If the latest Tadej Pogačar long-range masterclass, and Tom Simpson-emulating win in the rainbow jersey at Il Lombardia, wasn’t enough to thrill you at the Race of the Falling Leaves, at least there was plenty of drama off the bike – and around the Ineos team bus – to keep you entertained.
On Friday night, we learned that Tom Pidcock – who hasn’t been shy when it comes to criticising the dysfunctional British team in recent weeks, amid reports of a winter transfer – was dramatically deselected from the Ineos Grenadiers’ Il Lombardia squad on the eve of the race.
According to sources close to cycling reporter Daniel Benson, the decision to drop the Amstel Gold winner and Olympic mountain bike champion from the final monument of the season came from the very top at Ineos, and was delivered while Pidcock was travelling on the team bus on the way to their hotel in Lombardy.
(Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)
And judging by both Pidcock’s recent form (he finished second earlier in the week behind Pogačar at the Giro dell’Emilia) and the Instagram message the 25-year-old posted on Friday evening, the decision was far from a purely racing one.
“Just as things were on the up after a turbulent end to the year I am deselected for Lombardia tomorrow”, Pidcock posted, adding an extra dash of fuel to what already appears to be a blazing internal inferno at Ineos.
“I am in great shape and was really looking forwarded to it! Good luck to the boys, I guess off season starts early. Thanks for everyone’s support even in the tough times.”
Pidcock’s assessment that his deselection was motivated by off-bike concerns was even supported by Ineos sports director Zak Dempster, who told Cyclingnews that the last-minute change was a “management decision” and not based on performance.
“I mean, these are Tom’s words,” Dempster said of Pidcock’s “deselection” in Bergamo. “Obviously, I'm not stupid – it does look strange, but, the reality is that the team has the right to select the team they feel fits it.
“That’s all the information I have at the moment. it was a management decision on the final team, that’s their right and here we are without Tom. We have a process in place where we have a long list of riders and then those final seven names that go on the list. It can be a performance decision, and in this case, it was a management decision.”
Asked about the rumours linking Pidcock with a move away from the British team, Dempster said: “Obviously, I read the press too, you know? And it’s a strange occurrence before a monument. I don’t have any more information, so it’s really difficult for me to comment.”
(Will Palmer/SWpix.com)
Meanwhile, an Ineos source told Benson that the news had left the staff and riders on the ground “very deflated” and “pissed off”, claiming that “no one on the team saw it coming”.
The former Strade Bianche winner was certainly missed on the roads of Lombardy on Saturday – instead of aiming for a realistic shot at the podium, Ineos were confined to hunting for spots in the breakaway, with Thymen Arensman, who did make it up the road early on, managing a team-best 15th on the day. Ethan Hayter, Pidcock’s last-minute replacement, finished 88th.
And now, with drama brewing internally at Ineos, the squad’s old hand, Geraint Thomas, has weighed in on the situation, which the 2018 Tour de France winner described as “messed up”.
“We should address the elephant in the room. It’s just messed up,” Thomas said in a chat with fellow Ineos rider Laurens De Plus for Eurosport’s Instagram page.
“I don't actually know what has gone on, but all I know is, when you’re the highest-paid rider in your team, and it’s obviously a really c*** situation. He’s not happy, the team’s not happy. How has it got to this point? I don’t know.
“People who are around Tom, I don’t think help. I don’t know how… The fact is that he had a great chance of performing today [at Il Lombardia].
"I saw that Zak had said it’s a management call, it’s not a performance call. I certainly don’t know anything about that. We’re just riders, eh? What do we know about management?
“It’s just not good, is it? All the bull**** aside, he’s a great talent. He’s a good guy, when I’m around him we have a nice time, so it’s not good to see that situation. We’ll see what happens.”
It’s going to be a long and interesting winter, anyway…
With Tom Pidcock’s future at Ineos seemingly hanging in the balance, where could the former Tour de France stage winner end up before the peloton packs its bags and heads off to Mallorca in December for their pre-season training camps?
