Tom Pidcock made more cycling history by winning the elite UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in commanding fashion in Fayetteville, USA, on Sunday, becoming the first British male rider to win the elite crown.
Pidcock, who won the gold medal in cross-country mountain biking at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, was already a junior and U23 world champion in cyclo-cross and came into the race in Arkansas as the favourite for the win.
Despite a concerted effort to swarm Pidcock and control the race from the very start by the big Belgium squad that included major rivals Eli Iserbyt and Toon Aerts, the Brit rode tactically smart during the early stages before making the decisive move of the race on the fourth lap.
After forcing his way into the lead entering the most technical corner on the course, Pidcock wound the power on and rode away from his rivals over the following five laps, eventually crossing the line with a dominant winning margin of 30 seconds.
Dutch rider Lars van der Haar chased down Iserbyt during the final few laps and then out sprinted him in the final few hundred metres to take the silver medal, with the Belgian finishing third.
After becoming the first British male winner of an elite UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup race in Rucphen earlier in the season, Pidcock wrote another chapter in British cycling history by also becoming it’s first male elite world champion.
The Briton commented: “That was always going to be a super hard race. The drier it became, the more tactics were going to play a part and the Belgians were trying to ride a really tactical race, but I was having none of it. I found my opportunity and made it stick. We came here with a plan and process, and we just stuck to it.”
Pidcock has stated that one of his cycling goals is to win the cyclo-cross, mountain bike cross-country and road race world titles in the same year and after securing the cycle-cross title in style, will now turn his attentions to the upcoming mountain bike and road racing seasons.
Video Men’s Cyclocross World Championships
Results
1. Thomas Pidcock (GBR) 1:00:36
2. Lars van Der Haar (NED) +0:30
3. Eli Iserbyt (BEL) +0:32
Video Women’s Cyclocross World Championships
Results
1. Marianna Vos (NED) 55:00
2. Lucinda Brand (NED) +0:01
3. Silvia Persico (ITA) +0:51
Video U23 Men’s World Championships
Results
1. Jordan Wyseure (BEL) 49:21
2. Emiel Verstrynge (BEL) +0:13
3. Thibau Nys (BEL) +0:33
Video U23 Women’s World Championships
Results
1. Puck Pieterse (NED) 46:27
2. Shirin van Androoij (NED) +0:00
3. Fem Van Empel (NED) +0:12
Video Team Relay World Championships
Results
1. Italy 31:00
2. USA-A +0:07
3. Belgium +0:16
Photo – Twila Federica Muzzi / Red Bull Content Pool
