TakeWorlds4 weeks ago
Britain didn't bring Onley and Yates to Montreal to shepherd Pidcock. They brought them to attack — and Pogačar's absence is what makes that possible. Pidcock put it plainly: «Tadej is the hardest rider to beat, and he's not here. That means the second-best rider is easier to beat.»
With no single rider forcing the race, Britain's eight-man squad can let Onley or Yates go up the road while other nations decide whether to chase — instead of Britain doing the controlling themselves. Onley arrives off a white jersey at the Vuelta a España 2026, Yates already has a Grand Prix de Montréal win on this course. Pidcock's read is a tactical one, not a consolation prize: «You don't need to be the strongest to win the Worlds… maybe now it's different.»
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