After spending their springs tearing up the Classics on the road, Tom Pidcock and Puck Pieterse are looking to shake up the World Cup cross country standings when that series returns to Europe next weekend in a return to the iconic Czech venue, Nové Město na Moravě.
Stars with stellar history in Czechia
Both riders roll into mountain bike season riding high of strong results on the road. Pidcock’s spring campaign included a stunning sprint finish at Milan-San Remo against Tadej Pogačar, but also a heavy and high speed crash that the Briton is working back to speed from. Pieterse posted big second places finishes at La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
Both will be looking to turn those second places into wins on dirt. Nove Mesto is a venue where both have a history of finishing on the top step. They’ve both won a short track (XCC) World Cup there. Pieterse in 2025 and Pidcock in 2023.
Pieterse also has an elite women’s XCO win there from 2023.
Pidcock, though, always seems to have Nove Mesto’s number. The multi-disciplinary star, and two time Olympic XCO gold medallist, has four elite men’s XCO wins at the Czech venue. While mixing road and dirt, Pidcock won Nove Mesto four times on the trot, from 2021 to 2025. After missing 2025, he’ll look to match Nino Schurter’s record of five wins at the venue next weekend.
Schurter, now retired from World Cup racing, will be on Vancouver Island when the start gun fires. The legendary Swiss racer is in Canada for the 20th running, and final year in the original format, of BC Bike Race.
Canadians in Czechia
Speaking of Canada, Catharine Pendrel was the last Canadian to win an elite race in Nove Mesto, taking the women’s XCO win in 2011. With a strong contingent of men and women moving up the standings every year, could 2026 be the year Nove Mesto sees another Canuck top the podium? Jenn Jackson just missed the elite women’s podium in South Korea, finishing fourth. With Nove Mesto expected to feature a little more time on the bike instead of on feet, the Orbea rider will be in her element as racing moves back to Europe.
World Cup returns from South Korea to Europe
While Pieterse and Pidcock have chased, and caught, podiums on the roads, the World Cup started in the far off forests of South Korea. An epic mud fest saw to Swiss riders take the opening XCO wins of 2026. Sina Frei ran and rode to the elite women’s win while Dario Lillo sauntered to his first elite World Cup victory in the men’s XCO.
New venues always have a way of shaking up the established pecking order. It will be interesting to see who adjusts to the return to a familiar venue, on the other side of the world after just a few short weeks, with the best form.
Canadian fans can watch the Nove Mesto World Cup on Flobikes.