Tom Pidcock admitted that he and his new Q36.5 teammates have "some improving to do" after not entering the key Muur van Geraardsbergen climb at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in ideal position and only managing 38th at the start of the Classics season.
It was still an overall positive first WorldTour race for Pidcock on his new team after making a flying start to 2025, with the 25-year-old being active throughout the 197km with decent shape and his result only coming as a result of racing coming back together for a sprint.
With the sprinter's teams being prominent in bunch during the final run for home and a strong headwind discouraging several would-be attackers, Pidcock could do little to utilise his punchy characteristics, especially after missing out on the climbs.
"I think from quite early on I saw that Alpecin did a really strong ride controlling the race, and there was not really anywhere to go," Pidcock told TNT post-race.
"I was trying to save myself for the Muur and the Bosberg, but then I entered the Muur way too far back. Every year, I've actually gone into the Muur in a little group off the front, and then the bunch has caught me.
"There's not really anything I could do there. It's a bit disappointing, but at the same time, I kind of expected that today. [My shape is] pretty good, I'm alright, and I'm quite fresh."
The Brit originally did well by getting into the front split over the Molenberg with 42km to go; however, when the crucial climb through Geraardsbergen up the Muur arrived with 16km remaining, he had ceded his ideal position at the front.
He was forced to join the chase alongside the likes of Antonio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) over the Bobserg, and eventually, their large chasing group rejoined the Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Matthias Vacek (Lidl-Trek)-led front split to play out the final 8km.
"The level is super high," said Pidcock as he tried to explain why the racing stayed together. "There are so many good riders, and that's all I can say.
"Normally, people's legs fall off near the end. It's a hard race, but today the weather was also pretty OK and not cold, so just a lot of good guys stayed in. Everyone has had a good winter."
Pidcock has contested sprints at Omloop finishes in seasons gone by, netting fifth in 2023 and eighth last year in a bunch finish; however, he left the fast finish up to the purer fast men this time.
"I have not spoken with him about why he wasn't sprinting. I was trying to motivate him on the radio because he is fast, but maybe he didn't have the legs anymore - that's just my thoughts," Q36.5 sports director Jens Zemke told Cyclingnews after the finish, who characterised it as a bizarre edition of the Omloop.
"It was a strange Het Nieuwsblad. With Tom, we had some action with him, changing the front wheel twice, then he changed his shoe. But he felt good, and we brought him in a good position to the Eikenberg, which was for us a key section."
However, the Brit's resources were dampened throughout the 197 kilometres, with two of his teammates, Frederik Frison and Kamil Małecki, eventually not finishing due to a crash and Nickolas Zukowsky also having an untimely puncture.
It was far from a perfect performance from the Swiss ProTeam, but they will only get better as the races come thick and fast and their leader Pidcock gets used to working with and utilising his new teammates best.
"I think it's difficult with a lot of guys that I've never raced with before," said the Brit. "You always have to learn how each other work. It's a positive day, but we've got some improving to do."
That next chance to show off their synergy will come at Strade Bianche on March 8, a race Pidcock has won before. A return to the Cobbled Classics later in spring remains "a big question mark" according to Zemke, "but it's possible."
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