The Olympic MTB XC race was dramatic, to say the least. From Tom Pidcock’s early flat, which forced him to make up time to catch the leaders, to the thrilling final lap battle with Victor Koretzky, the lead kept shifting. The decisive move occurred in a forest section where Pidcock sprinted for an inside line after Koretzky made a mistake and veered left. It appeared Koretzky didn’t see Pidcock coming across, leading to a brief contact that caused Koretzky’s left foot to unclip. Pidcock then pulled ahead and would ride to victory.
During the post-race press conference, Victor respectfully acknowledged Pidcock’s outstanding performance and admitted to his own mistake. “I didn’t see him on the left; he touched me, touched my shoes, and I almost crashed,” the French rider said. “But it’s part of racing—we all fight for the win.”
Pidcock echoed the silver medallist’s words. “Rubbing’s racing!” Pidcock said in an interview with the BBC, borrowing a line from Days of Thunder. “I couldn’t get rid of Viktor. I knew how fast he was on the last lap. In the end, I just had to go for a gap. It’s what I’ve always done, and the Olympics are no different. I’m sorry for him; his support was amazing, but it’s the Olympics—you’ve got to go all-in. That’s bike racing; so some people might view it differently. But that’s what sport is—never giving up.”
The Ineos-Grenadiers rider was emotional after defending his crown from the 2020 Olympics.
“I’m keeping my glasses on for a reason,” the Brit said. “The Olympics are so special. You never give up; you just have to give everything, and that’s what I had to do.”
His early flat definitely threw a spanner in the works, but thankfully he swapped wheels and got back in the mix, chasing down riders one by one. He rejoined the race in ninth position, half a minute behind, so it took a while to get back to the lead.
“Things were going so well my mechanic was not totally ready,” Pidcock said. “But he did a super-fast change in the end, so my bike was perfect apart from the puncture.”
Pidcock crossed the line with both arms in the air, several seconds ahead of Koretzky. Although some French fans were booing, the majority of spectators cheered for one of the most exciting finishes in recent years.
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