Tom Pidcock powers to second in high-speed Nové Město Short Track thriller!
Tom Pidcock delivered another world-class off-road performance on Saturday, finishing second in the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Cross-country Short Track (XCC) at Nové Město na Moravě after an explosive 21-minute and 46-second battle at the front of the race. French rider Mathis Azzaro eventually edged the Briton on the line after a tactical two-man sprint finish.
Back in the intense and technical environment of MTB World Cup racing, Pidcock immediately looked in control around the iconic Czech circuit. Calm and composed through the opening six laps, the Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team rider carefully managed positioning before progressively increasing the pace as the race entered its decisive phase.
Once the rhythm intensified, Pidcock moved to the front and used two sharp accelerations on the climbing sections of the course to force the decisive selection. Only Azzaro was able to respond as the pair opened a gap over the chasing group and committed fully to the final lap showdown.
Entering the finishing straight from second position, Pidcock found himself tactically exposed in the head-to-head sprint and was narrowly passed on the line by the Frenchman after one of the fastest and most aggressive XCC races of the season.
Despite the different demands compared to the road races where fans are more used to seeing him, Pidcock once again demonstrated the versatility, explosiveness and technical precision that continue to make him one of the most complete riders in world cycling.
Today’s result also offered a closer look at the highly specialised off-road equipment package used by Pidcock in Nové Město, developed for the extreme demands of modern elite cross-country racing — where acceleration, traction, suspension efficiency and bike handling all play a decisive role.
Pidcock raced aboard the special edition European Champion Pinarello Dogma XC, equipped with:
- Vittoria Mezcal XC Race 2.4 tyres developed with Vittoria Labs
- Prologo Scratch NDR saddle
- SRAM XX SL Eagle transmission
- Zipp 1ZERO HITOP SW wheels
- RockShox SID SL Ultimate Flight Attendant fork and SIDLuxe Ultimate Flight Attendant rear suspension system
The fully integrated setup allowed Pidcock to repeatedly attack on the steep punchy climbs while maintaining speed and control through the circuit’s technical sectors — a critical factor in a discipline where races are decided in seconds rather than minutes.
"I’m pretty happy with today. It’s always very difficult coming back to my bike when I have such a long break. But we did everything we could in the days before to get the bike ready and get used to the Pinarello Dogma XC again. I did a little bit of riding at home, but probably not enough. I’ve been focusing more on efforts on the road, so to come here and perform like this, I can be happy. Short track is always a difficult one for me, but second place is a good result — and the important one is tomorrow."
Tom Pidcock
The UCI Mountain Bike World Series weekend in Nové Město continues tomorrow with the Olympic Cross-country (XCO), where Pidcock will once again line up among the favourites on one of the most iconic MTB circuits in the world.
