Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), who earned his second career podium finish in the Amstel Gold Race, followed Tadey Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) and runner-up Ben Healy (EF Education Easy Post) at the end of the 253.6 km event. He finished third, but admitted that he "came up a little short."

"There was nothing left at the end," Pidcock said after Sunday's race. 'I've struggled with the distances this year, but up until then I've done okay.'

In the World Tour one-day race in the Netherlands, a strong group broke away with 90km to go and Pidcock and Healy followed Pogachar, the two-time Tour de France winner, who attacked on the Eiservosweg. Soon after, however, Pogachar dropped them both with less than 30km to go. Healy eventually dropped Pidcock, however, and Pidcock held off Andreas Krohn (Lotto Dostony) to take third place.

Despite missing out on the win, it was another solid showing for Pidcock, who finished second in his first appearance in 2021. In a spring campaign full of ups and downs, this finale was a challenge for him: the 23-year-old British rider won the Strade Bianche in March in impressive fashion, but suffered a concussion in Tirreno-Adriatico and missed the Milano-Sanremo race. Since then he has been getting back to his best. 7]

Overall, Sunday's race in Holland was strong, but as he says, "the last 20 km was a long, long way for me."

He is now back to his best.

Ineos Grenadiers won this race last year with Michal Kwiatkowski. This time, Pidcock and Magnus Sheffield jumped into the decisive move with about two hours to go.

"It was definitely a good situation," Pidcock said of Ineos Grenadiers putting two riders in the lead group." I think the idea was to take Magnus upstream, but I thought it was very strange that the break caught me so early. I was feeling a little blocked up because of the rain."

"I opened myself up a little bit to stay warm and then with 100km to go I was off the front. With 100km to go, I was off the front. So it was tough."

Also making the race difficult was the man who would go on to win. Pogachar, who is only 24 years old, has won three stages and the overall at Clasica Jaen Paraiso Interior and Ruta del Sol, three stages and the overall at Paris-Nice, his fourth Tour de Flanders monument title, and now the Amstel Gold Race this season alone.

Pidcock could only hang his hat after the race, but he also seemed satisfied with his current form.

"When he goes, he goes hard. Sometimes you can't help it," Pidcock said of Pogachar.

"I think he was good today. Just came up a little short at the end."

Ultimately, a podium finish in a major one-day race should give Pidcock confidence for his next big goal, the Ardennes. He will compete in La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday and then go for the Monument in Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday.