
Tom Pidcock was the strongest rider up and over the Alto Virgen del Castillo on the opening day of the Vuelta a Murcia. The problem was, the stage – and now possibly the overall race – had gotten away from him.
The British rider, making his season debut after last year’s breakthrough Vuelta a España podium, attacked impressively from a shredded main group on the crucial late climb on Friday, but the day’s winner, Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), was already sailing to victory.