Close Menu
Invest Intellect
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Invest Intellect
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
    • Home
    • Commodities
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Fintech
    • Investments
    • Precious Metal
    • Property
    • Stock Market
    Invest Intellect
    Home»Precious Metal»‘It’s bigger than cycling’: Tom Pidcock defies puncture to claim Olympic gold | Paris Olympic Games 2024
    Precious Metal

    ‘It’s bigger than cycling’: Tom Pidcock defies puncture to claim Olympic gold | Paris Olympic Games 2024

    July 30, 20245 Mins Read


    Tom Pidcock blew away his rivals with a virtuoso performance on the rough gravel of Elancourt Hill to take back-to-back gold medals in Olympic mountain biking. In an epic battle with France’s Victor Koretzky, Pidcock pulled off the performance of his career, ­fighting back from a puncture and a clumsy wheel change to snatch gold at the very last.

    “This is what makes the Olympics to me, the fact that it’s bigger than cycling,” Pidcock said, three years after winning his first gold in Tokyo. “People back home, they get into the Olympic spirit, they celebrate every gold medal but the biggest thing is to inspire people. That is what I love to do. Hopefully I did that today.”

    On the eve of his 25th birthday, Pidcock’s successful defence of his Olympic title was achieved the hard way, and as much due to his temperament and cunning as it was his power, determination and speed.

    Cut adrift by 40 seconds from the front of the race after his puncture, Pidcock stayed calm. “What’s the point in stressing? I have had enough stress this week.”

    All of Pidcock’s predatorial instincts were on display as he shrugged off his setback, maintained his focus and then applied a brutal coup de grace, to fatigued race leader, Koretzky, almost within sight of the finish line. As the pair raced through woods in the last few hundred metres, Pidcock accelerated and took the inside line on a left-hand curve.

    “There were only maybe two, three or four places on the track to undertake,” Pidcock said. “Two of them were full gas anyway, the rest are single-track. It was really difficult.”

    But even though his attack drew boos from the partisan French crowds, he chose his moment well. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I was in front, and he left the door open. We were racing for a gold medal. I wanted to win as much as he did.”

    It was a surprise move that, although wholly legitimate, left ­Koretzky between a tree and a hard place. By the time he had registered Pidcock slipping past, grazing his left shoulder, he was flailing in the woods. “He could have also gone left, and I would have gone right,” Pidcock said. “In this position, you don’t hesitate, the gap was there, and I was going for it.”

    Britain’s Thomas Pidcock celebrates his victory as he crosses the finish line ahead of France’s Victor Koretzky (rear). Photograph: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images

    Koretzky had no complaints. “It’s part of the race,” the Frenchman said. “We all want the gold and we all fought for the gold.”

    Pidcock, who had Covid this month, was forced to abandon the Tour de France, a little over two weeks before the Olympics. If there had been any ill effects they did not show. He and Koretzky moved straight into an early lead and had dropped the rest of the field as soon as the third lap.

    “Normally in these races, in mountain bike, I make the gap early on,” Pidcock said. “I made the gap, Victor was behind me.”

    But his puncture, which he put down to a “mistake”, derailed the best laid plan. “I was suffering. I made too many mistakes. It was difficult to enjoy it because of the situation. I was fighting to come back.”

    skip past newsletter promotion

    Sign up to Olympic and Paralympic briefing

    Our daily email briefing will help you keep up with all the goings on at the Olympics and Paralympics

    Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    after newsletter promotion

    A painfully slow wheel change made it a long hard road to get back to the front of the race. “At first, I didn’t make any inroads,” Pidcock said of his lengthy chase. “It didn’t matter how much road was left, as I wasn’t getting any closer. “Then with three laps to go, I took 15 ­seconds [back] in one lap, and I thought, for sure, with one lap to go, I’m at the front. I knew I was going to be racing for the gold.”

    Stephen Park, the Team GB perfor­mance director, said: “He’s been absolutely laser focused on winning this all year. Technically, he’s just a better rider than anyone else.”

    Pidcock’s daredevil exploits off, and on, road are fast becoming legen­dary. His breakneck descent off the Col du Galibier on his way to a stage win in the 2022 Tour de France is one of them, but few moments in his career are likely to top this.

    Pidcock is coached by the Belgian Kurt Bogaerts, as is his Ineos Grenadiers stablemate Pauline ­Ferrand‑Prévot, winner of the ­women’s race on Sunday.

    Bogaerts will always have Paris, the happy place for his two Olympic champions, both of whom mastered the much-maligned gravelled hill. Now Pidcock must go again, this time on the road.

    His next goal is the men’s 273km road race on Saturday, on a course he says is best suited to “raw power” but that others maintain is not suited to him. Based on his performance in Elancourt, Pidcock has every chance of claiming another medal.



    Source link

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Related Posts

    Gold (XAUUSD) & Silver Price Forecast: $3,352 and $38.30 Resist Breakouts Pre-FOMC

    Precious Metal

    Canada spared from duties as it does not make semi-finished products

    Precious Metal

    Summer McIntosh wins third World Aquatics Championships gold but falls just short of 200m butterfly world record

    Precious Metal

    Silver (XAG) Forecast: ChinaTariff Fears Hammer Silver—Is a Deeper Drop Coming?

    Precious Metal

    XAU/USD finds cushion below $3,300 while 50-day EMA acts as key barrier

    Precious Metal

    Gold, Silver Rates Today: Gold slips, silver cracks over 1.50% on MCX | Check city-wise rates on July 31

    Precious Metal
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Top Picks

    BNP Paribas fait le point sur le dossier Axa Investment Managers

    Commodities

    l’usine HDF Energy démarre en 2025 la fabrication des piles à combustible près de Bordeaux

    Cryptocurrency

    CryptoCore, Sophisticated Cryptocurrency Scam Attacking Users To Drain Wallets

    Editors Picks

    METAL! loses arm-wrestling match to Jordynne Grace

    July 19, 2024

    Fighting ‘agricultural crimes’ – West Hawaii Today

    February 19, 2025

    Real Estate Fintech Startup Backflip Raises $184 Million

    October 18, 2024

    Cryptocurrency Live News & Updates : Bitcoin Maintains Support; Oil Prices Stabilize

    June 22, 2025
    What's Hot

    Let’s meet an FFA finalist for the American Star Award, who keeps commodities transported!

    October 22, 2024

    Roger Federer has sold his impressive property

    August 21, 2024

    Vosges. Le projet à 1,4 milliard d’euros de Verso Energy sur l’écoparc de Chavelot fait consensus

    April 7, 2025
    Our Picks

    Top 10 Free Cryptocurrency Mining Sites in 2025: Find the Best Bitcoin Cloud Mining Platforms to Boost Your Earnings

    May 20, 2025

    A $7-Trillion Cash Wave Is About To Flood Dividend Stocks

    June 25, 2025

    cette agence immobilière de luxe dévoile les trésors cachés de Dijon

    June 13, 2025
    Weekly Top

    Morrisons head of property steps down

    July 31, 2025

    Trump appoints new group to promote digital finance

    July 31, 2025

    Act fast, avoid pitfalls: Winning property tactics

    July 31, 2025
    Editor's Pick

    Sam Altman’s eyeball-scanning crypto project has a new Orb and a new name

    October 18, 2024

    3 Factors Behind Bitcoin’s Latest Record High. Will This Major Cryptocurrency Continue to Rise?

    July 15, 2025

    Trending Cryptocurrency Tokens on Avalanche Chain Today – Steak, Allbridge, Tico

    April 3, 2025
    © 2025 Invest Intellect
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.