Pidcock re-starts his Tour de France preparation with victory in the Mountain Bike World Series at Nové Město

Tom Pidcock has resumed his build-up to the Tour de France with a commanding victory in the cross-country race at the Mountain Bike World Series event in Nové Město, Czechia. This marked his first competition since early May, when he finished second at Eschborn Frankfurt. Pidcock, riding for Pinarello Q36.5, demonstrated his versatility by returning to mountain biking after a strong road season that included wins at Milano-Torino and stage successes at the Vuelta Andalucia and Tour of the Alps. Despite a knee injury sustained in a crash during the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Pidcock used the Nové Město weekend to regain race sharpness and collect valuable qualification points. The event featured both short course (XCC) and longer cross-country (XCO) races, with Pidcock finishing second in the XCC before decisively winning the XCO. He took the lead early in the eight-lap race and, after briefly losing it, regained and maintained his advantage to hold off a strong challenge from French champion Luca Martin by 18 seconds. Pidcock’s performance in the short course race showed strategic patience as he initially stayed at the back before aggressively moving through the field in the latter stages. Although he launched a late uphill sprint, he was narrowly beaten by Mathis Azzaro. Meanwhile, in the women’s races, former world champion Evie Richards faced difficulties, recovering from a crash to finish fifth in the short track but failing to complete the cross-country race due to a significant fall on a technical descent. Looking ahead, Pidcock plans to return to road racing at the Tour de Suisse in mid-June, a key preparation event featuring a mix of hilly stages, a flat time trial, and a decisive mountain finale. With Tadej Pogačar also expected to compete, the race promises to be a stern test ahead of the Tour de France. Pidcock’s recent mountain bike success signals a positive step in his recovery and readiness for the upcoming challenges on both terrain and discipline.