Tom Pidcock wins world mountain bike gold as Mathieu van der Poel crashes out

Great Britain's Tom Pidcock won gold in the men's cross-country mountain bike at the Cycling World Championships.

Olympic champion Pidcock lit up the race and broke clear with two laps to go after starting on the fifth row in Glentress Forest, Scotland.

New Zealand's Sam Gaze finished second, with 10-time former winner Nino Schurter in third.

Road race champion Mathieu van der Poel's bid for a second world title in a week was ended by an early crash.

The penultimate day of the championships also saw Sarah Storey collect an 18th road para-cycling gold in the women's C5 road race in Dumfries and Galloway, two days after winning the individual time trial.

Frances Brown added to her collection of four gold medals on the track and road in the women's C1 road race, meanwhile, and GB's Fin Graham successfully defended his C3 road race world title with compatriot Ben Watson claiming bronze.

Fellow British rider William Bjergfelt took gold in the men's C5 road race, with Oliver Weightman winning gold in the final of the trials junior men's 20".

Meanwhile, Archie Atkinson rode to bronze in the C4 road race and Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl collected their fifth medal of the event with a bronze in the women's B race.

Later on Saturday evening Charlie Rolls earned a bronze in the men's 20" final and Jack Carthy rounded off a fine day for Great Britain with a sixth gold in the men's 26".

There was disappointment for Evie Richards, who was sixth in the women's mountain bike cross-country race as France's Pauline Ferrand-Prevot secured her fifth world crown.

And Jack Rootkin-Gray also missed out on a podium place in the sprint to the line in the men's under-23 road race, finishing fourth on the 168.4km route.

Pidcock showcases star quality

Pidcock's victory follows on from his bronze medal in the cross-country short track final.

The 24-year-old - also a former world cyclo-cross champion - showcased his superb talent across cycling's different disciplines, despite being hindered by a mechanical issue.

"It's a massive relief. My gears were jumping all over the place and I thought my race could be over at any point," Pidcock told BBC Sport.

Pidcock had started the race down in 33rd position but made significant ground to get himself up into 12th on the first lap.

And he showed no signs of slowing up as he went past former Olympic gold medallist Schurter to take the lead near the end of the fifth lap and opened up a gap that ultimately proved decisive.

Van der Poel misses out on historic treble

Dutch rider Van der Poel was aiming to become the first male rider to win cyclo-cross, road and mountain bike world golds in the same season.

The 28-year-old won the Cyclo-cross World Championships in the Netherlands in February and claimed the rainbow jersey in the men's road race in Glasgow on Sunday.

However, after starting alongside Pidcock, he saw his front wheel slip on a tight right-hand turn towards the end of the starting loop and was forced to abandon.

"My front wheel just went. The mental pain is bigger than the physical pain and it takes away some of the joy from Sunday because it was my own fault," he said.

A late decision from the governing body in the build up to the race meant Van der Poel and Slovakian road star Peter Sagan were moved from the last row to fifth-row starting positions.

Other competitors, including Swiss great Schurter, were signatories on a statement expressing their "deep disappointment and frustration" by the UCI's application of a 'privileged position' rule for riders that are successful in other disciplines.