Tom Pidcock defends title in dramatic mountain biking race with a mighty comeback

By Charlie Bennett at Elancourt Hill in Paris

Team GB are predicted to win as many as 70 medals in Paris, but surely none will be as dramatic as this as Tom Pidcock joined the pantheon of British sporting greats.

In just 8.8km, the mountain biker roared back from a 36-second deficit to France’s Victor Koretzky and overtook in the final few seconds to win Britain’s second gold medal of these Olympic Games.

Pidcock’s hopes appeared to lie in ruin when a puncture mid-way through dumped him down to eighth, but he gradually made his way back to third and then sped after Koretzky and South Africa’s Alan Hatherley.

In the final few corners, it came down to the home favourite and the defending champion, with Koretzky at the front. But Pidcock reeled him in again and took a tight line through the trees, daring to go left while Koretzky went right.

It was daring, opportunistic and high-risk – but the reward proved to be worth it, as he emerged in front when they joined back together.

He crossed the line to a cacophony of boos from a disappointed partisan crowd, but as a two-time Olympic champion and now a household name.

“Normally I do a long ride to recover the day after a mountain bike race – but I might sack that off now,” he said.

“It’s the most emotionally draining victory.

“The buildup was a long time in my head and waiting all week was hard, plus and the training.

“It builds up and it’s not until you cross the finish line, it all pours out. It needs a lot of energy and focus to deal with that.

“Normally in these races I make the gap early on, but Victor was with me and then I punctured.

“This course is not difficult, but I know if I could stay close to him, I could make a move in the last part when he was not expecting it.”

Pidcock stood motionless on the sidelines as the British team replaced his punctured tyre mid-way through. It occurred on the fourth lap of an eight-lap race and just as he and Koretzky had broken away at the front.

The British mechanics were caught off-guard, and it took 10 seconds for a spare to be brought out. When he re-joined the race, Pidcock was eighth and 36 seconds off the lead, an age in a sport of so many dangerous obstacles.

But on the site of a former quarry, he set about digging himself out of an almighty hole.

“What is the point of stressing?,” he said after the race.

“Thirty seconds is a lot on this course. It was not easy, but I had someone telling me I was eighth and I said I don’t give a f**k what position I am in. I just want to get to the front.”

On Saturday, Pidcock goes in the men’s road race and is among the favourites to add a second gold to his collection.

“I don’t even want to think about that,” said Pidcock, is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – which has been vital on their pathway to the Paris 2024 Games.

“Today is about enjoying this and inspiring others.

“This is what makes the Olympics so special to me.

“It is bigger than cycling and people back home, they get in the spirit and celebrate every medal. But the bigger thing is to inspire people and that is what I like to do.”

On Tuesday, he turns 25 but instead of a big celebration, he’ll be watching back the race and trying to work out quite how he did it.

“I have not ridden a race like this before,” he said.

That’s perhaps because there has never been a race like this before.

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