It looked like it was all over for Tom Pidcock. With 23km to go on stage nine of the Tour de France, the Pinarello Q36.5 rider sat up in his saddle, gestured down to his bike, and wafted his right arm in frustration. A mechanical – at the cruellest time, on one of his best days – appeared to have put him out of a four-up breakaway finale.
He spun his pedals briskly, and still the gears would not kick in. Then, after a moment of panic, he was riding again, back into the lead group, and on to the finale in Ussel.
