Pidcock says Paris-Roubaix ‘a completely different beast’ after top-20 finish on debut

Tom Pidcock admitted that Paris-Roubaix is a “completely different beast” as he revealed he couldn’t hold his handlebars by the time the race reached its conclusion.

Famous for its formidable cobbles, the one-day event is not for the faint-hearted.

And that meant Pidcock was content with coming in the top 20 as he stepped up to the senior race for the first time.

“I mean I couldn’t hold my handlebars at the end, that was my biggest problem.”

Pidcock, a cross-country Olympic champion in Tokyo three years ago, has previously won the junior and under-23 editions of Paris-Roubaix, so he was not a novice when it came to the course.

And he felt racing with the seniors was a much tougher prospect than what he has previously experienced.

“It’s a completely different beast I think, the speed was pretty incredible,” he said.

“The race was split from the first sector really, in bits. It was just a day out, to be honest, there’s not really much more I could have done.

“At the end of the day, the weight comes into play and there’s only so much power I have.”

But does completing the famous race bolster his chances of lifting the cobble trophy in future?

“I think it’s more difficult now having done it,” he admitted.