2022 European XC Mountain Bike Championships: Men's Highlights - Tom Pidcock Dominates

It's 900 meters then for a very fast opening lap. Dittkopf desperately trying to move up through the center but if anything lost a couple of positions there and finds himself about three quarters of a way down. This is the Belgian De Fruidemont in the national classic jersey, the blue with the Belgian flag on. Only his third mountain bike race of the year. Played 2-1-2 for the moment, won in Eibstadt and it's pretty good going. There he is, left inside, just making a move to stay with the front group. He tries to get a bit of a chase here, found some space somehow to get past Carstensen. Wanting to let the Frenchman get away, it's Hughes closing the gap now, Josh Dubourg in front, Tom Pidcock chasing. That lead that was developed and extended through the start-finish line has effectively been closed before we really get started seriously on this lap number four. Well here is Pidcock and there wasn't much room here but somehow there's a way through. Pidcock makes an acceleration, unable to shed too many behind. Koretsky's on his wheel, Colombo's managed to fight across. It's Pidcock at the front of a top top trio here, Crossfield and Road and well this is turning into quite the performance from Pidcock. Rückfried is playground they go again, Pidcock's acceleration there now has forced the gap, Koretsky starting to lose the wheel and that meant that Colombo has been able to try and get there in the chase. Just a few weeks ago, the Alps are in the distance, it's on the biggest mountain in the city but Pidcock would have climbed it eight times in total by the end of this race. Snaking up the Munich Mamba, that's the difference on the course. Pidcock halfway up the hill, the others only begin. This is the hardest climb on the course, taken on for the last time. He's making this Munich Mamba twisty turny climb look easy. I can promise you it isn't. Double digit gradients, slippy gravel under the tyres and it's Carstensen now who's looking for two silvers in as many years. And the action and the entertainment is coming from the next summer and now Mount Munich, Thomas Pidcock a born and he's riding away to make history. Up one final ramp, over the line and Tom Pidcock is the first ever men's European champion in cross-country mountain biking from Great Britain. Perfection from Pidcock. The crossover star rides home to another win. He's only ridden three times this season on the mountain bike, each time nobody able to stop him. So it's Carstensen who's going to take the silver, Colombo there to take the bronze. First time in 10 years that there's no Swiss in first or second. They do make the podium.