2023 UCI Highway World Championships – Riders to observe in elite males’s street race
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The summer season dates of the UCI Biking World Championships in Glasgow, ‘tremendous Worlds’ imply the boys’s street race title will probably be determined simply two weeks after the Tour de France, including an additional twist to essentially the most prestigious one-day race of the season.
The Highway World Championships have been as soon as held on the finish of August earlier than the racing season was stretched into September and October. Now with the males’s street race on the opening weekend in Glasgow, it’s the earliest the rainbow jersey will probably be awarded since Marino Basso snatched victory from his Italian teammate Marino Basso in 1972.
Riders who’ve emerged from the Tour de France on type are certain to combat for victory, whereas trendy coaching strategies and the Vuelta a España being on the horizon means different riders will probably be recent and robust, and so in a position to problem for the medals.
The boys’s street race seems to go well with the Classics riders however the 271km distance, on 10 laps of a twisting 14.3km Glasgow ending circuit, and the danger of rain will make it a day for the fittest and strongest within the males’s peloton. The one actual climb is Montrose Road – 200 metres at 7% – and so bike dealing with expertise and positioning will probably be different very important elements in deciding who pulls on the rainbow jersey on Sunday afternoon.
“It is a particular course, it’s very uncommon,” French Nationwide Coach Thomas Voeckler not too long ago instructed L’Equipe. “There are 48 corners per lap, so virtually 500 in whole within the second a part of the race.”
The race begins within the Scottish capital of Edinburgh and features a 100km loop north, earlier than reaching Glasgow for the ending circuits.
Lengthy-range assaults, just like the one Remco Evenepoel made to win in Wollongong in 2022, might work once more this 12 months, with Tadej Pogačar maybe prepared to leap away early with the younger Belgian. Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Neilson Powless, Michael Matthews and others could desire to race onerous on the ultimate laps, whereas Jasper Philipsen and different sprinters will hope the race ends in some type of quick end.
Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard is not going to trip for Denmark and Tom Pidcock, Primož Roglič, Matej Mohorič are additionally absent for his or her respective nationwide groups. Biniam Girmay was a late withdrawal after his crash on the Clasica San Sebastian and visa issues amongst his Eritrean crew.
These are the riders Cyclingnews believes will problem for the boys’s world title in Glasgow.
Cyclingnews will have full reside protection of all of the racing, with a full race report and photograph gallery, interviews and evaluation.
Contenders
Remco Evenepoel raced within the rainbow jersey for the final time when he dominated the Clásica San Sebastián and so might prolong his time within the iconic jersey with an analogous efficiency in Glasgow. His Soudal-QuickStep teammate Julian Alaphilippe was the final to win back-to-back titles in 2020-2021.
The 23-year-old Belgian can be focusing on the time trial world title subsequent Friday after which the Vuelta a España however he all the time loves a problem and seems able to race after spending a lot of July at altitude.
Evenepoel will share management of the Belgian crew with Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen. The autumn out and rigidity with Van Aert after the 2021 Worlds in Belgium appears resolved however Evenepoel will certainly attempt to anticipate each his teammates and his rivals.
The Slovenian made a late determination to trip the Highway World Championships after the fatigue of taking up Jonas Vingegaard on the Tour de France however his current report breaking check trip on the Col de la Madone within the south of France signifies he has recovered and is eager to race.
His one-day pedigree consists of the Tour of Flanders, the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne, all simply in 2023.
Tadej Pogačar will even trip subsequent Friday’s time trial however his greatest probability of success is definitely on Sunday even when the Slovenian crew will provide him little assist within the finale of the race. He can deal with the twisting Glasgow circuit and the lengthy distance however doubts stay about how he can single handedly tackle the key biking nations.
The Danish Classics rider and sprinter received the world title in Yorkshire in 2019 and Glasgow within the rain appears an ideal alternative for a second victory.
Pedersen received a stage on the Tour de France and left France assured and on type. He loves lengthy, gruelling races and has the complete assist of the Danish crew, with Kasper Asgreen, Søren Kragh Andersen, Magnus Cort and Michael Mørkøv as proficient assist and potential options.
Jasper Philipsen proved he’s excess of only a sprinter within the final 12 months and his 4 stage wins and the inexperienced factors jersey on the Tour de France earned him a protected position within the Belgian crew.
If Sunday’s race comes again collectively on the ultimate lap then Evenepoel and Van Aert must trip for him. Few different riders have his ending pace however he must affirm his success at Basic Brugge-De Panne and Scheldeprijs within the largest one- day race of the 12 months.
