Olympic champion Tom Pidcock became world cyclo-cross champion Sunday in Arkansas, in the absence of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel who had shared the last seven titles.

The 22-year old Briton, who won mountain-biking gold in Japan, beat European champion Lars van der Haar of the Netherlands and World Cup winner Eli Iserbyt of Belgium by 30 seconds in Fayetteville.

Pidcock, second in 2020, ended the streak of Belgian van Aert and Dutchman van der Poel, who had won every world title since 2015 in the men's elite class.

Four-time winner Van der Poel, who led his debut Tour de France for six days last year, is suffering from a back problem.

Van Aert is preparing for the spring road cycling season. He won two last year.

Pidcock went on the offensive on the fourth of nine laps of the fast Fayetteville circuit and built a 30-second lead over Iserbyt.

"It was difficult, we had to play it tactically," said Pidcock, the first British winner in the senior category.