Did Tom Pidcock win the Men’s Olympic XC? Or Did Nino Schurter? Spoilers!

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by Hannah Dobson July 26, 2021 63

The men’s Olympic mountain bike race threw up more than a few surprises. Van der Poel crashed and Pidcock started 4th row back on the grid. The usual suspects Schurter and Flueckiger formed a small group up front with Pidcock, and Cink chasing.

Screenshot Images: BBC

Chasing through the dust and rocks

olympics

olympics

Pidcock applied some pressure and Schurter nearly lost his rear wheel in the dry and dusty conditions, but it took a couple more shots of stretching the elastic before Pidcock could shake off the group. A Swiss rider did go with him, but it wasn’t Schurter – Flueckiger hung on to Pidcock and even looked like he might start to close the gap. But the worst timed slip and unclip ever saw Flueckiger running and pushing his bike before being able to get going again, and the deal was all but sealed for Pidcock. Cink’s hopes of making the podium went up in a puddle of sealant as he punctured

Game over

Game over

Tom Pidcock took the gold in his first ever Olympics, while Schurter failed to get a medal for the first time in four Olympic cycles.

1 – Tom Pidcock
2 – Mathias Flueckiger
3 – David Valero Serrano
4 – Nino Schurter

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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This topic has 63 replies, 50 voices, and was last updated 2 years ago by Name.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 63 total)

Did Tom Pidcock win the Men’s Olympic XC? Or Did Nino Schurter? Spoilers!
rOcKeTdOg
Full Member

Fantastic win!

Posted 2 years ago

robertajobb
Full Member

Looks like a proper mountain bike course.
Not a farmer’s field with a rocks dropped in, like was done in 2012.

Posted 2 years ago

MrPottatoHead
Full Member

It was a fantastic win. Obviously wasn’t easy but he did make it look that way at times – was impressed at how smoothly he rode.

Mvdp probably ruing lack of time on the mtb to prepare. I guess it was a mistake that any could have made but maybe just one switch of discipline too much this year.

Posted 2 years ago

pmurden
Full Member

Bloody great win for Tom and what a race plus that course looks mental

Posted 2 years ago

nickc
Full Member

Mvdp probably ruing lack of time on the mtb to prepare

Or not using a dropper?

Posted 2 years ago

johnnystorm
Full Member

Fantastic ride from Tom! Made a Monday morning much more bearable! 😀

@robertajobb

Have you ever ridden the 2012 XC course? I think you’re selling it short by a long way…

Posted 2 years ago

masterdabber
Free Member

The story seems to be that Van der Poel thought that the wooden ramp that was in place during practice at that drop would be there for the race. Seems unlikely they would have left it there.

Posted 2 years ago

uwe-r
Free Member

Hi – Before i read the spoliers, is the full race anywhere? On IPlayer? I’d like to watch the full thing if possible?

Posted 2 years ago

GeForceJunky
Full Member

On iPlayer, but you have to switch between red button coverage to BBC one part way through. Probably listed as the 6:00-9:00 time slot.

Posted 2 years ago

Speshpaul
Full Member

MVP and the wooden ramp! Nope I dont see that happening. Everyone was clearing that drop in practice with out a ramp. Check out Evie Richard’s Instagram for some air time.
I think he was unlucky, everyone makes errors on each lap. His was just on that drop.
Shame we didn’t get the shoot out between Tom and MVP. Truly gutted for MVP and Cink.

But what a ride from Tom. Outstanding.

Posted 2 years ago

Trimix
Free Member

GCN+ has it.

Posted 2 years ago

trailwagger
Free Member

Mvdp probably ruing lack of time on the mtb to prepare.

Unlike Tom, who broke his collarbone 7 weeks ago.

Posted 2 years ago

Yak
Full Member

Awesome ride by Tom. Just brilliant.
MvDP – well I thought he turned up much later than the others- certainly the photos of him practicing seemed days later. I don’t know if that was the case but seems madness to be under prepped for that track and think the ramp was to be there.

Posted 2 years ago

MrPottatoHead
Full Member

Unlike Tom, who broke his collarbone 7 weeks ago.

…and was riding again 5 days later, did ride the Les Gets World Cup, wasn’t riding the biggest road grand tour 2 weeks ago and has been in Japan for 2 weeks preparing.

Its not a criticism of MvdP – it must be tough being one of the greatest multi-discipline riders of all time. Just saying that this course maybe needed that extra step up to feel really comfortable on the bike due to its technicality. Or maybe it really was just an unlucky error.

Posted 2 years ago

Yak
Full Member

MvdP has confirmed that he didn’t know the ramp was to be removed.
Gutted for him and Cink with the rolled tyre/puncture.

Posted 2 years ago

lovewookie
Full Member

I’m not sure I can call what I do ‘riding XC’ anymore, looking at what the course is like.
think I’ll need to downgrade to ‘mincing about in the woods’

cracking ride by tom.

Posted 2 years ago

ir_bandito
Free Member

The Mathieu van der Poel crash during the Olympic Cross Country race 😮😬#Tokyo2020 https://t.co/aPs8SpLc7A pic.twitter.com/snJajCkZnq

— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) July 26, 2021

Posted 2 years ago

qwerty
Free Member

Yea, MvDP IG story says he didn’t know the ramp was to be removed for the race, and that’s how his crash looked, gutted for him. Bit of a booboo there somewhere either on his team’s part or the course info.

