Pidcock and Van der Poel clash for MTB world title

Tom Pidcock and Mathieu van der Poel headline today's elite men's cross-country Olympic race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole. The final rainbow jersey of the championships will be decided from 15:15 CEST in Italy, the same time in mainland Spain, with coverage available through TVE and RTVE Play. The elite women's race starts earlier at 13:00.

Pidcock was a late entry but immediately became one of the leading favourites. The Briton is the Olympic champion from Tokyo and Paris, won the XCO world title in 2023 and took victory in his only World Cup appearance of this season at Nove Mesto. Van der Poel, meanwhile, is pursuing one of the few major titles missing from his career. The road world champion and eight-time cyclo-cross world champion has won MTB World Cups but has never worn the XCO rainbow jersey.

Val di Sole offers a punchy circuit of 3.5 kilometres with 155 metres of climbing per lap. Its short climbs, technical sections and repeated accelerations make starting position, clean riding and the ability to recover between efforts crucial. A single mistake can cost several places on a course that offers little time to close gaps.

The road stars face a formidable group of specialists. Luca Martin leads the 2026 World Cup after two wins and two second places, while fellow Frenchman Adrien Boichis is second overall with two victories. Reigning champion Alan Hatherly will defend his title, and Simone Avondetto, Bjorn Riley, Charlie Aldridge, Dario Lillo, Victor Koretzky, Mathis Azzaro and Martin Vidaurre are also among the riders to watch.

Pidcock is seeking to regain the world title three years after his first triumph; Van der Poel wants to complete an extraordinary collection of rainbow jerseys; and the new French generation aims to turn season-long consistency into the biggest victory of the year.