The disappointment on the face of a rider on the podium always reveals how much he believed in victory. Tom Pidcock struggled to smile in Piazza del Campo in Siena, knowing he had fought Tadej Pogačar and been at his level for 50 kilometers. Second place, better than the others, was a remarkable result but the Briton was hoping for something more.

' I have bittersweet feelings now. In the end it was a very close race, definitely closer than previous attempts to beat Tadej. But still not close enough,' Pidcock explained after the race.

' That's what I was hoping for. I knew I was in good shape, I think I'm in the best shape I've ever been and it was nice to be racing with him for so long .'

Pidcock agreed that this was one of his best performances in a Spring Classic. He has already won the Strade Bianche and the Amstel Gold Race, but this time he was looking to challenge Pogačar directly.

' I felt really good today . When you attack with 70km to go, it means you're strong. My plan was to follow him when he attacked. I knew he would but he was stalling, so I thought I'd go .'

Unfortunately for Pidcock, Pogačar proved stronger, even managing to rejoin after a high-speed crash and a bike change. ' A thousand things went through my head when he crashed ,' Pidcock revealed. ' We were riding really strong, I'm happy he's OK. I waited, it was the right thing to do .'

Jokingly, when asked if Pogačar was superhuman, Pidcock joked: ' We'll have to open him up when he dies to see... What do I expect to find? Heart, lungs, the usual stuff .'

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency