Reigning UCI Cross-country Olympic World Champions, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Tom Pidcock, both of the Ineos Grenadiers squad, have won their opening mountain bike races of the season at Shimano Supercup Massi La Nucía. This season will see the pair compete for Olympic gold in Paris in the summer in their respective elite categories. 

For Ferrand-Prevot it was a towering 45.5sec victory ahead of Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) in second and Savilia Blunk (Rockrider Ford Racing Team) in third. The Pinarello of her teammate Pidcock would taste victory by 25.58secs ahead of Sam Gaze (Alpecin Deceunick) and David Valero Serrano (BH Coloma Team).  

Cross-country Olympic is the only mountain bike format to be featured in the Olympic Games and so its biggest stars often tailor their training programs to peak for the summer games. Pidcock remains one of the biggest multi-format talents to ever grace cycling as a whole and, should he take to the start line in Paris, will be counted amongst the favourites. For Ferrand-Prevot, Olympic gold remains just about the only major accolade missing from her palmares.  

You can watch all the action from the opening round of the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup in the brand-new venue of Mairiporã, Brazil 12-14 April.