Despite being under contract at Ineos until 2027, Pidcock has cut a forlorn and outcast figure at the British squad for some time now, admitting last month that Ineos “don’t help me to perform at my best” after another up-and-down season.
And while his lengthy contractual situation means there’s no reason for either party to jump to a hasty conclusion, the deselection drama in Lombardy at the weekend confirmed that all is not well within the squad, and could well result in both Ineos and Pidcock cutting their losses and seeking a fresh start by arranging one of those still-rare birds in cycling, a transfer.
And, if that does prove the case, Pidcock certainly won’t be without potential suitors.
Among the big teams circling around the Amstel Gold winner is Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. The German team secured the services of aero guru Dan Bigham from Ineos in the summer, and Pidcock would offer them a focal point in all the spring classics, where the 25-year-old would assume leadership duties, while providing a stage-hunting (and potentially GC-aiming) alternative for the bad luck-prone Primož Roglič at the grand tours.
The Red Bull link would also certainly help matters, too (while giving the team the budget to afford another luxury star), while Pidcock could swap his Pinarello for a Specialized in the mountain bike and cyclocross worlds.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
Visma-Lease a Bike, stinging from what was by their standards a subpar season on all fronts (mostly thanks to a certain Tadej Pogačar), are also rumoured to be in the running for Pidcock’s signature.
While the British rider’s stated long-term grand tour hopes would have to take a back seat, especially at the Tour de France, thanks to Jonas Vingegaard’s presence, Pidcock could actually benefit from having Wout van Aert as a teammate at Visma, where he would act an attacking foil for the Belgian at the cobbled classics, while taking the lead in the Ardennes.
However, a transfer to either Red Bull or Visma may mean that Pidcock won’t be able to bring along some of his entourage, including long-term coach Kurt Bogaerts, thanks to both squads’ rules against outside coaches and an already packed and talented internal coaching structure.
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
One interested squad that Pidcock would be allowed that freedom, however, is Swiss outfit Q36.5 Pro Cycling. Despite being a second-tier team, Q36.5 are apparently confident of securing a deal for the 25-year-old, where he would be the squad’s undisputed leader in whatever race he chooses.
However, it’s on the race front where Pidcock may have doubts over joining Q36.5 – they failed to secure an invite to any of this year’s grand tours, a situation that is likely to continue next year, whether Pidcock joins or not. He should be able to race at most of the classics, however.
In any case, the writing looks on the wall for Ineos and Pidcock’s partnership, which began when the Yorkshireman turned pro in 2021.
Despite his multidisciplinary success, world titles and Olympic golds, and ability to score big wins at the Tour, Strade Bianche, and Amstel Gold, Pidcock has come in for criticism for his apparent inability to consistently challenge cycling’s biggest riders, while being one of the sport’s top earners.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
Last month, that frustration at being unable to consistently leap into cycling’s top tier was publicly voiced by Pidcock in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws.
When asked by the Belgian paper for his view on the season as a whole, which saw him win Amstel Gold and the Olympic mountain bike title but struggle at the Tour, Pidcock said: “As in so many seasons, there are positive and negative things. It’s just so damn hard to win. There are only a small number of riders who win the majority of races and I want to be one of them. That is not the case now and that must change.
“After the Olympic Games I told my girlfriend that from now on I really want to focus on the road. I really want to perform there. And I’m not just talking about the rest of this season, but certainly also next year.”
The Belgian paper then asked Pidcock if he wasn’t necessarily getting the freedom to race how he wants at Ineos.
“Yes, it is true that there are currently a number of issues within the team that I have to deal with,” a hesitant Pidcock said. “And to be honest, they don’t help me to perform at my best.
“I have to think about a lot more than just performance-related things at the moment. And that means that the focus on the things that are really important, namely racing, is not ideal.
“I have a contract until the end of 2027. That's all I can say.”
