Tom Pidcock says he rode ‘surprisingly well’ to finish second as Mathieu van der Poel returns to winning ways

Tom Pidcock surprised himself with a storming performance that carried him to second behind Mathieu van der Poel in the Druivencross last weekend.

There was everything to play for in Overijse, Belgium on Sunday (December 15) after Mathieu van der Poel’s remarkable winning streak was ended during the previous day’s racing in the Hotondcross.

But as Van der Poel returned to his familiar position at the front of the race in the Druivencross, it was British cyclocross champion Tom Pidcock who emerged as the best of the rest.

Speaking after his hugely impressive second place finish, the 20-year-old told Belgian cyclocross website Wielerkrant (opens in new tab): “I rode surprisingly well. My legs were really good.

“It is the first time I’ve made it to the podium in a competition where all the top riders were also at the start. That’s positive.”

Pidcock has been focussing his attention on racing in the senior ranks this cyclocross season, having dominated the junior and under-23 ranks.

While he has been fighting had and taking multiple podiums, Pidcock has yet to break through with a victory.

However, Sunday’s race in Overijse may have been a turning point for the Yorkshireman, as he battled hard against rivals Toon Aerts and Quinten Hermans to take second behind Van der Poel.

On Saturday, Van der Poel was beaten in a cyclocross race for the first time in 408 days, as Belgian Aerts took the victory at the Hotondcross in Ronse, Belgium.

The last defeat Van der Poel suffered in a cyclocross race was back in 2018, at the Koppenbergcross, and in between these two defeats the young Dutchman has announced himself on the road with a series of impressive victories.

But he returned the following day with an emphatic statement, taking victory by 14 seconds over Pidcock.

After his victory, Van der Poel said: “It was much better today than yesterday.

“Yesterday it was more running and walking. It was difficult to get into the rhythm.

“I am especially happy to be on the top step of the podium again today.”

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The Druivencross race was temporarily interrupted by an unlikely competitor, when a puppy jumped onto the course and set off in pursuit of the leaders.

As riders, including cyclocross world champion Mathieu van der Poel, cross the finish line to start another lap, a dog enthusiastically chases after them, with its lead still attached and its owner nowhere to be seen.