Is Tom Pidcock the greatest British cyclist of all time?

Tom Pidcock successfully defended his Olympic cross-country title, narrowly beating Frenchman Victor Koretzky in a crazy, back-and-forth tussle for the lead. Now, with two gold medals, world-championships in multiple disciplines, and even a Tour de France stage win in 2022, the question has to be asked, is he the greatest British cyclist of all time?

Before we attempt to answer that question, we must review Pidcock’s incredible ride on Monday at the Paris Olympics. Having blown a tire on lap three of eight, Pidcock lost 36 seconds to his rivals as a mechanic desperately attempted to change his tire track-side, per The Independent.

Victor Koretzky took advantage of his British competitor’s misfortune to push ahead, opening up a 15-second lead over South Africa Alan Hatherly in what looked for some time like a procession.

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Pidcock rode in the chasing pack for a few laps, having produced a mighty effort to get himself back in contention. With time running out in the race, he made his move, powering away from the pack and hauling in first Hatherly before setting his sights on Koretzky.

Hatherly stuck with Pidcock, making it a three-way battle for the lead before the South African fell away, leaving France v Britain, the oldest of rivalries, battling it out for gold.

A series of dramatic overtakes from each rider followed, before Koretzky seemed to have broken Pidcock, forcing the Brit into the bravest of moves with the finish line almost in sight. The Guardian sums it up here, “As the pair raced through woods in the last few hundred metres, Pidcock accelerated and took the inside line on a left-hand curve,” leaving his French rival scrambling to return to top speed.

Pidcock’s bravery proved too much, cruising to victory. After the race, he told reporters, “There were only maybe two, three or four places on the track to undertake. Two of them were full gas anyway, the rest are single-track. It was really difficult,” in relation to his overtake.

There were some in the crowd who felt Pidcock’s move was illegal, with boos ringing out as they saw their compatriot Koretzky fall away at the last. Pidcock responded, “I didn’t do anything wrong. I was in front, and he left the door open. We were racing for a gold medal. I wanted to win as much as he did… In this position, you don’t hesitate, the gap was there, and I was going for it,” per The Guardian.

Team GB performance director Stephen Park told reporters, “He’s been absolutely laser focused on winning this all year. Technically, he’s just a better rider than anyone else.” That focus proved too much for his competitors by the end of the race.

The Independent describe Pidcock as, “an underappreciated jewel of British sport,” noting mountain biking does not carry the esteem of other cycling disciplines in Britain. Yet Pidcock’s talents stretch far beyond the mountain bike, having won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2022 and produced a stunning performance to win the 2022 Tour de France queen stage, per Eurosport.

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Such is Pidcock’s talent, the Independent called him, “one of the best bike handlers in the world,” following his victory. And now, with two gold medals before he turned 25 (his birthday was one day after his gold medal performance), Pidcock has placed himself in the rarified air of Adam Peaty, Mo Farah, and Andy Murray as Brits who defended their Olympic golds.

With the men’s road race on Saturday, the 3rd of August, Pidcock has another chance at a medal at these Games. Even without more medals, Pidcock has laid claim to being one of Britain’s greatest-ever cyclists, but a win puts him amongst the best to ever do it.

Britain has produced no shortage of great cyclists in recent times, so if not Pidcock then who? Let’s take a look at some of the contenders for Britain’s greatest ever cyclists in no particular order.

Sir Chris Hoy dominated track cycling during his career, winning six Olympic titles, as the Scotsman became an unstoppable force in the Keirin event. Any list including greats of British cycling must include Hoy.

Laura Kenny is another of Britain’s greats, with five Olympic golds to her name, she won Olympic golds at three different Games.

Mark Cavendish holds the record for most individual stage wins at the Tour de France, per CyclingNews. There is almost nothing else to say about the Manx Missile, who also won multiple world titles in the madison event on the track.

Wiggins arguably holds the claim as the most well-rounded British cyclist ever, having won the 2012 Tour de France, four Olympic golds on the track, and the 2012 men’s time trial gold, per Team GB.

Per BBC Sport, Jason Kenny holds the British record for most Olympic medals (9) and most Olympic golds (7). That record also extends beyond Britain, as he is the most successful cyclist in the history of the Olympics, per Top End Sports.

Froome is irrefutably Britain’s greatest road cyclist, having won four Tour de France titles (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017), the Giro d'Italia (2018) and two Vuelta a España titles (2011, 2017), per CyclingNews. 

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