> “Too large gap in payment” blamed for scuppering triathlon star Kristian Blummenfelt’s ambitious plan to win Tour de France by 2028, as coach rues “disadvantage of being the world’s best triathlete”
Don’t worry Kristian, I hear there might be a spot (and a decent chunk of the team’s budget) opening up at Ineos soon…
Yes, it’s that time of the year, folks – the European cyclocross season kicked off in Belgium this weekend, for another winter of intense racing, spills, beer, frites, and lots and lots of mud.
And it’s fair to say it got underway with a bang.
While two-time European champion Lars van der Haar started his season in style with a win at the Exact Cross series race in Beringen on Saturday, just behind Belgian champ Eli Iserbyt appeared to let out a summers’ worth of pent-up frustration… by stamping on Ryan Kamp’s rear mech after a coming together on a corner.
After the pair crashed into the barriers on a muddy downhill section, last year’s World Cup winner Iserbyt could be seen deliberately, and rather ferociously, stamping on the rear mech of Fenix rider Kamp, his former teammate at Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal.
Kamp then grabbed the Belgian for a few choice words, before eventually finishing 22nd after grabbing a new, non-stamped upon bike at the pits.
Iserbyt, meanwhile, was pulled by the commissaires on the sixth lap and disqualified, later picking up a 100 Swiss Francs fine for his angry stomping session.
(For comparison, Lidl-Trek’s Julien Bernard was fined 200 Swiss Francs for kissing his wife during a time trial stage on home roads at this year’s Tour de France. Ah, the UCI…)
Anyway, Iserbyt took to social media on Saturday evening to apologise for his actions (though notably, he failed to mention Kamp by name).
“I understand the decision of the jury to DSW me today in Beringen,” the 26-year-old wrote. “My acts after the hard crash were made in a rage of anger and don’t belong in this sport. For this I want to apologise to everyone involved. Now I’ll focus on the positive things and look forward to the next races!”
Elaborating on the spicy confrontation, and his reasons for lashing out at Kamp’s bike, Iserbyt told Het Laatste Nieuws: “That reaction was not necessary. It was in the heat of the battle. I was definitely pushed, I don’t know if that was on TV.
“My action was mainly a reaction to things he said. What? I’m not going to repeat that, but yes it was dirty.”
Iserbyt’s team boss Jurgen Mettepenningen also echoed his rider’s claim that Kamp started the whole thing with “words that are inappropriate, that are personal, and that do not belong in top-level sport”.
While the Belgian wouldn’t elaborate on what sparked the confrontation, Kamp could be heard shouting “kutkabouter” (‘f***ing dwarf’) after Iserbyt stamped on his rear mech.
“There was something simmering between us since last season,” the Belgian champion added to HLN. “He cut off at places where it was not necessary or where it simply could not be done. Since he left the team, things have happened, some discrediting of the team, but also a few incidents with Michael [Vanthourenhout].
“It was the push, the fall, his reaction, everything together. I also fell quite hard with my chin on a pole, which left me half in shock. You go for the win, you are in position and then something like this happens. Then there is frustration. But anyway, my reaction was not good."
Meanwhile, Kamp added: “The smartest thing is to say nothing. Worse things will come of it. We were next to each other in the corner, nothing more happened. There was contact, but that’s part of ‘cross, I think. I’m not going to say anything more about it. It’s fine.”
Oh, cyclocross, how we’ve missed you.
Alright, we’ve heard from Geraint Thomas and Ineos DS Zak Dempster. Now let’s get the real inside scoop on the whole Pidcock deselection drama.
Over to you Chestnut and Acorn…
“We drove 12 hours to watch Dad race but instead we’ll be spending two extra days with him for our family holiday,” the 25-year-old’s canine companions ‘wrote’ on Instagram.
Professional turmoil versus more chances for walks? You decide.
On a (slightly) more serious note, is this cycling and Pidcock’s own (very 2020s) Roy Keane post-Saipan moment? All we need is Tom to moodily leave the house with Chestnut and Acorn, as a phalanx of photographers and journos chase him down the street.
