‘It’s a shame’: Brit Tom Pidcock booed after epic gold medal comeback

Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock pulled off one of the great Olympic comebacks in the men’s mountain bike, but the home crowd wasn’t happy.

Men’s mountain bike gold medallist Tom Pidcock blasted fans who booed him after he defended his Olympic title despite suffering a puncture.

The Brit claimed his nation’s second gold medal of the Paris Games when he came back from a puncture which took him 40 seconds off the pace to win his second Olympic title.

But salty French fans ruined the moment, booing the 24-year-old, who turns 25 on Tuesday, as he crossed the line for the victory.

Before the puncture, Pidcock was in first but after, he dropped back to ninth and 40 seconds off the lead on the fourth of eight laps.

However, it ain’t over until it’s over and Pidcock raced back through the field before coming home over the top of French crowd favourite Victor Koretzky in a sprint finish.

“The Olympics is the biggest thing for me and to be able to just still pull that off despite what happened is pretty incredible,” he said.

“What I’m feeling right now is a bit all over the place. All I know is that I did whatever I could in that race to win.”

Gold tastes good. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Tom Pidcock came from the clouds. Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images

It was a brutal finish to the race with Pidcock and Koretzky’s wheels touching as he went for the overtake.

And French fans didn’t appreciate their home nation hero being overtaken.

“He left a gap and I had to go for it, that’s racing,” Pidcock told the BBC after the race.

“Some people might view it differently. I want to show what sport is, not giving up.

“It’s a shame the French were booing me, but you know.”

But Koretzky may have only had himself to blame after he rode into the base of a tree towards the end of the race.

While he did regain the lead soon after, it left the door open for Pidcock to attack again and relegate the Frenchman to silver.

“On the last downhill, I made a mistake,” the 29-year-old three-time Olympian said.

“The single track was not so clean compared with the lap before. I don’t know if it’s from the opening moto (bike) or something else, but there was a lot of gravel on the line, and I lost the front wheel.

“That mistake cost me gold.”

Koretzky ran into a tree. Photo: Facebook

Pidcock made the most of it. Photo: Facebook

Koretzky admitted he had “mixed feelings” about the race.

“Everyone dreams of an Olympic medal. It’s still very satisfying,” the silver medallist said.

Pidcock said the race was “definitely the most emotionally draining victory” he had experienced.

“I knew if I could stay close, I could come around him near the finish, or have a chance,” he added.

With AFP

Originally published as ‘It’s a shame’: Brit Tom Pidcock booed after epic gold medal comeback