News: Bronze for Pidcock

After the DQ of Under 23 World championship winner Dutchman Nils Eekhoff, fourth placed Tom Pidcock was awarded the bronze medal on the podium for Yorkshire2019

News: Bronze for Pidcock

BC Press Release

Yorkshireman Tom Pidcock won Britain’s third bronze medal of the UCI Road World Championships on a dramatic evening of extreme and contrasting emotions in Harrogate. After battling back heroically from a crash which saw him exacerbate an existing knee injury, he bridged the gap to the leading group before entering the finishing straight in contention for what would have been a hugely popular home win.

However, Harrogate hearts were broken as Pidcock crossed the line in fourth, behind Dutchman Nils Eekhoff, Italy’s Samuel Battistella and Switzerland’s Stefan Bissegger. With Pidcock and the would-be medallists off the course, the race officials deemed that Eekhoff had drafted behind a car following an earlier crash, disqualifying the Dutch rider and therefore elevating Pidcock to third.

After collecting his medal, Pidcock said: “The race was hard, with the rain and the cold – it was quite grippy and I wasn’t really feeling 100%, but as we got into Harrogate and I heard everyone screaming my name – it was unreal to be honest. I’ll never forget it.”

Pidcock’s team-mates also enjoyed a solid ride in sometimes appalling conditions, with Jake Stewart crossing the line in 18th, Fred Wright in 28th, Stuart Balfour 39th and Matt Walls in 71st.

Earlier in the day, Britain’s other individual medallist so far in these championships, Elynor Backstedt, continued her impressive week by recording a top-five finish in the junior women’s road race, as the USA’s Megan Jastrab claimed the title. Behind Backstedt in fifth, Britain’s Anna Shackley crossed the line in 12th, Eluned King 20th, Amelia Sharpe 34th and Abi Smith 35th.

Under 23 Men’s
1. Samuele Battistella Italy 03:53:52
2. Stefan Bissegger Switzerland
3. Thomas Pidcock Great Britain
4. Sergio Higuita Colombia
5. Andreas Kron Denmark
6. Tobias Foss Norway
7. Pascal Eenkhoorn Netherlands @ 38 secs
8. Mikkel Bjerg Denmark
9. Mathieu Burgaudeau France
10. Torjus Sleen Norway

18. Jake Stewart Great Britain @ 52
28. Fred Wright Great Britain @ 3:02
39. Stuart Balfour Great Britain @ 3:06
50. Ben Healy Ireland @ 10:34
71. Matthew Walls Great Britain @ 12:42
85. Paul Wright New Zealand

Junior Women
1. Megan Jastrab USA 02:08:00
2. Julie De Wilde Belgium
3. Lieke Nooijen Netherlands
4. Aigul Gareeva Russia
5. Elynor Backstedt Great Britain
6. Noemi Rüegg Switzerland @ 03 secs
7. Blanka Vas Hungary
8. Léa Curinier France @ 05
9. Silje Mathisen Norway
10. Magdeleine Vallieres Mill Canada @ 07

12. Anna Shackley Great Britain @ 09
20. Eluned King Great Britain @ 21
33. Amelia Sharpe Great Britain @ 1:07
34. Abi Smith Great Britain @ 1:07