British cyclist Tom Pidcock secured his second career cross-country world title at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, using his victory to honor the memory of the late Fin Tarling.

The 27-year-old athlete crossed the finish line 17 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor after a grueling eight-lap race. Pidcock completed the course in one hour, 25 minutes, and 26 seconds, celebrating his triumph by lifting his bicycle into the air in front of the Italian spectators.

Following the race, the newly crowned champion dedicated his gold medal to Fin Tarling, a 19-year-old British rider who tragically passed away following an accident at the Volta a Portugal earlier in August. Pidcock also expressed his admiration for Fin's brother, Josh Tarling, noting his remarkable resilience in continuing to compete at the Vuelta a España shortly after the family tragedy.

Pidcock's path to the gold medal was far from straightforward, as he entered the competition as a late addition following his ninth-place finish at the Tour de France. The two-time Olympic champion revealed that a heavy crash during Friday practice left him managing persistent back pain throughout the event. He managed to break away from his teammate during the seventh lap, extending his lead just enough to withstand any final surges.

Fellow Briton Charlie Aldridge claimed the silver medal, finishing as runner-up to Pidcock for his second podium finish of the week. Canada's Cole Punchard rounded out the top three by capturing the bronze medal.

In the women's cross-country division, Switzerland's Sina Frei earned the world title. Great Britain's Evie Richards finished the main cross-country event in sixth place. Richards had previously come agonizingly close to securing a short-track world title earlier in the week, narrowly losing out to Austria's Laura Stigger in a sprint finish around the final corner.

Aldridge also earned a silver medal in the men's short-track event earlier in the week, narrowly getting overtaken on the home straight by France's Adrien Boichis. The British squad added more medals to their tally during Saturday's downhill competitions, with Harriet Harnden taking bronze in the women's category and Jordan Williams matching the feat in the men's event.

Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.