"He wants a legacy in the sport that he loves" - Tom Pidcock's coach insists the Brit's second Olympic gold isn't mountain bike swansong

In a true race for the ages and a brilliant advert for the sport of mountain biking, Tom Pidcock secured his second successive Olympic gold medal on Monday afternoon in Paris, seeing off the challenge of home crowd hero Victor Koretzky in a thrilling battle.

Pidcock's long time coach, Kurt Bogaerts was right in the thick of the action and speaking post-race to Sporza, the coach insists he never lost hope in his rider's chances, despite the Brit's mid race puncture that saw Pidcock drop from first to 40 seconds behind the lead of the race.

"It was certainly exciting, but Tom said that I was actually very calm," Bogaerts jokes in Sporza Daily. "I always believed in it. I never thought it was over. It wasn't easy to move up. There were very wide lanes, but also single tracks . When he could ride his own lines, he quickly made up time. He has a winner's profile with technical baggage. He doesn't put up with any situation."

Whilst, as mentioned, Bogaerts didn't lose hope, the coach had to admit that after the puncture, the advantage was firmly in Koretzky's court. "Being able to ride at your own pace is a huge advantage, in terms of hydration and cooling," he explains. "When you come back after a flat tire, you should skip a feed station. You have to fight yourself into the race. I think Koretzky had the advantage in that."

One by one though, Pidcock fought his way past rider after rider, getting back closer and closer to the front of the race. “When he was 2 seconds behind, I told him, ‘If you get on the wheel now, you will win,’ which is what happened,” Bogaerts recalls. 

Whilst many within the INEOS Grenadiers see Pidcock as a potential Tour de France winner of the future and are hopeful the Brit will commit full time to the road in order to pursue such a quest, Bogaerts doesn't believe this will be the last we see of the now double Olympic champion on a mountain bike. “He really wanted to go for gold and then see what the future holds. It will continue to play a role. He wants a legacy in the sport that he loves to do," Bogaerts concludes. "It really is a beautiful sport. With a final like here in Paris and broadcasting it, it can grow. For Tom it is certainly important."