It’s hard to believe that it has been six weeks since the Olympics wrapped up, but we’re back with one of the biggest events of the annual Cycling calendar – the Road World Championships, where we will see who gets to wear the rainbow jerseys for the next year!
The Courses
The event is being held in the Flanders region of Belgium, with the road races finishing in Leuven but containing a route filled with cobbles, narrow corners, as well as short but incredibly punishing climbs. This means that the road races will probably favour the ‘puncheurs’ – riders who can best be described as a mixture of everything, being capable of competing at both climbing and sprinting without necessarily being considered the very best in the world at either. These riders tend to specialise in events such as the one-day Spring Classics, which tend to have similar profiles to the course being used for these championships.
The Time Trials, however, are going to be held on a mostly flat course around Bruges. As such, it seems likely that the Time Trials will be won by true time trial specialists, rather than a more climb orientated rider.
Unlike the 2020 event – which was limited only to the senior ‘elite’ competitions, this year’s event will have the full range of disciplines on show, including the U23 events for the men, junior events for both men and women as well as the marvellous spectacle of the mixed team time trial, which is essentially a relay where a team of men race 22km, before ‘handing off’ to a team of women doing the same and then the combined time decides the podium.
With Belgium (and indeed Flanders in particular) being one of the true heartlands of cycling, it should make for a spectacular week of racing. Especially if it rains!
The Contenders
In terms of potential podium finishers in the senior rases, the home nation has one of the stand-out favourites for the Men’s Elite Road Race title in Wout van Aert, a rider capable of winning over any terrain on any day, in any weather and who will be backed up by a strong Belgian squad. Other riders who will certainly fancy their chances include reigning champion Julian Alaphilippe (France), Sonny Colbrelli (Italy), Peter Sagan (Slovakia) and the Slovenian pair of Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic. Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) would have been considered one of the strong favourites but his form is not known following a heavy crash in the mountain biking in Tokyo.
British hopes may lie with Tom Pidcock, who outsprinted van Aert in earlier this year Brabanste Pijl, which uses some of the same course that will be contested this week.
On the Women’s side, it’s hard to look past the Dutch squad, who have multiple riders capable of winning the race, including Anna van der Breggen, Annemiek van Vleuten, Marianne Vos and others. On paper, it would be foolish to bet against them. That being said, they were similarly favoured to win in Tokyo this summer and, frankly, messed up their tactics terribly where Austria’s Anna Kiesenhofer escaped to a famous Gold.
If the Dutch have a similar breakdown here, look for the likes of Lotte Kopecky (Belgium), Elisa Borghini (Italy) and Lizzie Deignan (Great Britain) to try and take advantage.
Given the flat nature of the course, the time trials should favour the likes of Filippo Ganna (Italy), and Stefan Kung (Switzerland), being out and out specialists. However, van Aert is doubling up in this event and could medal, as could his Belgian teammate Remco Evenepoel. For a dark horse or two, never count out the likes of Tony Martin (Germany) or Michel Kwiatkoswki (Poland). British hopes lie with Dan Bingham and Ethan Hayter.
On the women’s side, the Dutch squad, as ever, are strong favourites. Marlen Reusser of Switzerland recently won the European title, however, and will fancy her chances of adding the rainbow jersey to her collection.
One name to look out for in the junior races if you are British (or indeed, if you are Swedish!) is that of Zoe Bäckstedt. If it is true that sporting talent often runs in the family, then it is fair to say that Bäckstedt has outstanding pedigree! Both her parents (Magnus and Megan) are former professional riders themselves, whilst her elder sister Elynor is a current professional, who medalled in these championships in the junior time trial in both 2018 and 2019. Definitely one to look out for!
Finally – on a more somber note – it would be wrong not to mention the sad passing of former professional Chris Anker Sorensen following a traffic collision yesterday. Sorensen, who was in Belgium in preparation for commentating on the Championships for Danish television, was hit whilst out riding. A reminder of the ever present dangers that cyclists face on a day to day basis.
Ian's World Of Sports 