Tom Pidcock is exceptional. The diminutive and talented British rider won gold in the mountain bike event on Monday. This makes him only the second cyclist in history, after Frenchman Julien Absalon, to win two Olympic gold medals in this discipline.

However, it is not only the victory that is significant, but also the manner in which he achieved it. His triumph came after a crash and a puncture, followed by an epic comeback. His ability is so immense that no one could match his performance on Elancourt Hill. 

It is the highest point in Paris. There, in the midst of the mountains, the multi-talented cyclist, who has won major road classics such as the Strade Bianche and the Amstel Gold Race, put on a show that left everyone in awe. He conquered the summit of Alpe d'Huez, one of the most historic climbs of the Tour de France. He was the favourite and he proved it.

He suffered a crash and a puncture in the middle of the race, but he recovered and overtook everyone. Remarkably, on Saturday 3 August, he will again be competing against the best in the road race. Mathieu Van der Poel, who would have liked to compete in the mountain bike event, will be there. Pidcock, his rival in cyclocross, took the opportunity and is now a double Olympic champion.

The sun did the damage, unlike the rain on the day of the opening ceremony. The course was the same as the women's event on Sunday. It was 4.4 kilometres long, with gravel paths, several rock gardens and explosive climbs, with a total of 150 metres of climbing.

The riders did eight laps and it didn't suit Pidcock, who described it as "boring". He was quoted by local media as saying, "If you're just going up a nice gravel track, you're not really mountain biking". The crowd enjoyed watching the selection process in the Olympic peloton and seeing Pidcock show why he is an Olympic champion, as he will be at Tokyo 2020.

Pidcock wasn't afraid to push his rivals when necessary. He showed his technical control of the bike. He arrived at Paris 2024 after withdrawing from the Tour de France with his Ineos team because of COVID-19, but he wasn't weakened.

Local hero Victor Koretzky couldn't keep up with the Briton and watched him mercilessly pull away in the final stages of the race. For the spectators it was a visual spectacle and a reminder of the unpredictable and exciting world of Olympic mountain biking.

The crash on lap four saw Pidcock lose 38 seconds to Koretzky. He then had to change his wheel after a puncture. This set him back further and cost him more time. Pidcock remained calm, confident in his finish and in his ability to endure a long race like the one he faces on the road. 

Lap after lap he overtook riders. He overtook experienced specialists in the discipline like Nino Schurter (9th). Nino Schurter is a ten-time world champion and gold medallist in Rio. Schurter couldn't keep up with the Brit and dropped out of the medal race.

South African Alan Hatherly, who eventually took bronze, managed to hold on and secure a medal position. Pidcock was on the attack against Koretzky. Although it was the Frenchman who initially tried and seemed to succeed, Pidcock pushed harder, overtook him and won. He caught him on a descent. In a close finish he secured Olympic gold.

Olympic MTB race results:

1st Tom Pidcock (GBR) - 1:26:22

2nd Victor Koretzky (FRA) - +9".

3rd Alan Hatherly (RSA) - +11".