Tom Pidcock ended his Mountain Bike season on Sunday. In Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, the XCO World Champion had his last chance to win with his rainbow jersey this year and succeeded, beating Mathias Flückiger.
“I was very motivated to win with this jersey. It was quite a tough week. I’ve already had a long season, was tired, and it caused some issues,” Pidcock said in a post-race interview. “I felt it, but in those moments, you have to try to keep a cool head. It was quite a battle.”
The two riders opened up a significant gap from the rest of the peloton, but the INEOS Grenadiers rider had a hard time with the Swiss rider. The difference at the finish was only 26 seconds, but it was enough for Pidcock to secure his first victory since Glasgow. “Mathias Flückiger chased me for an hour and put a lot of pressure on me. I made some mistakes, but I knew I shouldn’t fight with him on the descents.”
However, the 24-year-old had the strength to secure the victory and win the last race of the World Cup season. “He opened up an advantage two laps from the end. In the end, I tried to make as few mistakes as possible and keep the bike under control. Mathias flew down the descents like a madman but also suffered two punctures,” he concluded.
Watch the finish:
Results of the XCO World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne:
