Cyclocross Worlds: GB clinch four medals on phenomenal opening day
Tom Pidcock lead a clean sweep of the podium for GB in the men's junior race
Great Britain were kings of the ice as they clinched an unprecedented four medals on day one of the Cyclocross World Championships.
Great Britain’s junior men stole the show with a superb 1-2-3 as Thomas Pidcock clinched his first rainbow jersey in Luxembourg.
>>> Icons of cycling: Three Peaks Cyclocross
The 17-year-old from Leeds held his nerve on the difficult course and despite having a mechanical following a crash, he maintained his composure to build up a lead allowing him to enjoy the moment.
Behind, a remarkable race full of incident unfolded as fellow British riders Daniel Tulett and Ben Turner battled it out for silver and bronze.
Tulett rode from mid-field up to the front, riding back up to Turner before a slip from his rival gave him the gap for silver.
“There was a lot of pressure in the last three weeks and it’s been hard to deal with it,” said Pidcock.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“In the last few days the pressure died away and we just enjoyed ourselves and racing our bikes.
“It’s a great relief to win as I was dreading ending up at the bottom of a massive pile of bikes or having a massive crash. I’m very proud.”
Britain had to wait just two hours for their next medal as Evie Richards clinched bronze in the under-23 women’s race following a valiant battle to retain her rainbow stripes.
The steep climbs of Bieles didn’t favour for the 19-year-old from Malvern and she was gapped from the leading pair with two laps to go.
Dutch mountain bike rider Annemarie Worst took the title breaking clear of American rider Ellen Noble on the final tricky section.
“I think I’m a lot better as the underdog and there has been a lot of pressure on me which has made me scared,” said Richards. “I’m delighted with a medal.”
>>> Tributes paid to 15-year-old cyclocross star Charlie Craig
Sanne Cant gave Belgium the win her country desired by sprinting clear of favourite Marianne Vos to clinch the rainbow stripes in the senior women.
After a cagey opening Vos broke clear of the lead group and was chased down by Cant resulting in a tactical race.
A slip by Cant gave her Dutch rival what looked to be an unassailable margin going into the last lap until a mechanical lost her the margin.
Coming into the final straight the two went head-to-head and Cant clinched her first ever world title.
Behind Czech Republic rider Katerina Nash got the better of Lucinda Brand in a sprint for bronze.
Results:
Junior Men:
1. Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) 41.24
2. Daniel Tulett (Great Britain) at 38sec
3. Ben Turner (Great Britain) at 44sec
Under-23 Women:
1. Annemarie Worst (Netherlands) 43.47
2. Ellen Noble (USA) at 10sec
3. Evie Richards (Great Britain) at 26sec
Elite Women:
1. Sanne Cant (Belgium) 43.06
2. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) at 1sec
3. Katerina Nash (Czech Republic) at 21sec
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
The land of legends: Riding on Tadej Pogačar's home roads
As part of our New Worlds issue in Travel Month, Chris Marshall Bell travelled to Slovenia to find out why it produces so many WorldTour riders per head of population.
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
SBT GRVL lives! The story of just how close the gravel community came to losing one of its biggest events
Here are all the details on what the revamped event will look like in 2025 as government headwinds continue to push against the event
By Logan Jones-Wilkins Published
-
‘I only live 10km away’ - Cameron Mason on the pressure of a home British Cyclo-cross Championships
Scotsman says he will look to try and ‘take the race on’ at Callendar Park in Falkirk
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock to race just 10 cyclo-cross events this season
Former world champion confirmed as skipping World Championships in February
By Adam Becket Published
-
The six cyclo-cross races where Wout van Aert will face Mathieu van der Poel this year
The great Dutch and Belgian rivals will clash first on 22 December
By Adam Becket Last updated
-
Opinion: Are ‘the big three’ of Van Aert, Van der Poel and Pidcock good for cyclo-cross?
They have been world champions for the last decade, but are yet to race yet this season. What's going on?
By Adam Becket Published
-
European Cyclo-cross Championships rescheduled due to stormy weather
Local authority in western France stops Saturday's planned races from happening; races rescheduled to Sunday
By Adam Becket Published
-
Five riders to watch in UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup opener in Waterloo, USA this weekend
Here's who we think will boss the cross in Waterloo on Sunday
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Watch: Cyclo-cross rider snaps dislocated finger back into place mid-race
Michael van den Ham said his finger was at "the grossest 45-degree angle"
By Tom Davidson Published
-