Yahoo Sports Pidcock wins second gold at Mountain Bike World Cup
Tom Pidcock won his second gold medal in just over 24 hours in his final mountain bike race before this summer's Olympics.
Britain's Olympic and world champion claimed short track gold at the Mountain Bike World Cup in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Saturday.
Then in Sunday's cross-country Olympic discipline, the 24-year-old again recovered from a poor start to claim victory by more than a minute.
Saturday's win secured a front-row start and he initially went away with Germany's Julian Schelb, before a small crash in the tech zone saw him drop back.
Pidcock regained the lead early on the second lap and did not relinquish it, completing the seven laps in one hour 26 minutes and 28 seconds - 70 seconds ahead of Switzerland's Mathias Fluckiger.
"It was just really tricky in the first few laps to find my own rhythm," said Pidcock.
"We were kind of getting in each other’s way and making each other make mistakes - it was a bit frustrating really.
"Then I got my gap and my own rhythm, and I tried to relax."
Pidcock had come from last to first to win his first gold, slipping out of his pedal in the first of six laps before being involved in a minor collision as he attempted to make up ground.
But he was able to recover and steadily made his way up the field, forcing his way into the lead on the penultimate lap.
He finished two seconds ahead of Schelb, with fellow Briton Charlie Aldridge placing 10th.
"I didn't make it easy, that's for sure," Pidcock told Eurosport. "At the start I unclipped then I was at the back, and I was actually getting dropped on that first climb, they were going so fast.
"I was just riding it full, just to pick off riders every time on the climb and it was just my tactic, just ride full gas."
This World Cup round marks Pidcock's final weekend of mountain biking before he heads to the Tour de France with Ineos Grenadiers.
Pidcock took his first stage win on the Alpe d’Huez on his Tour debut in 2022.
He will then defend his Olympic mountain bike title at the Paris Games, which start on 26 July.
