Tom Pidcock: 'Glad I showed I am stronger than Van der Poel on the mountain bike'

Tom Pidcock has won the mountain bike world title for the second time. The Brit managed to clinch the rainbow jersey with a phenomenal comeback. It was something Mathieu van der Poel had also planned to do, but was unable to pull off in Val di Sole. Pidcock is now basking in his victory over the Dutchman and has a new venue in mind.

Because Pidcock and Van der Poel have focused primarily on road cycling in recent years and have competed in few World Cup races, they were unable to start alongside the rest of the favorites. The pair had to start from the fifth row and thus had to make up ground on Sunday. But given their talents, it was no surprise that they were still considered among the favorites.

From the start, however, Van der Poel was unable to live up to expectations. The 31-year-old star cited “heavy legs” afterward, which prevented him from finishing in the top fifteen. At the finish line, he was unable to place in the top thirty. Pidcock, however, did what Van der Poel couldn’t: he passed everyone one by one, caught up to the leaders, and shortly thereafter left them behind to claim a sensational world title.

The contrast between the two stars was stark, but somewhat understandable. Van der Poel had had a grueling cyclocross season and was in the midst of an intense spring campaign between February and April. He also rode the Tour de France. Pidcock missed the spring season due to a crash. “Along with the Tour de France, this World Championship was the main goal of my season,” he said in a press release from the organisation. In the Tour, the Brit finished ninth overall.

For Van der Poel, the question is how he should continue his pursuit of a world title in mountain biking. If he continues to focus on road racing, it will be a tough road ahead, given his poor starting position and technical deficit compared to the world’s best. A world title on the road seems more realistic, and there’s already a good opportunity this year in Canada, especially now that Tadej Pogačar will likely sit this one out following his serious Vuelta injuries.

A world title on the road is also a major goal for Pidcock. “I’m glad I showed I’m stronger than Mathieu van der Poel on the mountain bike,” he says. “But I think he’s stronger than me on the road. Still, someday I want to win a world title there, too.” Will we see the two of them go head-to-head again in Montréal?