Pidcock 'glad' to beat Van der Poel on the mountain bike; now he's looking to beat him on the road, too

Tom Pidcock won the Mountain Bike World Championships for the second time on Sunday, 31 August 2026, in Val di Sole, claiming the rainbow jersey with a remarkable comeback despite having to start from the fifth row. Mathieu van der Poel, who had also aimed for the title, struggled with 'heavy legs' and failed to finish in the top thirty. Pidcock expressed satisfaction at proving himself stronger than Van der Poel on the mountain bike and indicated his ambition to beat the Dutchman on the road as well.