Tom Pidcock wins one of the most astonishing races in Olympic history – after this audacious move

Tom Pidcock had to smile. Asked whether it was still his opinion that the Élancourt Hill Olympic mountain bike course was “bland”, as he claimed last week in the build-up to this race, he could not keep a straight face.

“To be fair, it looks a lot better on TV than it does to ride,” Pidcock said, chuckling. “It looks pretty cool. It did when I watched the women’s race yesterday.”

This was one of the most astonishing, gripping, nail-biting races in Olympic history, never mind mountain bike history.

The booing at the end was, as Pidcock said, “a shame”, although in the crowd’s defence, a lot of the French fans also cheered for Pidcock. Either way, the vast majority of them, and the millions watching on television, knew what they had just witnessed: sporting drama of the best kind. An extraordinary display of guts, determination, skill and bravery.

But what is it about British riders and front-wheel punctures at these Games? At this rate, our road riders and trackies may as well just stop and just change their wheels voluntarily 10 minutes into proceedings as they will only have to do it a minute or two later.

Just as Josh Tarling had to in Saturday’s men’s time trial, Pidcock had to come back from a mid-race puncture here. Unlike Tarling on Saturday, he had enough time to do something about it.

Defending the title he won in Tokyo three years ago, Pidcock had made a steady start, biding his time on the first of eight 4.4km laps, as his team-mate Charlie Aldridge surged to the front.

But by lap four the pre-race favourite and reigning world champion was starting to put pedal to the metal. Pidcock had only  the French rider Victor Koretzky for company when he suffered his puncture – “a mistake” on his part, he later said – and was forced to limp into the pits. “I tried to ride smoothly so that Victor didn’t know,” he revealed. “Unfortunately, he realised pretty quickly and attacked”.

Worse was to befall Pidcock when he arrived to find his mechanic, Bruno, unaware of his issue. “I obviously didn’t make it clear enough that I had a puncture,” Pidcock said, sparing Bruno’s blushes. It was a painfully slow stop, at least 10 seconds of rushing around trying to locate a spare wheel, and by the time he was back under way, Pidcock was looking at a deficit of 34 seconds to Koretzky. That gap grew to around 44 seconds as Pidcock’s hopes hung in the balance.

To his credit, he did not panic. Rather than bust a gut trying to close the gap immediately, Pidcock set about his task with patience and maturity, chipping away at it lap by lap, measuring his effort. “There was no point in stressing over it, was there?” he said. “I had someone telling me I was in eighth, but I don’t give a f--- what position I am in. I just want to know how far it is to the front.”

Slowly, but surely, he made his way back. And, as they started the eighth and final lap, Pidcock, Koretzky and the South African, Alan Hatherly – who had also performed heroics to get himself back in the equation – were locked together. The crowd, who had got themselves into a frothy lather over the prospect of a second French win in two days, following Pauline Ferrand-Prevot’s victory in the women’s race on Sunday, were beside themselves with excitement, patriotic fervour boiling over in the 30C heat.

A simply sensational move and race

Pidcock knew Koretzky was the big threat. “Victor is the fastest guy in mountain bikes on the last lap, he shows this on the short track [races] with the raw power that he has,” he said. And so it proved. Koretzky attacked and Pidcock responded. Then he attacked again as they approached the final kilometre, with a big drop down into a sea of fans who were at fever pitch.

This time Pidcock – who showed no apparent ill effects after having to pull out of the Tour de France with Covid – responded with what is surely destined to become one of the most memorable passes in Olympic history, going left around a tree when Koretzky, perhaps unwisely, went right.

As the two riders came back together, Pidcock slightly ahead now and on the racing line, they almost made contact, drawing gasps from the crowds. Was there foul play? Mais non. It was a simply sensational move and race, and the emotion on Pidcock’s face afterwards, the way he embraced his friends and family after the booing, as the realisation of what he had done sunk in, was something to behold.

It remains to be seen whether Pidcock will defend his title again in Los Angeles in four years. Ineos Grenadiers owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is desperate to win the Tour de France again and the big question about Pidcock – who in his short career has already won world titles in cyclo-cross and mountain bike, Olympic titles in mountain bike, as well as the Queen stage of the Tour – is whether he can ever challenge for the yellow jersey should he decide to focus solely on the road.

It is a question for another day. Pidcock turns 25 on Tuesday. He admitted he might “sack off” the traditional post-mountain bike race recovery ride. Fair enough, although he cannot afford to take it too easy as he has the road race coming up on Saturday when he also has hopes of a medal. For now, though, he deserves to enjoy the moment.

“This is what makes the Olympics to me, the fact that it’s bigger than cycling,” he reflected of the reaction to his win. “People back home, they come into the Olympics, they get into the Olympic spirit, they celebrate every gold medal, but the biggest thing is to inspire people. That is what I love to do. Hopefully I did that today.”

Breaking down Pidcock’s ultra-aggressive move that won the race

By Jack de Menezes

Tom Pidcock became a two-time Olympic mountain bike gold medallist in hugely controversial circumstances after a last-ditch move on Victor Koretzky.

Pidcock looked to be sitting pretty at the front of the race and in complete control only for a front puncture to cost him more than 30 seconds on the fourth lap, leaving him needing to charge through the pack to have any chance of defending his title.

But after riding back into the lead on the penultimate lap, Pidcock and Koretzky engaged in a brilliant back-and-forth battle for gold. Here is how it unfolded.

Footage emerged on Monday night which showed Koretzky misjudging his line at an earlier point in the race and going into a tree in the build-up to the sensational move from Pidcock.

Koretzky took the lead with a brilliant uphill attack, only for Pidcock to retake the advantage on the descent. As they head towards the final woodland section, Koretzky is in front and Pidcock is quickly running out of time.

Koretzky opts for the outside line as the pair head towards a dividing tree that splits the course into two. Sensing a chance, Pidcock goes for the alternative route and launches it.

At the point of the second tree, Pidcock is very nearly level with Koretzky, with the two destined to battle for the same piece of dirt as the track brings them back together.

They both dive for the inside line at the next left turn, with Pidcock getting his wheel in front of Koretzky and claiming the racing line. The Frenchman has to veer off-line to prevent a crash.

Worse follows for Koretzky as he heads towards another tree trunk, forcing him to slam on the brakes and take avoiding action and wreck his hopes of a gold medal as Pidcock powers away.

By the time Koretzky has recovered, Pidcock has the momentum to carry himself away and crosses the line with a nine-second advantage as he celebrates a second consecutive gold medal by roaring in delight on the line.

Koretzky, having been the long-time leader of the race, has to settle for the silver medal and appears rueful at what could have been as he crosses the line.

Pidcock is then booed by the partisan home fans as he celebrates securing Team GB’s second gold medal both of the day and the Games overall, but Koretzky appears far more understanding and no appeal is lodged over the winning move.

Was the overtake reviewed?

Stephen Park, the performance director of British Cycling, confirmed to Telegraph Sport that the incident was reviewed immediately but deemed acceptable, allowing Pidcock to hold on to gold.

Could France have appealed?

Olympic races are competed under the normal International Cycling Union regulations, meaning that 20 international commissaires are appointed to officiate all races. It is their job to check that all overtakes and manoeuvres are fair and by the rules.

The French team could have submitted an appeal to the Appeals Jury if they felt Koretzky had been wronged by Pidcock’s overtake. The jury is made up of 10 members who “give its verdict on any dispute or problem of a general or ethical nature”.

Team GB confirmed after the race that no protest had been lodged.