Despite recent controversies, the flame of the Paris 2024 Olympics burns brightly for both the sport and its athletes' stories. One notable example is the triumph of Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, new Olympic gold medalists in mountain bike cross country.
Both athletes had the same goal of reaching the top podium, but their motivations differed. The British athlete, who also competes on the road with Team Ineos Grenadiers, was seeking his second consecutive Olympic gold after Tokyo 2020, while the French rider, in her fourth and final Olympics, was chasing the elusive title that had always slipped away.
Olympic Cross Country 2024: Two Races, a Thousand Emotions
"A dull track". That's how Tom Pidcock described the Olympic course hours before the race. However, just two trees in the forest made the race memorable. Before the decisive moment, Pidcock suffered a puncture, losing more than 30 seconds to Victor Koretzky, who was leading. After closing the gap, Pidcock found himself side by side with Koretzky in a wooded section, overtaking him on the left and receiving a shoulder that didn't destabilize him. This crucial moment allowed him to speed past the two trees and maintain the lead until the finish: "I came here to win - said the English phenomenon post-race - and that was all I wanted".
Photo Credit: Paris 2024
The women's race followed a different script, with France's Pauline Ferrand-Prévot winning gold in the cross-country mountain bike event with a sensational solo victory on the Élancourt Hill course. The 12-time world champion across road, MTB, cyclocross, and gravel attacked with a brutal pace on the main climb of the second lap, leaving behind Dutch rider Puck Pieterse and fellow Frenchwoman Loana Lecomte, dominating the race to the finish. She crossed the line in tears, welcomed by a jubilant home crowd that celebrated their heroine realizing her Olympic dream and winning France's second gold medal at Paris 2024: "This result is the culmination of years and years of hard work. Everything was done for the gold medal. I think I raced as I did in all the World Cups, but today I can say I achieved the goal of my life. I'm still in disbelief".
Photo Credit: Paris 2024
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