Have you recovered yet? Because I haven’t.
And with the triathlon cancelled this morning because of all the pollution in the Seine (shocking I know), ushering in the harsh reality that no Olympics athletes will ride bikes for our entertainment today, I thought we’d linger on that men’s mountain bike cross-country race from yesterday.
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
You know, the one where Tom Pidcock punctured halfway through while leading, losing around 40 seconds and nine places on the flying Frenchman Victor Koretzky, who was roared on by the delirious home crowd…
Only to brilliantly ease his way back through the field, before catching and then delivering a series of blistering accelerations with the aim of dislodging Koretzky…
Who then called Pidcock’s bluff and launched his own stunning attack in the last lap…
Only to falter around a late corner, allowing Pidcock to regain lost ground – and then execute one of the most characteristically Tom Pidcock, all-or-nothing moves ever seen, dive bombing around the other side of a tree, nudging and unsettling Koretzky in the process to secure his second straight Olympic mountain bike title, all played out to a booming chorus of jeers from the bewildered French public.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
Yes, that one.
And, when we weren’t revelling in one of the most exhilarating hour-and-a-half’s worth of bike racing you’re ever likely to see, much of the post-race analysis focused on Pidcock’s controversial – but perfectly legal – last-gasp, and ultimately race-winning, dive around the tree, and the boos that rang out around Élancourt hill in response to it.
The Pidcock overtake 🤯
🎥 @BBCSport#Paris2024pic.twitter.com/v7L5T0c2Jz
— Team GB (@TeamGB) July 29, 2024
“It’s a shame the French were booing me, because that’s not really the spirit of the Olympics,” 24-year-old Pidcock, who added another Olympic title to his increasingly impressive and wide-ranging palmares, said after yesterday’s race.
“But I do also understand it. The French are very passionate. They wanted Victor to win, which is understandable. But, you know, they didn’t boo the rock that made me puncture.”
The Ineos rider also insisted that he “didn’t do anything wrong” when it came to that late, late move – a claim backed up by the race jury, with mountain bike etiquette emphasising that as long as the dive bombing rider can get their bike in front of their opponent, the line is theirs.
“I didn't do anything wrong. I was in front and he left the door open,” the double Olympic champion said. “We were racing for a gold medal and I wanted to win just as much as he did.”
(Ed Sykes/SWpix.com)
> “Rubbing’s racing – it’s the Olympics, you have to go all in”
“As it happens, the matter was reviewed by the UCI’s sports director, Peter Van den Abeele,” British Cycling’s performance director Stephen Park added.
“He looked at the video a number of times, and he was comfortable that the line was good. They were definitely alongside, if not Tom was slightly ahead when they came together, therefore there was no infringement.”
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
And, to their credit, that was also the conclusion reached by Koretzky and the French team, with L’Équipe reporting that officials from the home nation reviewed the images and decided not to file a complaint.
And while Koretzky was certainly (and somewhat understandably) frosty with Pidcock immediately after the race and during the podium ceremony, by the time of their joint press conference, the silver medallist was gracious in defeat.
“I got a gap but then went off the track and so he caught me again. Then he overtook me in the forest. I didn’t know he was on the left, he touched me and touched my shoes, and then I almost crashed,” the French off-road star said.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
“I think it was part of racing. We all want the goal and we all fight for the goal. That’s racing. We fought to the finish.
“After his puncture he showed everyone he was on form today. I lost my opportunity, but I think I played my own chance to the end. I can be happy about that.
“Racing in front of the French crowd was amazing. From the start to the end of the race, it was an amazing atmosphere. I can’t be sad. I’m disappointed and happy at the same time.”
While Tom Pidcock may be enjoying his 25th birthday off the bike and with his family after that sensational gold medal-winning ride in Élancourt hill yesterday, within the Great Britain cycling set-up attentions are turning towards this weekend’s road race – where the Yorkshireman could well seal a historic double triumph on the streets of Paris.
The Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold winner will certainly head into the road race with high hopes for the 272km race with its punchy city centre finishing circuits, and will be backed by a strong British team of Josh Tarling, Stevie Williams, and Fred Wright.
However, while the weight of expectation was placed firmly on Pidcock’s shoulders in yesterday’s mountain bike race, he’ll be up against some considerable opposition in the shape of world champion Mathieu van der Poel, the flying Biniam Girmay, a resurgent Julian Alaphilippe, and the imposing Belgian duo Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
Nevertheless, Great Britain Performance Director Stephen Parks reckons yesterday’s win will give Pidcock a “huge amount of confidence for the road race”.
“Tom has to enjoy the moment. He was massively focused on this race and it emotionally, and physically, takes a lot out of you,” Park said today.
“Being the consummate professional he is, he'll be right back on it. He's already on the post-race recovery protocol. I’m sure he’ll be in a good spot.
“There’s no doubt that we need to ride well as a team, and everyone else will be motivated. Tom’s got the legs, and he’s up for the race, so they’ll be keen to ride for him. So, it should be a fantastic race.”
When asked if a momentous double gold was on the cards, Park said: ““It’s possible. But I think if there was one event in cycling I wouldn’t put a wager on, it’s the road race, because it’s such a tough race. It’s normally a war of attrition and if the entire peloton rides against you, then it’s incredibly difficult to win.
“But it is possible. We'll just have to see how it plays out, but we’ll definitely be in the running.”
Just when you thought professional cycling couldn’t get any weirder, the Vuelta a España confirmed this afternoon that stage six of this year’s race will get underway – in the most Vuelta way possible – inside a Carrefour supermarket in Jerez.
Yes, you read that right. Inside the actual shop. According to the organisers, in a bid to celebrate 12 years of Carrefour – which sponsors the leader’s red jersey – backing the Vuelta, the riders and lead car will set off from the supermarket’s aisles “where customers usually do their shopping”.
Okay… I have some questions. And it’s fair to say I’m not the only one.
“Cats are going to be lining up in the cereals aisle, next to the Golden Grahams and the Frosties,” wrote cycling writer and ITV4 stalwart Daniel Friebe on Twitter.
“So many questions about this that aren’t answered in communiqué. What happens if, say, Nairomán decides he needs some disposable razors two minutes before the start? Can he just ride out through till and not trigger the alarm? If he brings a loyalty card, does he earn points?”
Move over Pidcock, I think there might be a new contender for most exciting cycling day of the year. And, in any case, it’ll give everyone an excuse to watch a Vuelta stage from the start. Good job Geraint Thomas isn’t riding, he’d be a nightmare on that tiled floor.
And with a lumpy stage and uphill finish to follow, will it be a punchy rider, breakaway specialist, or GC contender who will supermarket sweep their way to victory?
I’ll get my coat…
Ironman world champ and reigning Olympic triathlon gold medallist Kristian Blummenfelt’s ambition to join the pro peloton next year – once he’s finally finished with all this extra swimming and running carry-on – has certainly raised some eyebrows in the roadie community.
Is it possible for the 30-year-old, regardless of his absolute VO2 max score and era-defining achievements in triathlon, to transfer on to the road scene and compete at the highest level, and maybe – just maybe – even win a grand tour?
Here’s what you had to say…
Secret Squirrel: “I’ll go out on a limb and say he hasn’t a dog’s chance against the current generation of road pros. He’s too old, won’t have the bike or peloton handling skills.
“The last over 30-year-old to win GC at a GT was G in 2018, they’ve been young guns’ races ever since. This guy ain’t no G, let alone a Pog or a Remco. I reckon he gets eaten alive by the Classics specialists, let alone the GCers.”
Mctrials23: “Not a popsicles chance. Won’t have the bike handling skills, will have to lose a lot of weight, will struggle with pack dynamics, descending, doing 3 weeks TdF. And that’s ignoring the fact he will be much older than the top boys. Smacks of someone who thinks triathlon is just a hard version of road cycling so he should be fine.”
