Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) wins the gold medal in men’s cross country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Charlie Aldridge of Team Great Britain and Jordan Sarrou of Team France compete during the men’s Cross Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Switzerland’s Mathias Flueckiger competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Chile’s Martin Vidaurre Kossmann competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Belgian Pierre De Froidmont pictured in action during the men’s cross-country mountain bike cycling race at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games(Image credit: Getty Images)
Britain’s Charlie Aldridge competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Switzerland’s Nino Schurter competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill(Image credit: Getty Images)
A general view of Samuel Gaze of Team New Zealand, Charlie Aldridge of Team Great Britain, Mathias Flueckiger of Team Switzerland compete in the breakaway while fans cheers during the men’s Cross Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
South Africa’s Alan Hatherly competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Samuel Gaze of Team New Zealand competes during the Mmen’s Cross Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Alan Hatherly of Team South Africa competes during the Men’s Cross Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Italy’s Luca Braidot competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill(Image credit: Getty Images)
British rider Thomas Pidcock pictured with a flat tire during the men’s cross-country mountain bike cycling race at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the Colline d’Elancourt (Image credit: Getty Images)
Britain’s Thomas Pidcock competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Britain’s Thomas Pidcock cycles ahead of France’s Victor Koretzky (L) and South Africa’s Alan Hatherly (R) as they compete in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
France’s Jordan Sarrou competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill(Image credit: Getty Images)
France’s Victor Koretzky competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock of Team Great Britain competes during the men’s Cross Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Gunnar Holmgren of Team Canada competes during the men’s Cross Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Britain’s Thomas Pidcock (C), France’s Victor Koretzky (L) and South Africa’s Alan Hatherly (R) compete in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill (Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock of Team Great Britain celebrates at finish line as gold medal winner during the men’s Cross Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) wins the gold medal in men’s cross country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock of Team Great Britain celebrates winning the gold medal in men’s cross country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock of Team Great Britain celebrates winning the gold medal in men’s cross country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock of Team Great Britain celebrates winning the gold medal in men’s cross country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock of Team Great Britain celebrates winning the gold medal in men’s cross country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) successfully defended his cross-country mountain bike gold at the Paris Olympic Games, capping a comeback for the ages in the closing meters of the 86-minute race following a puncture earlier on.
The 24-year-old beat home favourite Victor Koretzky (France) to take the win with a canny move up the inside of a left-hand corner in the section of forest at the very end of the final lap.
The overtake, which almost led to a coming-together as Koretzky narrowly avoided a collision with his rival’s rear wheel, put the Frenchman firmly in the silver medal position.
He finished second at nine seconds down, two seconds up on Alan Hatherly (South Africa), who had earlier been part of the three-man lead group at the head of the race.
Pidcock’s hopes of emulating Julien Absalon (2004-08) in successfully defending the men’s Olympic gold medal looked to possibly be dead and buried on lap four as he punctured out of the leading position, rejoining 38 seconds down on Koretzky.
However, the chasers behind, in particular, Pidcock, would have their say. Lap by lap, the Briton cut through the field, reducing his disadvantage until he and Hatherly – picked up along the way as he sped back to the front – caught Koretzky at the start of the final lap.
The trio were all set for a mammoth battle on the final run to the line, with Pidcock kicking off proceedings by attacking on the mid-lap climb. The trio stuck together, at least until Koretzky countered on the next hill.
That cutting acceleration dispensed with Hatherly, leaving it up to a two-man battle for gold. That battle was decided in the forest moments before the finish line as Pidcock chose the inside line, passing and blocking out Koretzky, who could offer little in the way of resistance as he saw his gold medal hopes vanish.
More to follow…
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