IFFY’S HOT TAKE: EUROPE JUST MELTED DOWN AND I’M HERE FOR IT

John Trevorrow
4 days ago
3 min read

Pidcock vanishes into a ravine, Remco raises more Tour doubts, Van der Poel goes full alien again, and Jayco-AlUla take control in Italy. Strap in.

Pidcock’s Ravine Nightmare Becomes Instant Cycling Folklore

Tom Pidcock didn’t just crash on Stage 5 of Catalunya. He disappeared. One moment he was drinking on the descent, the next he was gone from the road entirely.

“I overshot it and went down the ravine. It was like one of these horror crashes you see, but I’m very lucky that I am okay,” he said afterwards, still sounding halfshocked and halfgrateful to be alive.

He was so far off the road that nobody knew where he was. “I am lucky I could talk on the radio. I was far from the road and nobody knew I was there,” he added.

He eventually scrambled back up, swapped bikes, and finished the stage. That alone deserves a medal. But the GC? Gone. The mystique of Pidcock the mountain goat? Still intact, because honestly, surviving that fall is very impressive.

Iffy’s take: If Pidcock ever releases a survival guide, I’m buying ten copies.

Remco’s Catalunya Wobble Adds More Tour de France Question Marks

Remco Evenepoel didn’t crash, didn’t vanish into shrubbery, didn’t lose a bike. He just lost the wheel. Again.

On the final run-in to La Molina, he simply couldn’t match the best climbers. Vingegaard detonated the race and Remco was left managing damage rather than making moves. It wasn’t catastrophic, but it wasn’t Tour winning either.

And the thing is, the doubts aren’t new. They’ve been building since last year’s Tour abandonment, where he later admitted “I broke, and strangely enough I’m proud of it… sometimes your body has other plans.”

He’s been labelled the next Belgian megastar, the heir to Merckx, the saviour of a cyclingmad nation. But right now, he’s still a riddle. Brilliant on his day, vulnerable on the long climbs, and still searching for that mythical threeweek consistency.

Iffy’s take: The big question about Remco is can he match Pogacar and Vingegaard in the big mountains at the TdF. I doubt it. In his first TdF in 2024 he was very good except for the biggest climbs. I haven’t seen any signs since that will change that. Let’s all calm down until July.

Van der Poel Turns E3 Into a OneMan Show and Nearly Blows It

Mathieu van der Poel winning E3 is normal. Mathieu van der Poel winning E3 solo for the third time is impressive. Mathieu van der Poel winning E3 solo for the third time while nearly imploding is pure cinema.

He attacked with sixty kilometres to go and rode like a man possessed. But the gap started melting. Ten seconds. Five seconds. One kilometre to go and he was cooked.

“With five kilometres to go, I was empty too,” he admitted. “I thought they were coming back… I wasn’t able to sprint anymore. I just rode as fast as I could, and it was just enough.”

His DS said it wasn’t a feeding error, just the reality of sixty kilometres of violence. The chasers hesitated for a heartbeat and that was all he needed.

Iffy’s take: If MVDP ever decides to attack from the neutral zone, I still think he wins.

Coppi e Bartali: Jayco-AlUla Take Control with Mauro Schmid in the Leader’s Jersey

While Catalunya and Belgium were exploding, Jayco-AlUla were quietly running the show in Italy. Mauro Schmid is the new race leader after finishing second on Stage 3 and taking the overall by two seconds.

The Swiss champ has been sharp all week and looks completely at ease in the leader’s role. The team has been organised, aggressive, and clearly the strongest outfit in the race.

Schmid’s form has been building and he’s sounding confident. He didn’t give a big quote today, but his riding said enough. Calm. Composed. In control.

Iffy’s take: Jayco-AlUla are cooking in Italy but need to change the recipe elsewhere.