Tom Pidcock treated the Tour de France to a thrilling glimpse of a possible future Yellow Jersey winner with a stunning breakaway and grinned: “Not bad that, is it?”
On Bastille Day, Pidcock topped a record 100km (63mph) on the descent of the Col du Galibier before conquering the madness of Alpe d'Huez, Le Tour's signature mountain, and its 21 hairpin bends. Just 353 days since he won Olympic mountain bike gold in Tokyo, on his Tour de France debut Pidcock announced himself in the peloton with his first stage win. And on the evidence of 102.5 memorable miles on stage 12, it will be the first of many.
An emotional Pidock, 22, from Leeds, said: "I guess it's made my Tour de France. Even if nothing else happens and I get dropped every day now, I don't care. A stage win in my first Tour, not bad, eh? That was certainly one of my best experiences in cycling. It's unreal when you're literally slaloming through people's flags, fists and God knows what else.