Posted 2 years ago

racefaceec90
Full Member

absolutely nothing about it i can find on bbc i player.

you would have thought they might have been shouting about it a bit considering it’s the first gold for gb mtb but seems not 😠

Posted 2 years ago

matt_outandabout
Full Member

Brilliant news for Tom!

Posted 2 years ago

GeForceJunky
Full Member

iPlayer:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000ybv2/olympics-day-3-red-button-04000800

Followed by:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000y9fw/olympics-day-3-olympic-breakfast

Posted 2 years ago

lunge
Full Member

There’s now a real chance that Ineos may win gold in MTB, road and TT if Ganna does what he normally does.

Posted 2 years ago

luv2ride
Free Member

There’s now a real chance that Ineos may win gold in MTB, road and TT if Ganna does what he normally does

Hadn’t thought about that one! Brilliant ride from TP

Posted 2 years ago

big_scot_nanny
Full Member

utterly fantastic, what a ride!

Posted 2 years ago

jonnyrockymountain
Full Member

Fantastic ride from Tom, really well timed, just seemed to know exactly what he was doing, although the commentary on eurosport was shocking, 3 min advert while they were on the second lap, they wouldn’t have an advert half way through england v italy first half would they

Posted 2 years ago

13thfloormonk
Full Member

Bit of a booboo there somewhere either on his team’s part or the course info.

Probably why his team came out quite strongly saying ‘we told him, repeatedly, that the plank wasn’t there’ etc. etc.

Posted 2 years ago

DickBarton
Full Member

absolutely nothing about it i can find on bbc i player.

Admittedly not Iplayer, but https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/57967799 – from the front page of BBC News…admittedly not the whole race, but seems to be plenty coverage of the result.

Posted 2 years ago

r8jimbob88
Free Member

Awesome race, brutal course. Tom is on another level to pretty much everyone else. That kid is going places!

Posted 2 years ago

wipperman95
Free Member

I thought the commentary wasn’t great. Disappointed Eurosport went for the world feed, and not their own ‘in house’ commentators. Seeing as GMBN, is part of GCN, surely some of them would have been better.
The difference in presentation between the road races, and the MTB was noticeable……

Posted 2 years ago

ayjaydoubleyou
Full Member

MVDP allegedly beleived the ladder/wood from practise would remain in the race. Although he was easily clearing it in practise.

Was this a bit of CX style gamesmanship, electing to slow up and roll it rather than jump it knowing that he had top contender and excellent descender TP right on his wheel?

Posted 2 years ago

Jeeble
Full Member

“Tom Pidcock took the gold in his second ever Olympics, while Schurter failed to get a medal for the first time in four Olympic cycles.”

Erm when was Pidcock’s first Olympics?

Great work Tom and big ups for the UK XC racing crowd.

Posted 2 years ago

richmtb
Full Member

The difference in presentation between the road races, and the MTB was noticeable……

C’mon the camera work was brilliant for fans of Japanese foliage.

What a ride though, the course was mental

Pidcock showing how its done. That drop wouldn’t be out of place on an enduro course

Posted 2 years ago

mick_r
Full Member

No mention of MTB or TP whatsoever last night on BBC 1 when they went through “Monday’s medal prospects”. Really suggested that they hadn’t done any homework on what was happening in XCO this year.

Wonder if they’ll suddenly remember Evie exists in tonight’s roundup?

Posted 2 years ago

qwerty
Free Member

Probably why his team came out quite strongly saying ‘we told him, repeatedly, that the plank wasn’t there’ etc. etc.

Interesting. Do you have a link?

Posted 2 years ago

MoreCashThanDash
Full Member

That was a XC course!?

Jeez, I’m old. And a wuss.

Posted 2 years ago

13thfloormonk
Full Member

@qwerty

There are conflicting versions of events coming out of the Dutch camp, however, reflecting the confusion that reigned supreme during the women’s road race, as Dutch coach Gerben de Knegt told national broadcaster NOS that Van der Poel had been told several times the ramp would be removed for the race.

“I was in the woods when it happened, so it’s hard for me to judge. He indicated that he thought there would be a ramp. We’ve talked about that several times, so it shouldn’t be [the reason],” De Knegt said.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/mathieu-van-der-poel-didnt-know-they-would-remove-ramp-which-caused-crash-at-tokyo-olympics

Dutch National Coach Gerben de Knegt had a different version of events, however, saying he’d spoken to Van der Poel about the removal of the ramp in the week leading up to the race as well as the morning before the event. “We have talked about it multiple times this week. This morning again.”

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/mathieu-van-der-poel-suffers-heavy-fall-as-he-crashes-out-of-tokyo-olympics-mountain-bike-race

Posted 2 years ago

ayjaydoubleyou
Full Member

Pidcock showing how its done. That drop wouldn’t be out of place on an enduro course

if thats a screenshot of TP following MVDP rather than a subsequent lap, then its also a good reminder that doing dropoffs you should be centred, giving you the ability to move back or forwards to adjust in the air (like someone crashes below you, when you have already taken off)

Posted 2 years ago

convert
Full Member

Erm when was Pidcock’s first Olympics?

2nd this. Pretty certain this was Piddcock’s first olypics.

Posted 2 years ago

dyna-ti
Full Member

Well done, another gold 😀
Now comes all the inquiries from people looking for short travel carbon hardtails.

Posted 2 years ago

zippykona
Full Member

Don’t follow racing at all but what size wheels do they go for and do they use droppers?

Posted 2 years ago

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