And if that is the case, I wonder who’s playing the role of Mick McCarthy at Ineos?
Some industry news from France now, as manufacturer Look has announced the sale of wheel specialist Corima to the company’s co-founder, the brilliantly French-named Pierre-Jean Martin, as Look aims to prioritise its bike and pedal departments.
Looks took over Corima in 2016, before fully merging the wheel manufacturer within its operations six years later.
However, the companies have now gone their separate ways, with a statement revealing that Corima co-founder Martin will take over the wheel manufacturer’s management, with all Corima-dedicated employees at Look joining him at the old/new company, which will retain its ownership of its French production facility.
“The decision to disinvest Corima allows Look Cycle to remain focused on its key segments, accelerating its strategy of innovation and growth, while continuing to offer quality service to all its clients through its subsidiaries and distributors,” a Look spokesperson said.
“We have worked closely together for eight years sharing a common vision and operating values, such as the excellence and know-how in the design and manufacturing of carbon products for the cycle industry.
“This strategy is still unchanged and allows us, Look Cycle, to prioritise two segments, pedals and bikes. At the same time Corima can adapt in a more agile and flexible way to a carbon wheel after-market segment that has evolved significantly in the past few years. The cycling industry continues to develop quickly and the vision for Look Cycle has not changed.”
Say crushing again. I dare you. pic.twitter.com/uPn3Zk0Kwa
— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) October 14, 2024
Poor Simon, he just can’t catch a break with Strava’s new, emissions-heavy ‘Athlete Intelligence’ feature. First, it says he’s old, heavy, and slow.
And now it’s subjecting him to repetitive, cliched digital backslapping.
To paraphrase Tom Petty (who I believe never used Strava, to the best of my knowledge), I can’t decide which is worse.
Inmates at HMP Swaleside in Kent have been sent over 100 discarded and donated bikes over the past week, which they will refurbish and send back to the community as part of the local council’s bike recycling project.
The bikes, most of which were found in waste recycling sites across Kent, will be worked on by the prisoners as they build towards obtaining a City and Guilds in Bike Mechanics qualification, provided by the Canterbury Bike Project.
The revamped bikes will then be sold on for just £10 though community groups, which Swale Borough Council says will help provide “cheap and environmentally friendly transportation to locals while remaining self-funding”.
(Swale Borough Council)
The council’s Cycle-re-Cycle scheme has already seen over 100 bikes refurbished and sold to locals with the help of local charity Sheppey Matters and Faversham Town Council’s Community Bike Day.
“We are blown away by the number of bikes residents have donated to our Cycle-re-Cycle project,” Rich Lehmann, the chair of the council’s committee on the environment and climate change, said.
“Thanks to your support we will be able to continue helping inmates in the project get qualifications and provide cheap and environmentally friendly transportation to our residents.
“The more people we can get cycling the better – it keeps you active, opens up opportunities for socialising, and can save people money when getting around.”
“We are proud to be working in partnership with the local council, working together has provided valuable skills for our prisoners and essential transport for the local community,” added HMP Swaleside’s industries manager Ben Silcock.
“We have all worked hard to build a strong relationship that works towards a greener community.”
In more celebrity cycling news, Amanda Holden has completed her 250-mile charity cycle, arriving at her employer Heart Radio’s studios in Leicester Square after riding for five days from her mum’s house in Bude, Cornwall – in pretty grim conditions to boot – to raise funds for Heart’s charity, Global’s Make Some Noise.
Though I’m not sure Bum Butter owner Charlie Hobbs, whose chamois cream business was catapulted to national fame last week after the Britain’s Got Talent judge gave it a shout-out ahead of her charity ride, will be too happy with Holden’s post-challenge claim that her bum is still “killing” her.
“My bum is killing me, everything is killing me!” Holden said as opened a bottle of champagne (naturally) at her London finish line.
Hopefully that particular comment won’t affect Bum Butter’s recent sales spike.
