Schwarzbauer hits out at Pidcock after this crash costs medal chance | Video | Sticky Bottle

Pidcock catches Schwarzbauer going into the last bend and overtakes him on his inside, before appearing to take the bend wide, riding across the front of the German, who crashed. The British rider conceded there was "probably" contact, though told Schwarzbauer it was part of racing

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) may be one of the most talented and exciting riders in cycling - on both dirt and road - but his superstar status and popularity hasn't saved him from strong criticism from one of his rivals.

Luca Schwarzbauer of Germany was in 3rd placing going into the last corner at the MTB short track event at the Worlds in Glentress Forest near Peebles today when Pidcock closed right up on him and attempted to overtake on the final corner.

That tussle for bronze - behind winner Sam Gaze (New Zealand) and runner-up Victor Koretzky (France) - got a bit hot and heavy, with Schwarzbauer and Pidcock clashing on the final corner. The incident took the German out of contention, as he crashed, and left Pidcock to sprint to the line for the bronze.

After the race, Schwarzbauer was very critical of Pidcock and also told the waiting media he had confronted the Great Britain bronze medal winner.

"Tom crashed me out, he completely rode into me in that corner," he said. "I’m super-disappointed because a bronze medal would have been pretty safe. He’s Tom Pidcock, he’s a superstar, but that doesn’t give him the right to do something like that."

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Schwarzbauer also confirmed he had gone to Pidcock immediately after the race and remonstrated with him over the incident.

“I said it was a very bad move in my eyes,” the German explained. “At first, he said ‘it’s part of the racing’. But then he realised I'd crashed. But he’s so aggressive, you can really see he’s the most aggressive rider, no one else rides like this.

“But when he rides like this, I’m going to crash because he was straight into me and he used me as a barrier. I think no mountain biker would do this at all, like a pure mountain biker, the community.”

Pidcock also spoke to the media about the incident, conceding he had "probably" made contact with the German - though contact is part of racing.

“I went for the inside and pushed him out on to the gravel and then Luca’s crashed unfortunately,” he said, adding he was very pleased to medal. "I’m pretty happy. I only did this (race) to prepare for Saturday but this morning I was pretty up for it and it’s nice to have a medal.”