Tom Pidcock dedicated his victory to late British cyclist Fin Tarling on Sunday after winning the Men Elite - Cross-country Olympic title at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships for the second time.
Tarling, whose brother Josh and Pidcock were Netcompany Ineos teammates in 2023, died in a crash with a vehicle at a race in Portugal earlier this month at the age of 19.
The 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships took place Aug. 26-30 in Val di Sole, Italy, and riders in five categories battled for medals and coveted rainbow jerseys.
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"I don't have much words to be honest, it was a hard road here after the Tour," said an emotional Pidcock, who finished ninth at July's Tour de France 2026. "I want to dedicate this win to Fin Tarling, to Josh. Seeing him start the Vuelta was pretty incredible, so I dedicate it to him and his family."
Josh Tarling had started the Vuelta a España 2026 just days after his brother's death and came close to winning the opening stage time trial, but he quit the race just a few days later.
On Sunday in Val di Sole, Briton Pidcock started on the fifth row and was forced to overtake numerous rivals before finally hitting out alone at the front on the seventh of eight laps.
Fellow Briton Charlie Aldridge finished second, with Canada's Cole Punchard third, while star Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, a world champion on the road and in cyclocross, was never able to make his mark and came home in 30th.
Pidcock, 27, is a two-time Olympic mountain bike champion from Tokyo in 2021 and Paris in 2024.
The Leeds native also won a Tour stage on the iconic Alpe de Huez climb in road cycling and won the cyclocross world title, both in 2022.
The Women Elite - Cross-country Olympic title at the 2026 MTB World Championships went to Sina Frei of Switzerland. She finished the course in 1:27:50 and was followed by Italy's Martina Berta and Switzerland's Nicole Koller, who had matching times of 1:28:57.
See the women's XCO highlights here.
What Are The Categories For The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships?
XCO – Cross-Country Olympic
- Men Elite – Ages 23 and over
- Men Under 23 – Ages 19 to 22
- Women Elite – Ages 23 and over
- Women Under 23 – Ages 19 to 22
- Men Junior – Ages 17 and 18
- Women Junior – Ages 17 and 18
XCR – Cross-Country Team Relay
- Mixed Team – Ages 17 and over
XCC – Cross-Country Short Track
- Men Elite – Ages 23 and over
- Women Elite – Ages 23 and over
- Men Under 23 – Ages 19 to 22
- Women Under 23 – Ages 19 to 22
DHI – Downhill
- Men Elite – Ages 19 and over
- Women Elite – Ages 19 and over
- Men Junior – Ages 17 and 18
- Women Junior – Ages 17 and 18
E-XC – Electric Cross-Country
- Men – Ages 19 and over
- Women – Ages 19 and over
Who Were The Winners At The 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships?
Men’s Events
- Downhill – Jackson Goldstone, Canada
- Electric Cross-Country – Jerome Gilloux, France
- Cross-Country Short Track – Adrien Yves Claude Boichis, France
- Cross-Country Olympic – Tom Pidcock, Great Britain
Women’s Events
- Downhill – Valentina Höll, Austria
- Electric Cross-Country – Anna Spielmann, Austria
- Cross-Country Short Track – Laura Stigger, Austria
- Cross-Country Olympic – Sina Frei, Switzerland
Mixed Relay
- Mixed Cross-Country Team Relay – Italy
Under-23 and Junior Events
- Men Under-23 Cross-Country Short Track – Nicolas Halter, Switzerland
- Men Under-23 Cross-Country Olympic – Nael Rouffiac, France
- Men Junior Cross-Country Olympic – Connor Wright, Australia
- Men Junior Downhill – Raoul Schneeberger, Switzerland
- Women Under-23 Cross-Country Short Track – Monique Halter, Switzerland
- Women Under-23 Cross-Country Olympic – Valentina Corvi, Italy
- Women Junior Cross-Country Olympic – Anja Grossmann, Switzerland
- Women Junior Downhill – Tilly Boadle, Australia
Complete results from the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships can be found here.
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