Tom Pidcock believes the racing at this 12 months’s Tour de France will be different because of this of Gino Mader’s death on the Tour de Suisse lower than two weeks in the past.
Mader, who was 26, died on June 16 because of this of accidents suffered when he crashed right into a ravine on a high-speed descent, and rider security has been a scorching subject within the construct as much as Saturday’s opening stage.
Pidcock, who was additionally racing in Switzerland, lit up the Tour de France on debut final 12 months with an unimaginable descent off the Galibier organising his victory on the Alpe d’Huez.
However requested if he anticipated the method to racing to be impacted by what occurred in Switzerland, the 23-year-old mentioned: “I believe so. I believe particularly for everybody who was on the race, that was fairly arduous hitting.
“I didn’t see a single rider take any dangers after that incident on the final two phases. Personally I believe one of the issues that hit me was it occurred descending which is one thing that I like.
“It form of confirmed me what the implications can be when it goes improper. I by no means take uncalculated dangers after I’m descending, I don’t take pointless dangers however issues can occur once we’re driving down a descent at 100 kilometres an hour in lycra.”
Pidcock heads into this 12 months’s Tour aiming to higher final 12 months’s debut. For him, meaning being extra constant within the normal classification so there’ll be no intentionally dropping time to get in a breakaway. If he’s to win one other stage, he desires it to be from the group of favourites.
“Suisse was a bizarre one for me,” he mentioned. “I used to be coming straight from coaching camp, I used to be not the place I assumed I might be. It’s a bit unusual form of coming into the race not realizing the place my degree is in a race, however I do know from my coaching that I’m going fairly good.
“Going into the primary stage of a Grand Tour is at all times a query mark however I believe my preparation has gone higher than final 12 months as a result of I’ve bought via with out getting Covid.”
Whereas Pidcock was at all times anticipated to spearhead the Ineos Grenadiers’ hopes in France, Monday’s squad announcement included the welcome information that 2019 champion Egan Bernal is again on the Tour 18 months after a life-threatening crash in coaching at house in Colombia.
The group made the choice after Bernal rode to twelfth within the Criterium du Dauphine earlier this month.
“Really earlier than the Dauphine my plan was to be on vacation right now,” the 26-year-old mentioned. “I believe it was an enormous, massive doubt earlier than the Dauphine to return right here however through the race I used to be not too unhealthy after which they took the choice.”
Racing a Grand Tour is a different proposition to a week-long race just like the Dauphine, and Bernal mentioned he’s making an attempt to not suppose too far forward.
“I must take this actually day-by-day,” he mentioned. “It’s my first three-week race for an extended, very long time and I used to be not making ready 100 per cent for this race, however clearly I’ll do my greatest.
“The primary massive goal is to not lose time within the first days after which after that I can resolve relying on the sentiments.
“It’s been a tough couple of years however I believe I ought to be grateful to be alive and to be right here on the Tour. After every thing I simply attempt to see the great issues at this level.”