Sylvain: “Did someone told him winning the Tour is a team effort, with some team tactics? And it’s won in the climbs too? Hard to understand for a triathlete maybe.”
Martin: “No, absolutely not a chance. VO2 won’t help you beat Pogačar, not with that body frame!”
Paul: “Would potentially be better switching to track cycling.”
Hunter: “Does he know he has to turn on a road bike?!?”
Chris: “This is a joke, right???”
Simon: “Might win a few ITT stages but no chance in hell for a GC.”
However, it wasn’t all disparaging comments about poor bike handling and big swimming shoulders.
Responding to one Instagram comment that claimed Blummenfelt would lack the recovery capabilities of the big GC riders, Ketil wrote: “Yeah, nothing like doing full Ironmans, being world champ. I’m a cyclist, but racing 180km time trial after 3,800 meters swimming, then running a full marathon; if you think his body can’t recover or take a massive beating, you’re delusional.”
“Why not, you have to be in it to win it, and if you don't try you'll never know,” added Mick, while Ross noted Tour podium finisher Richie Porte’s background in triathlon (and late entry to pro road racing to boot).
And finally, Richard is apparently even more confident about the Norwegian’s potential success on the road than Blummenfelt’s own team:
“He’ll do it in a sleeveless jersey and trainer socks.”
Now, that would annoy a lot of people…
Eight days into this year’s Transcontinental Race and leader Robin Gemperle – who has led the self-supported ultra-endurance race since it got underway in Roubaix last week – became the first rider to reach the undulating, gravel-laden 118km finishing route to Istanbul.
Posting on social media that he hopes to reach the Turkish city by midnight, Gemperle still holds a commanding lead over Christoph Strasser, TCR winner in 2023 and 2022, though this gap was cut by half to around 80km overnight, thanks to Gemperle’s frequent stops and decision to traverse a more mountainous route than his Austrian pursuer.
Abdullah Zeinab, meanwhile, looks set to finish third after a rough recent spell (including five punctures since Sunday night, which enabled Strasser to catch and pass him), with Tim De Witte not too far behind.
According to Transcon’s website, Gemperle has clocked an average moving speed of 23kph in the 4,000km he’s covered since his lap of the Roubaix velodrome last Sunday, with an average total speed of 18.8kph. I’m tired just thinking about it…
And I’m sure for many taking part, running low on food, drink, sleep, and energy, Istanbul can’t come soon enough.
You know you’re getting old when you’re pleased to see a feature about treating and preventing back pain while cycling:
> Achy back on the bike? The causes of back pain in cyclists and the best ways to relieve and prevent it
The memory of this year’s Tour de France may be disappearing faster than Tadej Pogačar from a Team Slovenia pre-Olympics training camp, but it seems that a few former pros still aren’t able to forget some, ahem, interesting comments made about this year’s yellow jersey winner by a certain Texan.
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
After Pogačar dismantled the opposition (again) on the way to his fourth of what eventually would turn out to be six Tour stage wins at the 2024 race on Isola 2000, everyone’s favourite cycling podcaster – no, not me, I’m talking about Lance Armstrong, but thanks – weighed in on the Slovenian’s record-smashing, jaw-dropping dominance, advising the now-three-time Tour winner to “maintain a low profile”, not “give people a reason to hate you”, and “don’t give them a reason to doubt you”.
That stark warning prompted Armstrong’s compatriot, and ‘clean sport’ tattoo wearer Phil Gaimon, to assert on his own podcast: “Never, ever listen to Lance Armstrong about anything”.
And now another retired podcast-appearing pro, Jérôme Pineau, has joined in on the criticism of Big Tex’s comments, arguing that Armstrong “did exactly the opposite” during his brash, unflinching career in yellow.
Speaking on the Les Grandes Gueules du Sport podcast, Pineau – a former Quick-Step pro and the man behind the protracted‘B&B Hotels to sign Cavendish… oh wait, the team’s collapsed due to lack of funds’ scandal of late 2022 – was scathing of his disgraced former colleague in the peloton.
