Prologo returns to the top of the MTB Cross-Country world thanks to Tom Pidcock, who claimed the 2026 Elite World Championship title on the trails of Val di Sole. The British phenomenon, riding his Prologo Scratch NDR, secured his second XCO World Championship title of his career at the end of an exciting, high-level race.
Credits: Mattia Ragni
The 27-year-old Pinarello-Q36.5 rider battled it out with many world-class champions, including fellow Brit Charlie Aldridge and Canadian Cole Punchard, who also ride Prologo saddles. They went on to finish second and third respectively, earning the silver and bronze medals.
A podium entirely featuring Prologo riders is an extraordinary achievement that highlights the Italian brand’s commitment to designing and producing products specifically for a demanding discipline such as MTB Cross-Country, where comfort and performance are more important than ever. The NDR range of saddles, as well as gloves featuring CPC technology, are in fact highly effective tools for ensuring excellent bike control on every type of terrain.
The World Championships just concluded in Val di Sole were also extremely positive for the other riders competing for teams sponsored by Prologo. Frenchman Jerome Gilloux won the E-MTB World Championship title for the fifth consecutive time, while Italians Juri Zanotti (Wilier-Vittoria) and Martina Berta (Origine Racing Team) won the gold medal in the Team Relay ahead of Switzerland, represented by Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing).
In the men’s Short-Track race, Briton Aldridge and Frenchman Luca Martin of the Cannondale team finished second and third respectively, while young Frenchman Nael Rouffiac (Origine Racing Division) was crowned XCO Under-23 World Champion. Also riding for the same team, Italian Martina Berta claimed the silver medal in the Elite women’s XCO race. In Downhill, meanwhile, very young Italian rider Filippo Gilardino (Bike Center Cimone) secured an impressive third place among the Juniors.
Pidcock’s victory in Sunday’s race is the icing on the cake of a career that has already seen him establish himself at the highest levels of the discipline on numerous occasions. His unforgettable Olympic victories at Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024, the 2023 Elite World Championship title, the 2020 Under-23 World Championship and the 2022 and 2025 European titles are just some of his outstanding achievements.
The partnership between Prologo and Tom Pidcock has now been going on for several years and highlights a technical collaboration that extends beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines. It has seen the Italian brand and the British phenomenon work closely together on the use of cutting-edge saddles, including in road cycling, where he uses the revolutionary Choice, in time trialling with the innovative Predator//02, and in cyclocross with the versatile Scratch M5.
