had a high-performance team on the top of a mountain testing precise protocols, pacing strategies, gearing and kit feeding back to the Q36.5 design lab in Northern Italy where millimetres matter in shoe covers, under garments, and race suits.
The team time trial is not only about eight riders on the road but truly about the whole team. That’s why that eighth place result means so much. It showed already how the team works so well together as we saw again on the stage today. I can’t wait to see what we can do in the next two weeks.”
The Vuelta a España continues on Tuesday with a punchy circuit around Bilbao.
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