A CYCLIST with strong Bradford links  stormed back from a puncture to take a second consecutive Olympic mountain bike gold in dramatic fashion at the Paris Games.

Tom Pidcock’s race was in danger of unravelling when he suffered a flat front tyre on the fourth of eight laps, shortly after he had taken control of the 35km race with an attack which split the pack.

Having fallen 40 seconds behind French hope Victor Koretzky, the Otley racer, who was once a key member of the Bradford-based Paul Milnes team, fought his way back to reclaim the lead with a lap and a half to go, but the pair traded blows in the last couple of kilometres – dramatically touching wheels – before Pidcock burst forward to take the win.

Pidcock was booed by the home crowds at Elancourt Hill, who had been ecstatic when Koretzky had attacked on the final climb of the race – the sort of territory where Pidcock would be expected to make a move – to take the lead late on.

But their hearts would be broken after Pidcock got his nose in front of Koretzky as the path narrowed before a tree, the decisive moment in a tense race.

Speaking to the BBC following his win, Pidcock said: "I wanted to show what sport is all about - never giving up.

"It is a shame the French were booing me."

He added: "It is super nice that they are all here (his family).

"I can't thank everybody enough."

Pidcock with his gold medal on the podium (Image: Martin Rickett) After a relatively poor start, Pidcock had moved to the front on the third lap and then took control, only for things to unravel with a front flat tyre.

Pidcock was lucky in that it happened close to the pits but his team were not ready for him and it was a slow change, leading Pidcock down in ninth place, the gap to the front suddenly ballooning.

He caught back up to catch Koretzky with two laps to go, but the effort told as he could not shake off the Frenchman until the very last.

It is only 16 days since Pidcock pulled out of the Tour de France suffering from Covid.

The reigning mountain bike world champion had made this race his number one target all season, and his determination to deliver showed in the final two laps of a pulsating contest.