Young Brits in Belgium
BC coach Stuart Blunt tells Vern Pitt to expect more from British podium placers Pidcock and Stewart
The opening weekend in Belgium saw two British neo-pros claim podium places, cementing the start of a new era of British success. The first was Jake Stewart who placed second behind Davide Ballerini (Deceuninck-quick Step) at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, then 24 hours later Tom Pidcock sprinted to third at Kuurne-brussels-kuurne behind former world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-segafredo).
Both Stewart and Pidcock are 21 years old and raced alongside each other in the junior and U23 ranks, often in GB jerseys. Their success followed hot on the heels of their contemporary 22-year-old Matt Walls (Borahansgrohe) claiming a top five in a sprint finish at Tour de la Provence in early February.
British Cycling Olympic development coach Stuart Blunt, who worked with Pidcock and Stewart as young riders told Cycling
Weekly: “It feels like we’re coming into this next golden generation of British riders. There’s been a supply of good riders like the Yates brothers, Tao [Geoghegan Hart] and [Owain] Doull but not that big group of them coming through at the same age, like what happened with Cav and G and Stannard and those guys. It’s felt like this group has been coming and they’re starting to show that now.
“That said, I never saw either of them getting on the podium this weekend, that’s phenomenally quick.”
He added that Stewart, along with some other riders of that generation had flown “under the radar”, in part, because of the eye-catching success of Pidcock.
“Jake was fifth in the junior road race at the World Championships in Bergen in 2017, the same year Tom [Pidcock] won the time trial. We’ve not had many riders do better than that, he wasn’t far away all that time as a junior. As an U23 he was second in the U23 Ghent-wevelgem,” Blunt said. “Maybe he’s not been a prolific winner but he’s always been there. It’s no surprise. He came into that last turn quite a way back, he was coming really strong in the finish.”
Stewart himself said: “I was coming fast at Ballerini in the end, but there wasn’t enough road for me to close the gap on him. Certainly if I’d been slightly better positioned into that final corner behind Ballerini then I would have maybe been
“Once one wins a race, it makes it seem within touching distance”
able to push him to the line a bit more.”
Pidcock added of his own podium position the next day, where he had to sprint from far out to avoid getting boxed in, “I’m pleased with that and I have picked up form much quicker than I thought. I had a break after cross, and it bodes well for the next few races I think.”
Blunt said the entire cohort that includes Pidcock and Stewart helped to push each other forward. He pointed out that Ethan Hayter, one of Stewart and Pidcock’s contemporaries, would have also been a strong contender at the finish of Omloop had he not crashed in the closing stages.
Plus, 21-year-old Fred Wright was doing a strong job for his Bahrain Victorious team at the UAE Tour last week. “He’ll come out with something at some stage,” said Blunt.
He added: “Once one of them wins a race and the others think, ‘I train with him. And I give him a kicking every now and then,’ it makes it seem within touching distance.”