Tom Pidcock taken to hospital after falling during reconnaissance time trial Tour of the Basque Country

Tom Pidcock had to withdraw from the Tour of the Basque Country at the last minute. The Briton crashed during the exploration of the opening time trial in and around Irun, his team INEOS Grenadiers reported via social media.

It is currently unclear how Pidcock is doing, but he has been taken to hospital. “After consultation between our team doctor and the medical staff of the Tour of the Basque Country, Tom was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. We will release more information,” INEOS Grenadiers said on X.

INEOS Grenadiers will start the six-day Tour of the Basque Country today without its intended leader. Pidcock seemed to be one of the (shadow) favorites for the final victory, given his level of form. The course – with its many short and, above all, steep Basque climbs – also seemed tailor-made for him.

For Pidcock, the Tour of the Basque Country was also an important preparation race for the upcoming hill classics: the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. It is still unclear whether he will be fit in time for these matches, or whether he will have to change his program.

INEOS Grenadiers, the team of the unfortunate Pidcock, will still count on Carlos Rodríguez, Omar Fraile, Ethan Hayter, Jonathan Castroviejo, Michal Kwiatkowski and Brandon Smith Rivera in the Basque Country in the coming days.