INEOS full of bravado heading into the Ardennes: "Pidcock is afraid of no one, not even Pogacar and Van der Poel"

In 2021, the 24-year-old man from Leeds was very close to winning the Netherlands' most important one-day race. Then, after a millimeter sprint against Wout van Aert, a photo finish had to be consulted, which ultimately worked against Pidcock. The Brit has always believed that the photo finish camera was not properly positioned and that he won that day, making Sunday's victory feel extra sweet. "There's been so much controversy about it, but I know the answer," he emphasized afterwards.

In 2021, the 24-year-old Brit from Leeds already came very close to victory in the Netherlands' most important one-day race. At the time, after a millimeter sprint against Wout van Aert, the photofinish got the final say and decided in Van Aert's favor. Pidcock, however, has always believed that the photofinish camera wasn't set up properly and that he in fact won that day, making Sunday's win feel extra powerful. "There has been so much controversy on the topic, but I know the answer," he stressed again after the race. 

Kwiatkowski also noted that things were looking good for the seemingly very strong Pidders. "It felt like we had everything under control from the start," the Pole began his account of the day. "But maybe we overestimated ourselves a bit, as some of our guys had to drop back. However, they did a fantastic job all day long. But in the last sixty to seventy kilometers, we got the idea that we had to let Tom make his own choices. Overall, we certainly took our responsibilities as a team. The crosswinds and headwinds in the finale of course made things extra difficult, although that also allowed many riders from the back to come back."

"I think Tom never really got into trouble," continued the likable Kwiatkowski, who is known for providing good insights. "He was always in the right place at the right time. And that was, of course, also the initial goal of the team, especially with the toughest climbs being further from the finish. To keep the team leader, our number one, out of trouble. That plan succeeded. Partly because of this, he won. He also seemed to have miraculous legs. He finally takes the victory he has wanted for so long and that he truly deserves, in my opinion. He had been so close so many times. Hats off to Tom, really."

As Marc Hirschi had already pointed out, the INEOS team was a bit surprised by the 'absence' of Mathieu van der Poel, who was by far the top favorite. "We also expected a bit more from Mathieu," explained the Eastern European. "Everyone was definitely watching him. You simply can't win everything. But he always focuses on the most important races. Maybe he was already a bit preoccupied with Liège-Bastogne-Liège in his mind."

"Moreover, it's not always easy to recover from Paris-Roubaix," Kwiatek continued about the world champion. "That was also the case for his teammate Gianni Vermeersch, I think (Vermeersch dropped out sick from the Amstel Gold Race, ed.). But on the other hand: Tom also rode Paris-Roubaix, resulting in very painful hands. And yet he wins the Amstel Gold Race, which makes his performance all the more impressive. Massive, when you consider the kind of races these are and how he fell in the Basque Country. He has truly proven himself."

On Wednesday, Pidcock will ride the Flèche Wallonne, followed by Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday. Kwiatkowski will also be present at these races, hoping to support his team leader. That seems very likely to happen, as Kwiatkowski is someone you can rely on. "Tom is not afraid of anything or anyone, not even the very strongest," he says, giving our website a bit of a preview for La Flèche Wallonne and La Doyenne. "I know him very well and I know how motivated he always is. He works incredibly hard for it. We all know how brutally hard cycling can be. You have to give one hundred percent every time. It's hard for me to make a concrete prediction about those races. A lot can happen and several other names might be at the front of the race. But we will travel to Huy and Liège with a lot of confidence. We are very motivated."

In short, Kwiatkowski is convinced that Pidcock can compete with gentlemen like Tadej Pogacar and Van der Poel in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. This view was confirmed by Pidcock's coach, Kurt Bogaerts. In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, he talks about Sunday in a similar way to Kwiatkowski. "Tom is mature enough to keep his focus on the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège," said the 46-year-old Fleming. "If he recovers well from the Amstel, the legs should be there to ride the finals twice."

In 2023, the man from Yorkshire finished eighteenth in the Flèche Wallonne, followed by second place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "Last year we were behind, after a fall and a concussion in the Tirreno-Adriatico," Bogaerts explained. "Now he has a major victory under his belt. That makes things easier. Over the past four years, he has always won a major race, proving that he can duel with the greats." Pogacar and MVDP also came up in the interview. "If you have to rely on the predictions in the media, Mathieu had already won the Amstel before it was even ridden. That didn't happen. They are just people. In the end, everyone has to race the race. Wednesday on the Mur de Huy, it comes down to good positioning. In Liège, he will try to beat Pogacar and Van der Poel, as he has done in the past."