Team GB star Tom Pidcock responds to boos from French fans after clinching Olympic gold

Team GB gold-medal hero Tom Pidcock says it was a ‘shame’ to hear a chorus of boos from French fans at the finish line after he powered home to successfully defend his Olympic mountain bike title in Paris.

Pidcock appeared set for disappointment after suffering a puncture in his front tyre, plummeting to ninth as home favourite Victor Koretzky built an imperious lead at the halfway stage of the race.

But the 24-year-old Briton, who at one point trailed Koretzky by over 50 seconds, rallied and ate up ground on the Frenchman heading into the final lap at Elancourt Hill.

Pidcock somehow managed to avoid a race-ending crash as he overtook Koretzky in the closing stages of the compelling race before sprinting home with a nine-second advantage over his French rival.

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In the end, Koretzky had to settle for the silver, while South Africa’s Alan Hatherly got his hands on the bronze medal.

‘It wasn’t easy. I’m keeping my glasses on for a reason!’ an emotional Pidcock told BBC Sport after clinching Team GB’s second gold of the Games.

‘I think the Olympics is so special and I think it’s just… you never give up, you give everything and that’s what I had to do.’

Pidcock’s decisive, high-risk overtake of Koretzky appeared to upset many of the onlooking French fans, who booed the British cyclist as he romped home in first.

‘I knew Victor was going to be super fast on the last lap and I couldn’t get rid of him so I knew it was going to be a big, big fight,’ Pidcock added.

‘He left a gap and I had to go for it so that’s racing. Some people might view it differently.

‘I wanted to show what the sport is, not giving up. It’s a shame the French were booing me, but you know.’

A teary Pidcock was consoled by BBC’s Jill Douglas as he thanked his loved ones and support network for their contribution to the win.

‘I think we’re all used to things going so well and even my mechanic was not even ready,’ he continued.

‘But he did a super fast change in the end and my bike was perfect.

‘It was my mistake puncturing so I can’t thank everyone enough.’

Koretzky seemingly had no issue with Pidcock’s move to take the lead and branded the Team GB star a ‘great champion’ shortly after the race.

‘Tom was really strong, he had a puncture and then I tried to get some information,’ Koretzky told French media.

‘When he came back on me I knew I could beat him because he had made a big effort to plug the gap.

‘On the last hill I managed to make a gap. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake on the descent, a small lapse in concentration.’

Koretzky went on: ‘He’s really a great champion.

‘I think I could have beaten him today. I’m a little disappointed but at the same time, I’m satisfied.

‘There’s a lot of work behind all this, a lot of sacrifices and a lot of time spent away from home. Having a silver medal is already a great reward.’