He brought on an enormous polemic in Belgium by suggesting he wouldn’t race towards Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate and Dutch rivals Mathieu van der Poel however now appears loyal to the Belgian trigger, particularly if he has an opportunity to dash for the world title.
The USA crew consists of simply six riders however the presence of Neilson Powless, Matteo Jorgenson and Quinn Simmons give them plenty of contenders and tactical choices.
All three must be part of key breakaway makes an attempt however they may very well be within the closing choice in numbers, giving them a shot at the least at a medal.
Powless led the king of the mountains competitors on the Tour de France for a protracted spell and confirmed his type and tactical instinct by attacking from the chase group to complete fourth at Clásica San Sebastián. At 26, he has the category and maturity to turn into world champion.
Wout van Aert was the chief of the Belgian crew in 2021 however appeared to battle beneath the burden of the biking nation’s expectation. He additionally struggled on this 12 months’s Classics and so is hungry to lastly land a serious victory and show his standing as among the best riders of his era.
Van Aert left the Tour de France early to turn into a father however has not too long ago clocked back-to-back 200-kilometre coaching rides nar house in northern Belgium and seems to be on type.
If it rains in Glasgow on Sunday, Van Aert’s cyclocross expertise and willpower will give him a major benefit. After exhibiting his capacity to carry out over different forms of Tour de France phases, it might lastly be Van Aert’s flip to win the world title for Belgium.
Mathieu van der Poel has lengthy been Van Aert’s bête noire and is arguably the one rider with equal and even higher bike expertise and expertise than the Belgian.
The 2022 World Championships have been a catastrophe for Van der Poel after he was taken into police custody the evening earlier than after confronting kids who had knocked on his lodge room door.
The 28-year-old Dutchman has solely received 4 races in 2023 however they embrace Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix. He was additionally second in Glasgow again in 2018 when Matteo Trentin received the European title on an analogous metropolis centre circuit.
Van der Poel usually sacrificed his probability of a stage win on the Tour de France to steer out Philipsen. He’ll need to win himself on Sunday earlier than additionally using the mountain bike race within the hope of profitable two world titles.
Fred Wright leads Nice Britain on house turf and has the shape and aggression to at the least be a medal contender in Glasgow.
The Bahrain Victorious rider usually went on the assault on the Tour de France hoping for a stage win however got here up empty handed. The British nationwide title was his first skilled victory however the stars might align for the likeable Londoner at this World Championships.
With Tom Pidcock and Geraint Thomas specializing in the mountain bike and time trial occasions, Wright may have full assist from the Nice Britain crew that additionally consists of Connor Swift, Luke Rowe and guarded sprinter Jake Stewart.
The 2-time World Champion has struggled to return to his greatest this 12 months however in Glasgow he will certainly be out to show some extent to whoever could have written him off.
Alaphilippe leads the French crew with Christophe Laporte and Benoît Cosnefroy and his bike expertise will give him a bonus on the Glasgow circuit. The French rider has not travelled to Scotland to go trainspotting, however he would like to be the Begbie of Sunday’s race.
Italy and Tuscany have a protracted historical past of success on the world championships and Alberto Bettiol will lead the Azzurri alongside Matteo Trentin.
Neither have the credentials of Paolo Bettini and different Italian greats of the previous however Bettiol polished his type on the Tour de France and had the legs and braveness to go on the assault with Evenepoel on the Clasica San Sebastian.
The Glasgow course has far much less climbing and extra of a traditional vibe, that means it will be silly to underestimate Bettiol. His rivals did in 2019 and he received the Tour of Flanders.
Outsiders
Outsiders to observe
The change from skilled groups to nationwide groups all the time impacts the dynamic of racing on the World Championships, providing large alternatives to those that know find out how to take them.
A powerful crew is important for a crew chief to emerge within the closing decisive laps however outsiders can all the time take benefit.
On Sunday be careful for Australia’s Michael Matthews who received the Below 23 title in 2010 and was third final 12 months.
Switzerland’s Marc Hirschi can be a harmful darkish horse, as is the ever aggressive Nils Politt of Germany, Eire’s Ben Healy, Derek Gee of Canada, Norway’s Alexander Kristoff, Jefferson Cepada of Ecuador and 2014 World Champion Michał Kwiatkowski of Poland.
If Van der Poel struggles, Dylan van Baarle will take over as chief of the Dutch crew. He might additionally go in any early assault with Evenepoel and Pogačar and beat them on the end.
Denmark’s Magnus Cort might emerge within the finale and use his pace to win, whereas Olav Kooij would be the dash choice for the Netherlands and a potential rival for Philipsen.
Peter Sagan is using his final street race on the World Championships earlier than retirement and proved in Richmond, Doha and Bergen that he ought to by no means be written off.
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