PARIS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- British cyclist Tom Pidcock didn't need to say he was tired as he sat down for his press conference after an astonishing gold medal ride in the men's mountain bike cross country event at the Paris Olympics.
The gold medal winner from Tokyo three years ago had overcome a bout of COVID-19 which forced him out of the Tour de France two weeks ago, a course he said he didn't like, and then a front wheel puncture looked likely to derail his plans, just after he had taken the lead.
But Pidcock was lucky within the bad luck, as the puncture happened close to the pits and he was able to quickly get a wheel change, but even so he lost 40 seconds and had to watch as local hero Victor Koretzky and Alan Hatherly from South Africa - who would go on to take silver and bronze - rode past him, along with six other riders.
"I didn't make it clear I'd punctured, my mechanic did a good job when he found the wheel," he said.
One of the images of the race was the rider, who celebrates his 25th birthday on Tuesday, calmly taking a drink as the wheel change happened, when others would perhaps have been pulling their hair out in frustration.
"I have had enough stress this week. It's very different coming to defend a title and have the pressure and expectation on you. It's a different challenge and it's much harder [than winning the first time]," said Pidcock.
It wasn't until the sixth lap of eight on the 4.4km course that Pidcock began to claw back the time on Koretzky and Hatherly, although he began to slowly move back up the field.
"All I could do was stay calm and come back to the front. Obviously, Victor and Alan were going well and it's not an easy course to overtake on," he explained, but slowly the calm and patience paid off and he was back in the lead at the top of the climb of the seventh circuit.
But Koretsky also dug in and Pidcock couldn't shake him, despite several attacks on the steepest sections of the last lap, and the French rider regained the lead on the final climb, as Pidcock looked beaten.
"I know how fast Victor is, and with the home crowd, he won't have been feeling his legs, but I knew that if I could stay close, I'd have a chance," he said.
The lead changed hands twice on the twisty and slippery descent, before Pidcock made the decisive move, undertaking in a narrow track and forcing his rival to lose momentum.
The French fans weren't happy and booed Pidcock as he crossed the line, but to his credit, Koretski had no complaints.
"It's part of racing, I wanted gold and he wanted gold," the silver medalist told the press.
That leaves Pidcock with the chance of an incredible Olympic double as he also competes in the men's road race on Saturday, although he admitted that his preparations could be affected by Monday's win.
"Normally after mountain bike racing I do a long ride, but I might not do that now," he joked. "I'll take time to recover and refresh," he said, before thanking his family, who were trackside on Monday.
"I don't see them very much, and they make a lot of sacrifices for me, so I have to be with them at this special time," added the British rider. ■
