Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock defends gold in men’s mountain bike

Within the last kilometer, Koretzky was again out in entrance with Pidcock chasing. Pidcock executed the profitable transfer, taking a slender inside line within the forest. As the 2 riders got here again collectively, there was a slight contact, which induced Koretzky to unclip to keep away from falling and Pidcock took off. The Brit crossed the end line with a time of 1:26:22 to a refrain of boos to say gold, Koretzky completed 9 seconds behind him and Hatherly held on for the bronze.

Pidcock did not know what to say after the race, “What I am feeling proper now could be a bit everywhere. All I do know is that I did no matter I may in that race to win.” 

He’s the second man to win a number of gold medals in mountain biking, becoming a member of France’s Julien Absalon. He added, “The French crowds are unbelievable. Clearly, they’re very patriotic for the French. Not a lot for me. The Olympics is the largest factor for me and to have the ability to simply nonetheless pull that off regardless of what occurred is fairly unbelievable.”

Koretzky gained his first Olympic medal on this third Video games, after ending tenth in Rio and fifth in Tokyo. It is the primary time France has earned medals in each males’s and ladies’s mountain biking on the similar Olympic Video games, after compatriot Pauline Ferrand-Prevot gained the ladies’s race on Sunday.

The Frenchman had blended emotions after he narrowly missed out on gold. “I wasn’t removed from the gold, I did not miss by a lot. Thomas was very sturdy, when he got here again I knew I may beat him as a result of he made a giant effort to shut the hole. Sadly, I used to be just a little careless within the descent.” 

He additionally supplied his viewpoint on what occurred on the finish of the race and the contact. “(There was) some gravel on the monitor, and I took some with my entrance wheel and I misplaced part of the hole I had on Tom. I’m actually upset, this error value me the gold medal. Within the woods, he overtook me and took my shoe off, it was tough to do one thing at this second.”

Kroetzky mentioned he’ll attempt to benefit from the medal whatever the shade. “I’m a bit upset, however happy on the similar time. There’s lots of work behind this, many sacrifices, many moments removed from dwelling. To have a silver medal is already a ravishing reward. I’m struggling to take pleasure in nevertheless it may come rapidly… That’s superior, all of us dream in regards to the Olympics.”

Hatherly grew to become the primary non-European to ever win an Olympic medal in males’s mountain bike. His bronze medal was his first Olympic medal as he completed twenty sixth in Rio and eighth in Tokyo. 

In his Olympic debut, U.S. rider Amos held on to complete in seventh, 1:46 behind the leaders. Countryman Christopher Blevins completed thirteenth, 2:44 off the lead.