Great Britain Cycling Team’s Tom Pidcock took a career-best second place in the junior men’s race at the final round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Hoogerheide on Sunday, while Nikki Harris clinched another podium finish and third overall in the world cup standings.
In appalling conditions, Pidcock battled through the mud from a back-row gridding to take the runner-up spot, 27 seconds behind home-rider Jens Dekker.
Pidcock’s result in Hoogerheide bettered his previous career best, when the 16-year-old from Leeds took eighth at the 2015 UEC European Cyclo-cross Championships in Huijbergen.
Amazing! 2nd at a World Cup. Bring on worlds!!!!! #UCICXWC @BritishCycling @UCI_cycling
— Tom Pidcock (@tompid) January 24, 2016
Pidcock’s teammate Will Gascoyne was 19th, with Dan Tulett 26th and Ben Turner 29th.
Harris took third place in the women’s race after a thrilling race-long battle with Dutch champion Thalita De Jong, with the race win going to fellow home-rider Sophie De Boer.
Like Pidcock before, Harris thrived in the muddy conditions and with the last lap approaching, looked to have gapped De Jong. But the motivation of a Dutch one-two spurred De Jong on, Harris adding another podium finish to her impressive world cup tally to finish third in the overall standings.
Happy with my podium today and the cherry on top was 3rd place overall In the World Cup series,didn't expect that with no Las Vegas #bonus
— Nikki Harris (@Nikkiharris86) January 24, 2016
Helen Wyman took seventh after battling for fifth place with Eva Lechner earlier in the race. Fourth for Sanne Cant was enough to clinch world cup victory for the Belgian rider.
Great weekend of racing in Holland. Winning on Saturday then getting faster every lap in the World Cup, just seems others were faster ha ha!
— Helen Wyman (@CXHelen) January 24, 2016
Behind Wyman, Beth Crumpton was next Brit home in 28th with Hannah Payton four places back in 32nd.
Ian Field was 27th in the elite men's race, five minutes and 32 seconds behind race winner Mathieu Van Der Poel, with the world cup win going to Belgian Wout Van Aert.
Field's Hargroves Cycles - Ridley RT teammate Nick Barnes was 36th in the under-23 race with victory going to Belgium’s Quinten Hermans.
With the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup over, attention moves on to the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships next weekend in Huesden-Zolder, Belgium with an 18-strong Great Britain team in attendance.
