Tom Pidcock storms back from puncture to grab dramatic mountain bike gold
The Briton had a flat tyre on the fourth of eight laps but fought back to defend his Olympic title.
Tom Pidcock stormed back from a front puncture to take a second consecutive Olympic mountain bike gold in dramatic fashion at the Paris Games.
Pidcock’s race was in danger of unravelling when he suffered a flat front tyre on the fourth of eight laps, shortly after he had taken control of the 35km race with an attack which split the pack.
Having fallen 40 seconds behind French hope Victor Koretzky, Pidcock fought his way back to reclaim the lead with a lap and a half to go, but the pair traded blows in the last couple of kilometres – dramatically touching wheels – before Pidcock burst forward to take the win.
Pidcock was booed by the home crowds at Elancourt Hill, who had been ecstatic when Koretzky had attacked on the final climb of the race – the sort of territory where Pidcock would be expected to make a move – to take the lead late on.
But their hearts would be broken after Pidcock got his nose in front of Koretzky as the path narrowed before a tree, the decisive moment in a tense race.
After a relatively poor start, Pidcock had moved to the front on the third lap and then took control, only for things to unravel with a front flat tyre.
Pidcock was lucky in that it happened close to the pits but his team were not ready for him and it was a slow change, leading Pidcock down in ninth place, the gap to the front suddenly ballooning.
He caught back up to catch Koretzky with two laps to go, but the effort told as he could not shake off the Frenchman until the very last.
It is only 16 days since Pidcock pulled out of the Tour de France suffering from Covid.
The reigning mountain bike world champion had made this race his number one target all season, and his determination to deliver showed in the final two laps of a pulsating contest.
Pidcock revealed how his racing instincts had got him over the line for gold.
“It was all going pretty well and I knew that Victor would be strong and then the puncture happened. We weren’t ready in the pits but he did a fast change and I knew at that point that I had five laps and thought anything was possible.
“Suddenly I was coming really fast back to Victor but I couldn’t get rid of him and I knew how fast he was on the last lap. In the end, I just had to go for a gap. Racing is what I’ve always done and the Olympics is not different.
“I’m sorry for him, the support for him was incredible but it’s the Olympics so you’ve got to go all in. The Olympics is so special and you need to never give up.
“In the lead up the Olympics so many things run through your head. Emotions, scenarios, and, by the time you get on the startline, you’re a bit knackered as it is.
“I can’t thank everyone enough. Everyone around me has helped me train perfectly.”
