“It has completely revitalised me.” Tom Pidcock flashes a broad smile in the early June sunshine streaming through the window of Red Bull’s Athlete Performance Centre near Salzburg, Austria. He’s reflecting on his transfer to Q36.5 at the end of last season – a move that seems to have breathed new life into the 26-year-old.
Moments earlier, he made it clear he doesn’t want to dwell on the past – and who can blame him? His final months with Ineos Grenadiers were mired by a well-documented tension. But now, comfortably settled in new surroundings, Pidcock looks relaxed, recharged and ready to take on his next major target, the Vuelta a España.