Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock has won the cross-country mountain bike race at the UCI World Championships, adding the rainbow jersey to the Olympic gold medal he won in Tokyo in 2021, and celebrating his victory by draping himself in the flag of Yorkshire as he crossed the line.
The 24-year-old Ineos Grenadiers rider started the race in 33rd position on the grid following a late rule change by the UCI which, as we reported earlier today, has been strongly criticised by some of the discipline’s leading riders.
Going into the fifth of eight laps at Glentress, Pidcock was one of a trio of riders out in front at the head of the race.
With him were the Swiss rider Nino Schurter, 10 times a world champion in the event and defending his title today, and the South African, Alan Hatherly.
An attack by Schurter briefly distanced the other pair, but was countered by the Yorkshireman, who quickly built what would prove to be a winning lead.
The moment @tompidcock became the first Brit to win the elite men’s MTB XCO world title ????
? @eurosport pic.twitter.com/tUyEe5bq43
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) August 12, 2023
New Zealand’s Sam Gaze, winner of the winner of the short-track race on Thursday in which Pidcock had to settle for the bronze medal, got across to Schurter’s wheel and prevailed over the 10-time rainbow jersey winner to take silver.






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3 thoughts on “World Championships: Tom Pidcock smashes the field to win mountain bike cross-country rainbow jersey”
It might seem like only a
It might seem like only a year ago, but Tokyo was in fact in 2021 …
No visor on the helmet? Then
No visor on the helmet? Then it’s not really mountain biking.
Paper Back Rider wrote:
Apparently It was a prototype retractable laser powered hologram visor, seen here powered down. Should be on the market next year for around 20 grand apparently.
Should sell very well judging by the price of bikes lately.