Pidcock wins second title - Roth rides onto the podium

The second world championship gold in three days: Great Britain's Tom Pidcock more than lives up to his role as favorite in the U23 men's cross-country race. In second place, Christoper Blevins secured the first medal for the USA, with Switzerland's Joel Roth taking bronze. Vital Albin finished in a good seventh place.

"There's no better way to end this crazy season and my time as an U23 rider," says the Briton, who was already able to put on the e-mountain bike world champion jersey on Wednesday. After two laps at the start, he pulled away from his only rival Christopher Blevins on the first full lap and rode a lonely course from then on. In the end, Pidcock won with a lead of almost two minutes over Blevins, who also completed lap after lap in solitude.

Joel Roth was still in third place on the second lap, but then briefly dropped back to fifth place. He recovered and caught up with third-placed Sean Fincham (CAN) after two full laps. Roth even set the fastest lap time on the third lap, creating a small cushion for himself.

He needed it, because Italian Simone Avondetto rode much faster in the final lap. But it was no longer enough for him to catch Roth.
"I felt good right from the start that day. I tried to make up the difference to the top, but it was impossible," admits the man from Aargau.

"I just didn't have the legs for more today," says co-favorite Vital Albin. The man from Graubünden started cautiously, but then managed to improve a little and move up from 13th place to seventh. He was able to hold on to this position over the final two laps.

Fabio Püntener and Luca Schätti finish the race with respectable performances in eleventh and 13th place respectively.

Results World Championships U23 Men
1st Thomas Pidcock
2nd Christopher Blevins (USA)
3rd Joel Roth (SUI)
4th Simone Avondetto (ITA)
5th Sean Fincham (CAN)
7th Vital Albin (SUI)
11th Fabio Püntener (SUI)
13th Luca Schätti (SUI)
25th Alexandre Balmer (SUI)

https://www.ride.ch/de/news/pidcock-holt-zweiten-titel-roth-faehrt-aufs-podest

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