Tom Pidcock pipped on the line in Nove Mesto MTB World Cup after week of Van der Poel intrigue

Pidcock had started from the last row after missing the opening World Cup round in South Korea, a disadvantage that might have forced others into an early chase. Instead, he stayed calm. For much of the race, the Briton was barely visible at the sharp end, choosing patience over panic while the pace remained high but manageable.

That changed with just over two laps to go. Pidcock began to move through the pack. By the final lap, he was where he needed to be. On the last climb, he launched a powerful acceleration that immediately broke the group apart and put the race on his terms.

Only Azzaro could follow. Pidcock led into the final stretch, but the Frenchman timed his sprint perfectly and came past in the closing metres to take the win. Pidcock finished second, denied the victory but not the statement.

Victory in the women’s race went to Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech). In her first mountain bike race of the season, the Dutch rider won the sprint ahead of Austria’s Laura Stigger and Switzerland’s Nicole Koller.

Pidcock's ride landed at the end of a week in which Nové Město had already drawn extra attention. 

The UCI MTB World Series had listed Mathieu van der Poel for the Czech round, briefly raising the prospect of another meeting between two of cycling’s biggest multidiscipline stars. Alpecin-Premier Tech, however, quickly denied that Van der Poel would race.

The speculation was understandable. Pidcock and Van der Poel have history in Nové Město, where they went head-to-head in 2021, with Pidcock taking the victory and Van der Poel finishing second. 

This time, there was no reunion on the start line. Instead, Pidcock carried the spotlight alone. Pidcock will also race the cross-country event on May 24, where he'll be aiming for a fifth elite victory in the event at Nové Město.