Tom Pidcock trusted his hunch and produced a special performance on the roads of Tuscany to become the first British man to win Strade Bianche, bursting away from the peloton with about 50km to go and crossing the line alone in Siena.
Sensing an opportunity on the descent out of Montalcino, the Yorkshireman went in pursuit of the early breakaway to blow up the race, leaving an off-colour Mathieu van der Poel in his wake. Making up a deficit of more than two minutes, Pidcock went over the top of the three early leaders before showing incredible legs to hold off an elite group of chasers, including Jumbo-Visma’s Tiesj Benoot, in the final stages.