“This is another lesson from a guy who did exactly the opposite,” the Frenchman said. “The fact that he talks about humility and values is like [Belgian serial killer] Marc Dutroux talking to you about raising your children.”
Crikey Jérôme, tell us what you really think.
> Former pro cyclist accuses Jumbo-Visma of motor doping, questions Sepp Kuss' Tourmalet performance
Pineau, who last year accused Visma of motor doping following their emphatic 1-2-3 at the Vuelta, continued: “Apart from the fact that he stole seven Tours de France and lied to millions of men and women suffering from cancer, he politicised his sport to the point of buying the authorities, he was anything but a humble person.
“He was arrogance personified. I lived through his time and was traumatized by it. He has nothing to say, he has to keep his mouth shut.”
Two solid and tidy runs from Charlotte Worthington give her an average score of 79.01 - but the crazy level of competition in Place de la Concorde today means it’s not quite enough for her to continue her title defence.
Always our champion 🫶🏼#Paris2024 | #BMXFreestylepic.twitter.com/Rfj5piWqha
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) July 30, 2024
After yesterday’s excitement, Team GB’s cycling squad has been brought slightly back down to earth this afternoon, as Charlotte Worthington’s defence of the BMX Freestyle title she won so spectacularly in Tokyo three years ago ended in underwhelming fashion, the 28-year-old Mancunian exiting in qualifying after finishing 11th in the 12-rider field.
While five-time world champion Hannah Roberts posted a stunning score of 91.45 to top the qualifying section ahead of Wednesday’s final, Worthington could only muster 79.01 after two arguably safe runs, while Switzerland’s Nikita Ducarroz – bronze in Tokyo – is also out after finishing tenth.
It’s fair to say that Dom Whiting’s latest Drum and Bass on a Bike outing in Bournemouth on Sunday looked pretty epic…
I spent my afternoon yesterday cycling through Bournemouth with D&B DJ Dom Whiting & thousands of ravers. A really rather bonkers day. pic.twitter.com/wlZ1XwoMxU
— David Harrison (@DaveHarrisonGo) July 29, 2024
Good weather, some decent tunes, and riding around on your bike with thousands of like-minded individuals – what more could you ask for?
Another shot from yesterday’s D&B cycle in Bournemouth. pic.twitter.com/q1NR4jaB9J
— David Harrison (@DaveHarrisonGo) July 29, 2024
One of the great pro cycling tragedies is about to hit the sport in 2025 – the loss of Sean Kelly butchering his way through Lotto-Dstny’s name in commentary for Eurosport.
‘Arnaud De Lie needs his Lotto-Dest… Dist… Din… Dynasty… teammates around him now…Lotto-Dynasty.’
That’s right – in a matter of months we will no longer be able to hear the King of the Classics confuse a cloud-based business communication solutions company with a 1980s American soap, as Lotto-Dstny confirmed today that their vowel-avoiding co-sponsor is stepping away from the team after two-and-a-half years.
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
However, despite seemingly having no new title partner in the pipeline for next season, Karel Van Eetvelt, the president of the second-tier Belgian outfit (who have a habit of burning through sponsors early in recent years – just ask Ridley), has insisted in a statement that Dstny’s departure is “not a cause for concern”.
“Various discussions are taking place to secure the future of our team, and hard work is being done,” he said.
“The National Lottery remains our main partner, having supported us previously during challenging times. We are determined to continue building on the solid foundations that we have today.
“As the oldest team in the peloton, with 40 years of rich history, we’ve seen partners come and go. That’s part of cycling. With Orbea, we have secured a long-term international agreement and our other partners believe in the strength of the team and ensure that our foundations remain strong.”
CEO Stéphane Heulot also praised Dstny’s input over the last few seasons, which – despite seeing the team relegated from the WorldTour – have resulted in the rapid rise of De Lie and a recent Tour de France stage win for Victor Campenaerts.
(A.S.O./Charly Lopez)
“We have secured all our talents for the future, which was our top priority. Youthful enthusiasm, attractive racing, and being the challenger to the big teams will thus remain part of the team’s DNA in the coming seasons,” Heulot said.
