Tom Pidcock's chances of shining in the Ardennes Classics received a major boost after it was confirmed that Pidcock's Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team had received wildcard invitations for both the 2025 editions of La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Tudor Pro Cycling have also received wild card invitations, with team leaders Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi expected to contend victory, alongside Pidcock and Tadej Pogačar. Remco Evenepoel could also be in action if his recovery from his shoulder injury goes to plan.
Having switched from Ineos Grenadiers to Q36.5 late in 2024, Pidcock has already accepted he would be skipping the Tour de France this year, rendering a potential focus on the one-day Classics like Flèche and Liège even more important.
Pidcock's track record in the final Spring Classics of the season is impressive. Last year the Briton took one of Ineos Grenadiers' biggest 2024 triumphs at the Amstel Gold Race, held on the Sunday across the border in Holland before the Belgian Ardennes Classics. In 2022 he won Brabantse Pijl, the semi-Classic which takes place the previous week.
Pidcock also took second in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2023, to date Great Britain's best ever finish in cycling's oldest Monument and Pidcock's own personal best in any Monument. His best result from La Flèche Wallonne dates from 2021, when he placed sixth.
The presence of Q36.5 in the Belgian Ardennes adds another important piece to the jigsaw puzzle of Pidcock's 2025 campaign.
The 25-year-old will start his season on January 28 at the five-stage AIUIa Tour in Saudi Arabia and it was also recently announced by the organisation of the Vuelta a Andalucia that the Briton would be taking part in the Spanish early season event, which runs from February 19-23.
As yet, none of the Grand Tours have announced their wild card selections, although Q36.5 are considered possible candidates both for the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España. Tudor Pro Cycling and Uno-X Mobility are hoping for a wild card place at the Tour de France.
Another keenly expected participant in the Ardennes this April will be Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), back racing after a short retirement.
Van der Breggen has no less than seven wins in La Flèche Wallonne as well as two victories in Liège, making her a major pre-race favourite.
Race organisers ASO also confirmed the 2025 routes for both men's and women's Belgian Ardennes Classic on Wednesday.
The one major change in La Flèche Wallonne is the reintroduction, after a year's absence, of the late ascent of Côte de Cherave on the finishing circuit.
Just 1.4 kilometres long but with stretches at up to 13.8%, Cherave will follow the Côte de Ereffe and immediately precede the ascent to the Mûr de Huy, likely reducing the pack before the final mass assault on the last climb.
Barring a couple of tweaks on the early part of the course, the route for the men's edition of Liége-Bastogne-Liége remains largely unchanged compared to 2024, with the emotional highpoint coming with the 50th ascent of the Côte de la Redoute.
First used in 1975, La Redoute has been long established as the most emblematic climb of the race. It will also form part of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, which like La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, will end shortly after the men's race after television audiences proved to much higher.
ASO announced the 2025 wildcard teams for the In Flèche and Liège Femmes are Arkéa-B&B Hotels Women, Cofidis Women Team, DD Group Pro Cycling Team, EF Education - Oatly, Laboral Kutxa - Fundacion Euskadi, Lotto, St Michel - Préférence Home - Auber 93, Team Coop Repsol, Volkerwessels Cycling Team and Winspace Orange Seal.
In the equivalent men's races, the wild cards for La Flèche Wallonne alongside Q36.5 and Tudor ProCycling went Wagner Bazin WB and Flanders Baloise. The first three teams will also be present in Liège the following Sunday, where French ProTeam Total Energies will replace Flanders Baloise.
