Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Tom Pidcock says ‘I’m always better when I take control’

The Brit takes a gold medal less than two months after breaking his collarbone after he was hit by a car

Tom Pidcock celebrates his Olympic gold
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

Tom Pidcock says he wanted to take control early in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics mountain bike event, as he took gold on his debut in the games.

The 21-year-old from Leeds in Yorkshire attacked his rivals 44-minutes into the 80-minute event, riding away from Switzerland’s Mathias Flückiger and never looking back.

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Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.