Tom Pidcock has returned to the XCO World Cup and has done so in the only way he knows how in Nové Město: by winning. The Briton returned to the Czech circuit this Sunday after many months away from mountain biking and once again demonstrated that this course remains completely his territory.
But this time it wasn’t an easy performance. Luca Martin delivered one of his best races as an elite rider and forced Pidcock to push himself to the limit in a very fast and aggressive race from the start, where the best result for the Americas was fourth place for Chilean Martín Vidaurre.
The race started at a very high pace from the first meters. Dario Lillo initially took the lead while Mathis Azzaro, winner of Saturday’s Short Track, was again very aggressive at the beginning. Pidcock started somewhat more conservatively, but it didn’t take him long to move to the front.
Even before completing the first lap, the Briton had already taken control of the race, and at the start of the second, he launched his first major attack. Luca Martin and Mathis Azzaro were the only ones initially able to respond, although Pidcock quickly began to pull away.
While the Briton was pushing the pace, problems and gaps began to appear behind him. Charlie Aldridge lost contact with the leaders after suffering mechanical issues with his handlebars, and Azzaro, after a very explosive start, began to lose positions. This is where Adrien Boichis emerged strongly, staging a remarkable comeback to position himself among the frontrunners for much of the race.
But the star of the day, alongside Pidcock, was Luca Martin. The Frenchman from Cannondale Factory Racing held on virtually alone throughout the race and was the only rider able to keep the fight for victory alive. For over an hour, he relentlessly pursued Pidcock and even managed to reduce the gap to just 10 seconds with two laps to go.
Behind them, the SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team placed several riders at the front throughout the race, with Filippo Colombo, Fabio Püntener, and Bjorn Riley riding together in the fight for the podium. Riley was putting in one of his best performances in the Elite World Cup until a puncture and a rear tire coming off the rim ended his chances.
When it seemed that Luca Martin might catch Pidcock, the Briton accelerated again on the penultimate lap and managed to open up a small gap once more, which would ultimately prove decisive. Martin never gave up and even kept Pidcock in sight at several points on the final lap, but the Briton made no mistakes and crossed the finish line alone to maintain his perfect record of victories in Nové Město.
With this victory, Tom Pidocck equals Nino Schurter’s record of five wins on the circuit. Luca Martin finished second after a tremendous performance that confirms his status as one of the best in the world of XCO. Filippo Colombo completed the podium after winning the final battle for third place against Fabio Püntener and Martin Vidaurre.
Top 10 – XCO World Cup Nové Město 2026 (Elite Men)
1. Tom Pidcock – 1:18:52
2. Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) – 1:19:10 (+18)
3. Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team) – 1:19:56 (+1:04)
4. Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) – 1:20:11 (+1:19)
5. Fabio Püntener (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team) – 1:20:12 (+1:20)
6. Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) – 1:20:23 (+1:31)
7. Dario Lillo (GIANT Factory Off-Road Team – XC) – 1:21:13 (+2:21)
8. Maximilian Foidl (KTM Factory MTB Team) – 1:21:27 (+2:35)
9. Juri Zanotti (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) – 1:21:47 (+2:55)
10. Mathis Guay (KTM Factory MTB Team) – 1:21:50 (+2:58)
Source: www.brujulabike.com