Tom Pidcock makes history with World Cup cyclocross triumph
LEEDS’ Tom Pidcock made an already memorable year even better when pulling off a spectacular victory to become the first-ever British man to win an elite cyclocross World Cup round.
A thrilling final lap in Rucphen saw the Ineos Grenadier rider overhaul his two nearest rivals.
In the process Pidcock - who won gold at the Olympics earlier this year - also broke an almost eight-year Belgian-Dutch stranglehold on the sport’s premier series.
After avoiding a first lap pile-up Pidcock rode well through the field, initially hitting the front on lap four.
The fast Dutch course saw a number of contenders battling it out, with Pidcock starting the final lap with a slender deficit to the leading duo.
Hauling back the three-second gap to Michael Vanthourenhout, Pidcock was on the limit in the final metres, forging ahead of Eli Iserbyt over the hurdles before sprinting clear at the line.
“I was losing a lot of time in the corners and I was struggling to keep up,” said Pidcock.
“Every lap I was having to chase and Michael and Eli were making it really hard for me. I didn’t give up.
“They were riding super hard. I was just doing everything to try and stay with them.
“But the last lap I was able to keep concentrating, not make any mistakes and just come back.