You had to see it to believe it. And then watch the replays to see it again.
Team GB have had plenty of medal moments so far at Paris 2024, but none have been quite as dramatic as this at Elancourt Hill as Tom Pidcock joined the pantheon of British sporting greats.
At the end of a lung-burning, energy-sapping and emotionally draining mountain bike race, France’s Victor Koretzky had seemingly made the decisive move.
As they vanished over the crest of the final hill and out of sight, Koretzky had a gap. A small gap, but with such a small part of the race to go, a gap all the same.
The legion of vocal French supporters turned and rushed towards the finish line - cameras focused at the spot they would re-appear, tricolours waving. But just as they were about to erupt, Pidcock emerged first through the dusty haze, his arms aloft as he crossed the line to celebrate perhaps the greatest ride of his life.
On the eve of his 25th birthday, Pidcock is now a two-time Olympic champion and the king of the mountains. But that does not even come close to telling half the story of a race that will be replayed for decades.
Just 45 minutes earlier, he stood motionless on the sidelines as his team replaced a punctured tyre. It occurred on the fourth lap of an eight-lap race and just as he and Koretzky had broken away at the front.
The British mechanics were caught off-guard and it took 10 seconds for a spare to be brought out. When he re-joined the race, Pidcock was eighth and 36 seconds off the lead, an age in a sport of so many dangerous obstacles.
But on the site of a former quarry, he set about digging himself out of an almighty hole.
“What is the point of stressing?,” the Leeds cyclist said after the race.
“Thirty seconds is a lot on this course. It was not easy but I had someone telling me I was eighth and I said I just want to get to the front.”
The Pidcock overtake 🤯
— Team GB (@TeamGB) July 29, 2024
🎥 @BBCSport #Paris2024pic.twitter.com/v7L5T0c2Jz
In 30-degree heat, Pidcock kept his cool. He climbed to sixth by the end of the lap, and then joined the scrap for third – which also included Charlie Aldridge.
The gap to Koretzky was 36 seconds with two laps to go. And remarkably, he caught them on lap seven of the 4.4km circuit and took the lead.
On the final lap, the energy expended in playing catch-up looked to have cost him as Koretzky made his move. However, conjuring one last ounce of fight, Pidcock reeled him back in again and then took a tight line through the trees, going left while Koretzky went right.
It was daring, opportunistic and high-risk – but the reward proved to be worth it, as he emerged in front when they joined back together.
“Normally I do a long ride to recover the day after a mountain bike race – but I might sack that off now,” he said.
“It’s the most emotionally draining victory.
“The buildup was a long time in my head and waiting all week was hard, plus and the training.
“It builds up and it’s not until you cross the finish line, it all pours out. It needs a lot of energy and focus to deal with that.
“Normally in these races I make the gap early on, but Victor was with me and then I punctured.
“I was pushing hard to catch up. Victor is the fastest guy in mountain bikes on the last lap and I knew it was going to be super difficult to beat him.
“ I knew if I could stay close to him, I could make a move in the last part when he was not expecting it.”
On Saturday, he goes in the men’s road race and is among the favourites again.
“I don’t even want to think about that,” he added. “Today is about enjoying this and inspiring others.
“This is what makes the Olympics so special to me.
“It is bigger than cycling and people back home, they get in the spirit and celebrate every medal. But the bigger thing is to inspire people and that is what I like to do.”
Sportsbeat 2024