Sore bum aside, reflecting on her five days in the saddle, Holden continued: “It was amazing, the weather was terrible, some of the hills were barbaric – but what a gorgeous way to see the UK.”
Who knows, now she’s got the cycling bug, maybe Amanda would want to capture some of that gorgeous scenery on a bike camera next time… Oh, wait.
Jeremy Vine cycling in London? Check. Jeremy Vine’s 360 helmet camera? Check. The “greatest gathering of Penny Farthing riders in London since the 1880s”? Now that’s a double Jezza check right there.
In the most Jeremy Vine thing I’ve possibly ever seen (although there’s another one that rivals it, which I’ll put on the live blog in a minute), the BBC presenter formed part of a 140-strong group of fellow big-wheel enthusiasts who set a new Guinness World Record on Sunday for the largest number of Penny Farthing riders in an upright stack.
To set the record, Vine and the 139 other Penny Farthing riders had to remain upright, unsupported, and in position for three minutes, breaking the previous record stack of 131, set in Leicester back in 2003.
And, judging by Vine’s classic, nauseating aerial video of the record attempt, it was very tense stuff:
After their three-minute-long wait, the riders then set off from London’s legendary Herne Hill velodrome to the Olympic Park.
A spokesperson for Guinness World Records confirmed that the event saw a total of 12 world records broken either by the group or individuals, including the largest number of Penny Farthing racers in a velodrome.
“The bike is extraordinary,” Neil Laughton, founder of the Penny Farthing Club, one of the event’s organisers, told the BBC.
“It’s just a great invention, it’s very simple. It has no brakes, gears, it’s solid rubber tyre, no suspension, it’s the original bicycle.
“And we've got people from all over Europe, some from the States and further afield.”
Meanwhile, Robert ON Torto said the Penny Farthing was his “primary mode of transport” and the “only thing I ride”.
“So if I’m going to work, if I’m going on any kind of errand, this is my mode of transportation, I ride nothing else,” he said at the event.
Fellow Penny Farthing owner Stuart Horth added: “It looks scary but once you’re used to it it’s just a great way of getting around really, and a bit of fun.”
And for setting world records too, apparently.
This shows what an absolute gem @ClaudiaWinkle is. Prepared to put herself in harm's way to clean up after her dog. pic.twitter.com/tZoDcwIGtI
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) October 10, 2024
Penny Farthing world records, random encounters with Claudia Winkleman, telling Joey Barton to go get a new hobby – it’s been quite the week for classic Jeremy Vine moments.
Thankfully none of them involved cycle lane-blocking motorists or blindly reversing van drivers…
Britain's most successful Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, who balances winning rainbow jerseys and gold medals with her role as Greater Manchester's Active Travel Commissioner, has defended a cycle lane project in the area, arguing concerns it has “killed” business are unfounded.
Read more: > Dame Sarah Storey defends cycle lane blamed for “ruining business” and “killing village”, calls shops closing “a coincidence, not an unexpected consequence”
Check out this ever so subtle beauty from Manchester, posted on Twitter by local cyclist and journalist Jack Fifield:
“Why would you do the kerb like this? Surely could cause a crash... This is new infrastructure,” Jack wrote.
I suppose when new cycle lanes are only revealed to be awful, potential crash-fests upon closer inspection, that means we’re getting somewhere right?
“It’s a simple thing but… the traffic engineers who design bike infrastructure should have to ride a bike both before, during, and after through their design,” added Richard.
Is that asking too much? Anyway, better get my bunny hops in order for the next time I visit Manchester.
No, your eyes are deceiving you – that’s TotalEnergies’ rather bemused Emilien Jeannière, holding a giant sea bream on the podium after winning the overall at the Tour de Kyushu stage race in Japan.
Alright, it’s not quite Sean Kelly or Barry Hoban winning cows at the Tour de France, or the squealing Breton piglets awarded by the Tro-Bro Léon, or Bloeizone Fryslân’s sex toys giftset– but just imagine carting that home to France on the plane from Japan…