Tom Pidcock claimed his first victory for new team Q36.5 during the second stage of the AlUla Tour, finishing with a bold solo effort on the uphill stretch at Bir Jaydah Mountain. After transferring from Ineos Grenadiers, Pidcock's win marks the sixth of his professional road career, allowing him to take the leader's jersey. He showcased confidence in his shape despite a long winter break, emphasizing teamwork's importance. Pidcock's strategy involved a calculated attack in the final stretch, highlighting his tactical approach in the race.
Today was super important for me. It's a new team, all these great people, and I just wanted to do them proud today. The team rode brilliantly, they had full commitment for me, and I was highly motivated for today.
I knew I was in good shape. This year I'm on SRAM and the power meter is different. When you actually look objectively, I'm in a really, really good place, but of course after a winter when you haven't competed against anyone and you've done a lot of efforts on your own, you actually don't know.
Before coming here, we said that today is the day to win the race. It's easier to defend than to take time on stage 4, so hopefully there's a bit of a buffer.
I felt the wind a little bit so I thought I was just going to wait a bit longer. We got to 500 to go and the road was going down to the left. On the right-hand side, the road was a bit higher, so I thought I'd go to the right and then use the flatter section to attack.
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