“Additionally, I want to emphasise that behind the scenes, there has been excellent cooperation over the past two and a half years to bring all this success to realisation.”
Nevertheless, despite Heulot’s comments about behind-the-scenes harmony, recent reports in Belgium have suggested that Dstny’s departure is linked to friction not with the team itself, but with co-title sponsor Lotto, which has backed the squad since its foundation in 1985.
“The relationship with the Lottery was already not going well right from the start,” Dstny CEO Daan De Wever told De Tijd last week.
“We quickly realised that we were in a situation where the Lottery did not want to share power. In every decision – both sporting and policy – they wanted to have the last word. The culture, the style, and the collaboration were not what we had in mind.”
Well, at least Sean Kelly’s happy…
Bebeu na noite anterior e foi pedalar… 🤦🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/od3eWd0SIl
— BikeBlz (@BikeBlz) July 30, 2024
Quite fitting that the bike brand is called Twitter, considering that the video acts as the perfect metaphor for what has happened to that particular social media platform over the last few years…
Is Ironman world champion and reigning Olympic gold medallist (for the next 24 hours, anyway) Kristian Blummenfelt – and his off-the-charts VO2 max score – set to follow in the wheel tracks of Cameron Wurf and, errr, Lance Armstrong by swapping the swimming caps and running shoes for a place in the peloton next year?
And most importantly, can the big Norwegian (I’d love to see him lining up alongside Tom Pidcock at the start of Strade Bianche), rumoured to be joining Jayco-AlUla next year, also fulfil his rather lofty ambitions of succeeding at the Tour de France?
Answers on a postcard…
Read more: > Triathlon star with highest ever recorded VO2 max Kristian Blummenfelt reveals ambitious plan to win the Tour de France by 2028
Though, to be fair, that soaking wet time trial at the weekend would definitely have suited him…
Italian sprinter Matteo Moschetti, who rides for Q36.5 Pro Cycling, has been discharged from hospital after undergoing successful collarbone surgery – days after being hit by a lorry driver while out training.
The 27-year-old, who has nine pro wins to his name, suffered a fractured collarbone, two neck vertebrae fractures, a sternum fracture, deep wounds to his face, and nerve damage in the collision. He was quickly treated by paramedics and taken to Niguarda Hospital in Milan by helicopter.
In a statement released by the Q36.5 team, it has been confirmed that Moschetti, after successful surgery on his left collarbone, was discharged from the hospital on Sunday and will now undergo additional medical checks and rehab at home.
“He was always in stable condition and the collarbone fracture was surgically treated last week. Fortunately, Matteo was discharged from the hospital this past Sunday. Further medical checks will follow but we are confident that he will recover in the next few weeks/months,” Q36.5’s head doctor Lorenz Emmert said.
“I’m happy and thankful to be in one piece and relatively healthy,” Moschetti added.
“I owe a great deal of thanks to the doctors, my family, and my team for their unwavering support during this challenging time. My main focus now is on recovering and regaining my health. I also want to extend my gratitude to everyone who sent messages of support and encouragement over the past week.”
Well, the results are in…
And it turns out you only need to suffer during the Tour de France, contract Covid, have an untimely puncture, mount a stirring comeback, look like you’re on the brink of losing, pull off an unbelievably audacious manoeuvre around a tree, and win your second consecutive Olympic gold to be declared the ‘cycling performance of 2024’ by 80 per cent of live blog readers.
I’d say that poll result is worth more than an Olympic gold to Tom, eh?
And the 20 per cent who voted ‘no’ – tough crowd…
In case you missed them, here are last night’s latest stories from the non-Olympic section of the cycling world, including one of our old ‘favourite’ controversial cycle lanes – which, after years of bitter debate, has finally been put to bed. Apparently…
> Political spat between Conservative and Labour mayors finally comes to an end as both reach agreement to remove “unpopular” cycle lane that “simply hasn’t worked”