Pidcock powers to dominant XCO victory in Crans-Montana
Tom Pidcock enjoyed the perfect weekend as he claimed victory in Saturday’s short track race before securing a dominant win in Sunday’s XCO race at the fifth stop of the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.
It looked like it would be a day to forget for Pidcock in the XCC race as he slipped out of his pedal on the first lap before being involved in a minor collision as he attempted to make up some ground.
The British rider then made a brilliant recovery to steadily make his way through the field and force his way into contention. Pidcock would move into first place on the last lap and eventually finished two seconds clear of Germany’s Julian Schelb.
In Sunday’s race, Pidcock once endured a nightmare start as he found himself down in 13th place but quickly gained back places through the first of the muddy climbs.
The world champion excelled in the tough conditions and by the end of the third lap had built up a lead of more than six seconds. That gap would grow to more than 40 seconds before he had a slip in a muddy off-camber section.
However, he was quickly back on his bike and powered to victory, finishing 50 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Mathias Flückiger in second and more than a minute clear of Italy’s Luca Braidot in third.
In the women’s XCO race, Loana Lecomte secured her tenth World Cup victory as she finished ahead of Alessandra Keller and Puck Pieterse – who triumphed in Saturday’s XCC race. There were also impressive showings from Austria’s Laura Stigger who finished in fourth place and from Britain’s Evie Richards who claimed fifth.
UCI MTB Cross-Country World Cup standings
Elite men
- Nino Schurter SUI 942 points
- Alan Hatherly RSA 798
- Filippo Colombo SUI 795
- Victor Koretzky FRA 789
- Jordan Sarrou FRA 698
Elite women
- Alessandra Keller SUI 1008 points
- Haley Batten USA 917
- Savilia Blunk USA 738
- Puck Pieterse NED 708
- Loana Lecomte FRA 690
Header image: Tom Pidcock performs at UCI XCO World Cup in Crans Montana, Switzerland on June 23, 2024. Credit: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
