Tom Pidcock was crowned XC mountain bike European champion at the European Championships on Friday.

The 23-year-old Briton is already an Olympic champion in the discipline, thanks to his victory in Tokyo last year, and is the leading contender for the world title at next week's world championships in France.

Pidcock, who won the world title in cyclocross earlier this year and won a stage of the Tour de France on the road this summer, is competing at the elite level in MTB for the fourth time this year. Because of this, he started far from the front row, but steadily worked his way up the order to take the gold medal single-handedly.

On the fourth of eight laps of the 4.3 km Munich circuit, Pidcock caught up with the lead pack and wasted no time in forcing his way to the front. The next lap, Pidcock turned into a breakaway, and the final three laps were an exhibition of whips and tricks as Pidcock accelerated out of the saddle. [Sebastian Carstensen (Denmark) took the silver medal and Filippo Colombo (Switzerland) the bronze.

"It's definitely a good sign," Pidcock said of the World Championships. 'Maybe a little bit too early; it's pretty hard to come out ahead by yourself. I have a big target next week."

"I think it was a good day. It was great to race in front of the crowd.

After winning the rainbow jersey next week in Les Gets, Pidcock will return to the road, with the World Championships in Australia as his big goal. If he wins the MTB rainbow jersey next weekend, he could combine it with the cross rainbow jersey already stashed in his locker for an incredible rainbow triple crown.

"Going back to the road is not a bad idea. I had a pretty good base in the Tour and it was a bit more intense.

"It's going to be a long season, but I want to give it my best for next week and for the road world championships in a month and a half."