The twentieth stage finishing at Bola del Mundo decided the winner of the Vuelta a España and who would take second and third place on the podium. Tom Pidcock will be third in Madrid, behind winner Vingegaard and second-placed Almeida. For the British rider, this is his first podium in a Grand Tour and it is truly an important result for him.

This result is also important for the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, which, thanks to Pidcock, has conquered a podium in a Grand Tour for the first time.

"The fatigue in the third week of racing is noticeable, but yesterday morning I was super charged, ready for this stage" – Pidcock said after crossing the finish line at Bola del Mundo -. "We had two relatively easy days, so yesterday was more like a one-day race, and that's what I do well".

To reach the finish line, riders had to tackle a 12.3-kilometer climb with a gradient that nearly touched 20%, with the last kilometers being the most difficult. "It's so hard to find the rhythm on such steep climbs and with this surface. I managed to maintain control on the steepest climbs, I didn't want to exceed my limit and then collapse".

Tom Pidcock is extremely happy with this result: even though he didn't manage to win a stage, the third place overall is his best result so far in a Grand Tour. "I really don't know what to say right now. I'm quite proud of myself. This is the most important performance of my road career. I'm very exhausted now and truly, I'm struggling to find the words at this moment".

Today, in the stage towards Madrid, he can finally enjoy the race without thinking about defending his position in the general classification, and from tomorrow he can take a few days of rest before participating in the final commitments of the season.

"Now I can finally relax, at least I think so. Until today, I had to be super focused on everything and ready to race at my best in every stage. Now I can just enjoy every moment and if I want, I might not even drink one of those disgusting recovery smoothies they give us...".