Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) scored a career-best third place at La Flèche Wallonne, coming from behind to take the final podium spot atop the Mur de Huy at the end of a wet and miserable race.
The Briton, racing for the fifth time at the Ardennes Classic, came home behind world champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and French youngster Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) to record a promising result ahead of a return to Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday.
Pidcock, speaking to CyclingPro after the finish in Huy, admitted that he was struggling in the wet and cold conditions during the 205km race, and said that he's pleased with his ride to third place as a result.
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"I think definitely today was better," he said, comparing his 2025 ride to previous participations at the race. "I was struggling in the cold, and I'm still pretty cold, so I can be happy with that, to be honest."
Pidcock said that he struggled in the cold to change gear at the bottom of the fearsome 1.3km, 9.6% finishing climb of the Mur de Huy.
He noted that maybe he could've done better on the way up if he had taken things a bit differently, had he stayed in the smaller chainring to start the ascent.
"I think it was important not to go too early. I was struggling to change gears at the bottom when I was in the little ring, but maybe I should've stayed in the little ring, and it would've helped a bit," he said.
"In the end, I did a pretty good climb. I felt quite good. I think if I did it differently, I could've gone a bit faster, but I think Tadej was on another level today."
Pidcock, who this season with Q36.5 has won the AlUla Tour, a stage of the Vuelta a Andalucía, and finished second at Strade Bianche, said that the result gives him confidence ahead of Sunday's Monument in Liège, where he finished second two years ago.
"It's always been a race everyone says suited me, but I've always struggled. So, today it's nice to be on the podium," he said.
"I've put in some hard work in the last weeks. Maybe I didn't have the level I wanted in the last races, so I think it's nice to stand on the podium, and it gives me some confidence going to the big one on Sunday."
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