Tom Pidcock earns hard-fought cross-country victory with fifth Nove Mesto triumph - 'I didn't make it easy for myself'
Updated 24/05/2026 at 19:39 GMT+1
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Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) said his victory in Sunday’s Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup in Nove Mesto Na Morave was the ”hardest one” out of his five triumphs in the Czech race.
Highlights: Pidcock produces stunning performance to win in Nove Mesto
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The Brit, competing this weekend in the UCI Mountain Bike World Series for the first time this season, led for much of the race and finished 18 seconds clear of Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) in a time of 1:18.52.
The 26-year-old has now won on each of his visits to Nove Mesto after four successive victories between 2021 and 2024, but this year’s proved the toughest, having been pushed throughout by Martin.
”That was the hardest one I've done, I didn't make it easy for myself,” Pidcock told TNT Sports. ”I had a really good start and I was probably a bit too keen in the first laps.
”When I made a mistake and Luca went in front, I knew that was a point when everyone was showing themselves a bit and I thought I would test the water and see what happens but it was a long way.
”Luca was pushing me all the way. He was coming close. I had to kick again a few times. It wasn't easy. I was losing so much time on the descent.
”I was a bit rusty but also really wanted to make sure I didn't have any punctures or anything, but yeah, it was a tough one.”
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‘What a ride!’ - Azzaro pips Pidcock to take short track victory in Nove Mesto
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Pidcock, who finished Saturday’s short track in second after being outsprinted by Mathis Azzaro, positioned himself at the front early on Sunday, alongside Martin.
Racing without team-mates, the Brit built up an 18-second lead by the halfway point in the race, successfully dealing with attacks from Azzaro and Martin.
The latter refused to be shaken off, though, and managed to reduce the gap to as little as five seconds at one stage in the second half of the race, setting up a potentially tense finish.
But Pidcock dug in and, using his climbing strength, was able to extend his lead in the closing stages, eventually finishing 18 seconds in front of the Frenchman.
Pidcock was happy with his fitness levels on Sunday, thanks to his time on the road bike, but felt it was his early-season caution on the more technical sections that kept his competitor in the race.
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'Knew what he had to do' - Pidcock times late attack to perfection to claim stage 3 victory
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”I needed to make sure I didn't go too in the red because then I would make mistakes on the descent,” the Brit said.
”That's the thing, my fitness is good but, when I haven't done any races, I need to be a bit more cautious than in other parts of the season.
”It’s good, it shows everyone is pushing, everyone is getting better and stronger, every year the sport is getting higher and higher in level.
”It keeps me on my toes and I can't rest on my laurels; these guys are working just as hard. I work hard, just not on a mountain bike.
”I just needed to stay within myself, not making any mistakes. [I was] losing a few seconds every descent. I think I just had to use my strength on the climbs to make a difference, just ride my own race.”
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Third place went to Filippo Colombo of Switzerland, coming through more than a minute behind Pidcock, whose fellow Brit Charlie Aldridge finished 11th after a strong start, once again suffering mechanical problems.
Despite finishing seventh, Dario Lillo climbed into the overall UCI XCO World Cup lead after two rounds, ahead of Martin and Colombo.
Pidcock was in mountain bike action for the first time this season after not participating in South Korea earlier this month.
Asked about his schedule for the campaign, he said: ”I think the plan is Worlds, maybe the race in Utah, in between the World Champs and the World Tour races before. Not definitely but that's what I want to do anyway.”
Stigger storms to commanding solo victory
Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) claimed her third UCI XCO World Cup victory in the women's race after producing a descending masterclass.
The Austrian was able to pull clear of her competitors from the third lap onwards before finishing with a time of 1:21:32.
Stigger crossed the line 47 seconds ahead of second-placed Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing), who edged out Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) in a sprint.
”I have no words,” said an emotional Stigger after her first victory on European soil. ”I just followed my feeling and rode my own pace. The crowd was incredible. It’s amazing to have that support through the technical sections. This win means so much to me.”
After the opening two rounds, Frei leads the overall standings, while Specialized Factory Racing strengthened its lead in the team rankings.
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Highlights: Pieterse sprints to Nove Mesto glory after Keller takes down Neff in crash
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Saturday’s men’s under-23 race saw Thibaut François Baudry (Canyon XC Racing) claim victory after a tactical battle with Alix Andre-Gallis (Decathlon Ford Racing Team).
The Spaniard eventually pulled clear to win by 24 seconds, while Naël Rouffiac (Origine Racing Division) finished in third.
Meanwhile, Katrin Embacher (KTM Factory MTB Team) dominated the Women’s under-23 race to clinch her first UCI World Cup win.
The Austrian finished over a minute ahead of Anina Hutter in second, with overall leader Valentina Corvi (Canyon XC Racing) completing the podium places.
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