26 Nov 2022
Pidcock wins in rainbow jersey in Kortrijk
Related riders
Tom Pidcock
X2O Trofee Kortrijk - Urban Cross
Tom Pidcock claimed his first victory in the elite cyclo-cross rainbow jersey with an impressive ride in Kortrijk.
Making his debut on the Urban Cross course, the Brit pushed clear on lap two and proceeded to manage his slender advantage for the final seven laps of the race.
The duo of Lars van der Haar and Eli Iserbyt kept the Grenadier honest throughout the race, with the former pegging the advantage at nine seconds for five laps, before finally seeing the gap spin out as Iserbyt regained contact.
The win marked Pidcock's first elite success in the long-running X2O Trofee series of races, in addition to his first win of the winter season.
He continues a busy schedule on Sunday with the World Cup in Hulst, which sees Mathieu van der Poel resume his CX season on home soil.
Making his debut on the Urban Cross course, the Brit pushed clear on lap two and proceeded to manage his slender advantage for the final seven laps of the race.
The duo of Lars van der Haar and Eli Iserbyt kept the Grenadier honest throughout the race, with the former pegging the advantage at nine seconds for five laps, before finally seeing the gap spin out as Iserbyt regained contact.
The win marked Pidcock's first elite success in the long-running X2O Trofee series of races, in addition to his first win of the winter season.
He continues a busy schedule on Sunday with the World Cup in Hulst, which sees Mathieu van der Poel resume his CX season on home soil.
Reaction
"It was hard, it was just super fast. I got a bit of a gap but I couldn’t really extend it. It was always Lars at seven, eight [seconds]. It was a hard race trying to stay focused and keep my pace. I knew if those two came together they’d be thinking about the overall, and sure enough, when they got together I got a bit more of a gap.
"It was hard, it was just super fast. I got a bit of a gap but I couldn’t really extend it. It was always Lars at seven, eight [seconds]. It was a hard race trying to stay focused and keep my pace. I knew if those two came together they’d be thinking about the overall, and sure enough, when they got together I got a bit more of a gap.
"It’s similar to last Saturday but much better than that. This year I’m certainly in better shape, I think I showed that last weekend too. I was feeling a bit tired this week, but it’s good that I still felt good today.
"Every day I get to race in this jersey it’s enjoyable. It’s a nice experience. All the fans support my really nicely in Belgium, that’s why I’m trying to learn a bit of Flemish as well! I’m going to enjoy this winter for sure."
