When Tom Pidcock dramatically left Ineos Grenadiers for Q36.5 last season, he spoke at times about losing the enjoyment of racing, despite his successes, with the partnership just not going as he'd "originally envisioned" when he'd committed until 2027.
However, five months into life with a new team and just ahead of his Giro d'Italia debut with the Swiss outfit, the Brit confirmed that he was watching races again, or at least trying to, and that the feeling of enjoyment had finally returned in competition.
"It wasn't only the Tour de France," interrupted Pidcock to reporters, including Cyclingnews, making sure it was clear that his lack of joy wasn't confined only to the pressure pot that is cycling's biggest race.
"I think now I've started enjoying cycling. I started watching it again – although now it's too expensive to watch, so I don't watch it anymore," he said, drawing a laugh at the mixed zone, referring, of course, to TNT Sport's price hike for watching cycling in the UK up to £31 a month.
Pidcock quickly flicked back into serious mode about how the enjoyment aspect had helped him find a new consistency and perhaps ride his best Classics season yet, albeit without a big one-day win. But gave even more credit to the needs of his new employer, a second division ProTeam, for changing his mindset when it came to racing for each and every position.
"It's also the responsibility of this team, you know, like, points are important for us," said Pidcock.
"I've never really cared unless I was winning before, but now I'm fully told to sprint even when it goes wrong, like in Liège, where I was super good, then I didn't drink enough and I paid the price later in the race. Just little stupid mistakes that need to stop, because there are not really any opportunities to miss anymore."
Debut at Giro d'Italia with new team
He's also thriving in the leadership role at Q36.5, enjoying being "responsible for everything, and my own destiny if you like. It's the big responsibility that helps me get the most out of myself".
Having maximised in the spring, Pidcock is starting his Giro d'Italia debut full of confidence, singling out his ride at Strade Bianche, where only world champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) was superior, as a highlight of the opening half of 2025.
"I think definitely Strade was a big performance, and something that shows that I've gotten closer," he said. "Of course, Tadej's on another level, and the only guy who's beaten him is Mathieu [van der Poel], but he won it on his terrain. That's definitely a confidence boost."
Pidcock's versatility has seen him being named as a potential contender for a number of stages throughout the Giro's 21, from the Albanian opener, to the ninth stage which takes in some of Strade Bianche's roads, and he admitted that it's only the big mountain days where he isn't confidence he can "get stuck in".
"The only things unknown are probably the longer climbs, but apart from that, I think I can be quite competitive every day," he said.
"I want to race hard every day, race to my strengths, and not be afraid. I think the third week is certainly going to be difficult.
"I just want to go in and enjoy racing – I think the opportunities will come if I do that. For sure, I've got good shape coming out of the Ardennes, and I'm looking forward to taking that into this race."
He also didn't deny that the Giro was a race he asked to do while at Ineos, but was told he had to do the Tour, answering that a situation played out "something like that". Nonetheless, he was delighted to be at the Giro and heading for Italy soon, where he's taken his best one-day result and won the U23 Giro before.
"I have a good relationship with Italy and the baby Giro. It's for sure one of the races that I've wanted to do for a while – I wanted to do it last year," he said. "I'm excited that I get the opportunity now this year."
Pidcock also suggested that he feels somewhat vindicated in his move away from Ineos, not by the results – almost doubling his professional win total just this season, but by how he sees people perceiving him from the outside, something he doesn't care much about but did comment on.
"I don't really see what people think, I can tell you from last year, I don't really do social media anymore," said the 25-year-old.
"Myself, I see a big kind of increase in people almost supporting me than compared to last year. I think they resonate with what happened, and that people have got behind me a little bit more."
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