As in the women's race, there was also a Swiss podium finish in the men's cross-country race at the Mountain Bike World Cup in Nove Mesto. Filippo Colombo from Ticino finished in 3rd place.
24.05.2026, 16:43
SDA
Colombo was able to break away from a group of four at the end of the sixth of eight laps and secure 3rd place behind Tom Pidcock and Luca Martin, who had an early lead. With Fabio Püntener (5th), Dario Lillo (7th), the winner of the World Cup opener in South Korea three weeks ago, Mathias Flückiger (12th) and Luca Schätti (13th), another four Swiss riders made it into the top 15.
Pidcock was once again in a class of his own in the Czech mountain bike Mecca. The two-time Olympic champion celebrated his fifth victory at his fifth cross-country start in Nove Mesto, catching up with the retired Nino Schurter. The fact that Pidcock spoke of the "hardest of his victories" in Nove Mesto was due to the second-placed Frenchman Luca Martin, who came close to the Briton several times during the race. However, Pidcock was able to step up again at the right moment. His success never came under serious threat. In the end, he crossed the finish line with an 18-second lead.
Colombo lost 64 seconds to Pidcock and said after the race: "The first two were on a different level today. But I'm very happy about 3rd place." There was at least one Swiss podium finish in each of the eight races at the first two World Cup stops of the season (women and men).
