Frustrated after finishing second in the short track race the previous day, Tom Pidcock responded in perfect fashion at the Nové Město World Cup round by winning the Olympic cross-country (XCO) event. Already regarded as one of the leading figures in mountain biking over the past few seasons, the double Olympic champion once again underlined his remarkable versatility, taking victory in his first MTB appearance of the year.
Tom Pidcock strikes back at Nové Město
The previous day, Tom Pidcock had left the Czech circuit feeling frustrated. In the short track race, the Brit looked set for victory before being outsprinted in the closing metres by France’s Mathis Azzaro.
Sunday, however, told a very different story. From the opening laps of the XCO race, the double Olympic champion set a relentless pace. After around 15 minutes of racing, he launched a fierce acceleration that immediately stretched the field apart. Behind him, only a handful of riders were able to limit the damage, but once again the Brit appeared to be operating on a different level on the most demanding sections of the Czech course.
Even so, this was far from a comfortable ride to victory. French rider Luca Martin delivered an outstanding performance and kept the pressure on throughout the race. Closing the gap to just a few seconds during the sixth lap, he ultimately could not bridge across completely and never truly threatened Tom Pidcock in the closing stages. The Brit eventually crossed the line 18 seconds clear, while Switzerland’s Filippo Colombo completed the podium more than a minute behind.
This World Cup round may have been his first MTB appearance of the season, but it certainly was not his first victory of 2026. Since the beginning of the year, Tom Pidcock has continued to balance road racing and mountain biking with a packed schedule. Back in March, he impressed on the road by winning Milan–Turin before producing a huge ride at Milan–San Remo, where only Tadej Pogačar managed to beat him in the sprint after a spectacular finale over the Cipressa and the Poggio.
Once again, the double Olympic MTB champion (2021 and 2024) proved his ability to move seamlessly between disciplines without ever losing his competitiveness : perhaps the greatest strength of all in a rider as complete as Tom Pidcock.
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