Sports

Tom Pidcock defeated by Mathieu van der Poel again

Britain’s Tom Pidcock finished third behind winner Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert again in the Cyclo-cross World Cup.

Pidcock finished one minute 49 seconds behind Van der Poel and 18 secs off Van Aert, two of cycling’s biggest talents.

Pidcock, 21, will race against Van der Poel and Van Aert on cycling’s World Tour this year with Ineos Grenadiers.

Denise Betsema of the Netherlands won the women’s race, with Britain’s Anna Kay 20th.

Dutch rider Lucinda Brand won the overall title in Hulst with one race remaining, on 24 January.

Pidcock, who currently rides for Trinity, is expected to contest top-level races for Ineos next season, and is widely regarded as a talent capable of following in the footsteps of Tao Geoghegan Hart, who won this year’s Giro d’Italia.

Van der Poel, of the Netherlands, won last year’s Tour of Flanders, and Belgian Van Aert won two stages of the Tour de France as well as Milan-San Remo.