The mistake that costed 🇫🇷 Koretzky a gold medal in #Paris2024… 💔 #Mountainbike
Even stoic Pidcock gets emotional after a bizarre comeback and boos from very bold action
Olympic Games 2024Tuesday, 30 July 2024 at 10:34
What a race Victor Koretzky rode in the mountain bike race at the Olympics. Until the last minute of the race, the Frenchman seemed to be on his way to beating Tom Pidcock, were it not for the outsider getting beaten by a trick from the Brit. For a while, there was debate about whether that move was according to the rules. However, the winner and the loser had no problem with it afterward.
"I made a small, careless mistake during the descent. My bike hit some gravel, and that mistake cost me the gold," said the silver medalist Koretzky. He referred to the moment just before the decisive moment in the race. The Frenchman was in front but broke down in a bend, allowing Pidcock, who was closing in on him, to get right back in. The footage below shows that moment. Otherwise, Koretzky could have been heading for the gold....
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Koretzky doesn't blame Pidcock: "A great champion"
But it didn't happen that way. Both men stayed together for the remainder, though Koretzky seemed to be the better of the Briton on pure power. Then Pidcock devised a trick, getting ahead of his opponent on a crucial turn. Creating enough distance to go for gold. Koretzky could not make much of it afterward. Other than that, the gold medalist made a bold and instinctive move. "In the forest, Pidcock touched me, and with that, my shoe got loose," he explained why he was suddenly quite a bit behind in the last few hundred meters. "It was hard to do anything after that, but he's a great champion."
Nice words from the silver Koretsky, who was logically the big favorite in front of his crowd. Pidcock was booed en masse at the finish by those along the course. "The support from the French was all for him, bud, sadly not for me," said the winner, somewhat jokingly about it. "This was not easy; the Olympics are so special. This shows that you should never give up, and I knew I had to keep fighting. Viktor went super hard in the last lap, but I wanted to turn up the heat. He left a gap, and I had to go for it. That's racing, that's sport."
"I do feel sorry for Viktor," Pidcock, who was visibly emotional, continued. "Contact is part of it, though, and I did that. It's no different at the Olympics. You have to go all in. At the Games, so many things go through your head. I had a lot of different emotions and played out all kinds of scenarios. You're already completely exhausted when you're on the starting line."
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The move that will be talked about for years, mainly in France. For me it is just racing incident. It simply happens. #Paris2024 x.com/MontVentoux23/…
Pidcock stayed calm after flat tire
Pidcock's emotions had built up after he punctured in the opening stage. "I said this week that if I had a flat, I would say "f*ck" three times and then keep going. If I stayed calm, I knew anything was still possible. No spare wheel was waiting for me at the equipment station, but luckily, it was quickly solved. Five laps left at fifty minutes, so I knew anything was still possible. I was happy when I returned close to Viktor, but I knew how good his last lap could be."
He saved it, in his own words, by pure racing. A second gold plaque in a row, and that after he had to give up in the Tour de France with a corona infection. "I can't thank everyone enough. My bike was, apart from the flat tire, perfect. Everyone supported me after the Tour, and we prepared perfectly for this. It's super nice to have my family and friends here. I did everything possible to win the race. The Olympics are the most important thing for me, and getting the second gold medal is incredible."
🔥🇫🇷 | Problemen voor Pidcock! Een lekke voorband, vrij dicht bij de materiaalpost, maar zijn mechaniciens staan niet klaar! 💥💥 #Paris2024 📺 Stream Paris 2024 op HBO Max
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024