PIDCOCK HAS SECURED BIG TOUR BREAK

TOM PIDCOCK has been picked to make his Tour de France debut – just two weeks after contracting Covid.

At 22, the Olympic mountain bike champion is in the Ineos Grenadiers eight-man squad as an all-rounder domestique with exciting potential and he is looking to gain experience rather than making any big statements on the road.

But his inclusion is a sign of renewal in a team that won the Yellow Jersey seven times in eight races from 2012-19 through Sir Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome (four times), Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal.

Thomas and Adam Yates will lead the British charge in Ineos colours in Friday’s Grand Depart from Copenhagen, along with Colombian Dani Martinez, in a three-pronged attack trying to deny two-time reigning champion Tadej Pogacar a hat-trick in the fabled maillot jaune.

Team boss Sir Dave Brailsford said: “This group have the grit, rigour and humour we know is critical to success.”

Pidcock (top, left, with Thomas), who followed up his triumph at last summer’s deferred Tokyo 2020 Games (above) with a rainbow jersey at the world championships, has recovered quickly after testing positive on the Tour de Suisse earlier this month.

He will be appearing in his second Grand Tour after a strong ride at the Vuelta in Spain last September, when he admitted the first week was hard graft after riding the wave of euphoria in Tokyo.

Pidcock said: I wanted to race at the Vuelta, but then after the Olympics I was second-guessing if I could be bothered, basically. I’d just won the Olympics and then... I was just kind of riding around doing nothing, you know? It’s not really the true representation of myself.”

Deputy team principal Rod Ellingworth said: “We’ve got a really dynamic and versatile group of riders that are ready to take this race on.

“In Adam, Dani and Geraint we have three fantastic general classification heavyweights who can mount a real challenge. They have proved their form across the season and are lining up in Copenhagen in great shape.”