Pidcock's meteoric comeback is not enough to win, Vanthourenhout takes victory in Overijse

Tom Pidcock returned to the CX World Cup for his sixth round of the year, held in Overijse, Belgium. And there, the British rider pushed himself to the limit in the mud, making one of his epic comebacks. But this time it was not enough to win. Belgian Vanthourenhout took the victory after Pidcock's failure on the last lap.

Only Vanthourenhout can overcome a Pidcock who is struggling with problems at the 2022 Overijse CX World Cup

After finishing seventh in the Superprestige Merksplas the day before, Pidcock arrived at his first World Cup of the year just one day later in Overijse.

In an eventful start of the race for the British rider, where a mechanical problem with the chain put him in last position during the first lap, the head of the race was taken by the leader of the classification, Eli Iserbyt, the winner of the last two races Laurens Sweeck and the Spaniard Felipe Orts, among others. 

But Pidcock's comeback was not long in coming and in just a few laps he was able to move up from 43rd position to fight again with the front runners.

From the fifth of seven laps, it seemed clear that the race victory would be between European champion Vanthourenhout and the World Champion. First it was Vanthourenhout who fell first, and when everything looked like victory for Pidcock, the British rider also crashed on the last lap. 

Finally, Michael Vanthourenhout finished first, 3 seconds ahead of Pidcock, with Lars van der Haar from the Netherlands closing the podium.

2022 Overijse CX World Cup Results

1. VANTHOURENHOUT Michael (PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL)
2. PIDCOCK Thomas (INEOS GRENADIERS)
3. VAN DER HAAR Lars (BALOISE TREK LIONS)
4. SWEECK Laurens BEL (CRELAN - FRISTADS)
5. NIEUWENHUIS Joris BALOISE TREK LIONS
6. NYS Thibau (BALOISE TREK LIONS)
7. ISERBYT Eli (PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL)
8. RONHAAR Pim (BALOISE TREK LIONS)
9. ADAMS Jens (Belgium)
10. KUHN Kevin (TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM)