Tom Pidcock of Ineos Grenadiers will not feature in this year’s Il Lombardia, as confirmed by the absence of his name on the official start list released on Friday evening. This comes as a surprise to many, given Pidcock’s recent performances in other high-profile races.
The British cyclist recently showcased his tenacity by securing second place in the Giro dell’Emilia, trailing only Tadej Pogačar from UAE Team Emirates, amidst challenging weather conditions. He followed this with a 15th-place finish in the Gran Piemonte, finishing in the main chasing group behind Neilson Powless of EF Education-EasyPost, who made a successful breakaway.
Despite his impressive form on challenging courses, Pidcock has yet to compete in Il Lombardia. His recent success includes a victory at the Amstel Gold in April and a second-place finish at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2023, both part of the demanding Ardennes Classics. His absence from the Race of the Falling Leaves highlights a shift in focus or strategy for the Ineos team as they look ahead to future events.
With Pidcock not participating, the Ineos Grenadiers have announced their lineup for the 2024 edition. The team will feature Ethan Hayter, Thymen Arensman, Jonathan Castroviejo, Brandon Rivera, Ben Swift, Connor Swift, and Ben Turner. Each rider brings unique strengths to the team, promising an intriguing performance in this prestigious race.
Transfer Rumours
As Tom Pidcock took to Instagram to describe his missing of this year’s race as a ‘deselection’, it prompted the transfer rumour mill to fire into action. Previously rumours about Q365 and Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe had seemed to be abated with confirmation that the Brit was contracted to the INEOS Grenadiers. Cycling is notoriously fickle though and a rider being removed from a planned race like this is often the precursor or acknowledgement that some transfer news is soon to be released. Nothing is currently confirmed but the late move has certainly got tongues wagging.
