The Rainbow Battle

Mathieu van der Poel was unstoppable in 2023

2024 World Championships Road Race Preview: Sunday’s World Championship elite men’s road race should see a big battle between three of the top riders of this generation over a tough route in Zurich. Tadej Pogačar has been touted at the favourite, but Remco Evenepoel is hardly a slouch at the moment; double Olympic and World time trial champion. Then there is reigning World champion, Mathieu van der Poel wants to keep his rainbow jersey for another year. Here’s the ‘PEZ Worlds Preview’.

WORLDS’24 Men’s Road Race Preview: Pogačar, Evenepoel, van der Poel Or…?

By Alastair Hamilton On Sep 26, 2024

In 2023, at the end of a protest delayed World’s road race in Scotland, Mathieu van der Poel launched his winning move from a group of the top men of cycling. The World cyclo-cross champion added the road title to his palmarès. Wout van Aert was second, Tadej Pogačar third and Mads Pedersen fourth.

The fans were out in Glasgow

Mathieu van der Poel was attentive throughout the race, he moved into a group of favourites with Wout van Aert, Tadej Pogačar and Mads Pedersen and then placed his decisive attack 22 kilometres from the finish in the centre of Glasgow. Van der Poel soloed to the rainbow jersey and even a crash 16 kilometres from the finish didn’t stop him from crossing the finish line with a lead of 1:37. Wout van Aert won the silver and Tadej Pogačar the bronze.

*** You can read the full ‘PEZ Race Report’ HERE. ***

Men Elite Road Race Highlights – 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships

The 2024 Route

Zürich has hosted the World road championships three times in 1923, 1929 and 1946. The elite men will start in Winterthur. In the first 70 kilometres the peloton has the climb to Buch am Irchel (4.8km at 4.2%), Kyburg (1.2km at 12%) and Suessblatz (1.7 km at 8.5%) before they start Zurich circuit. They cover nearly a full lap before they cross the finish line for the first time. The first part of the 26.8 kilometre circuit is the most difficult part, with two climbs in quick succession: The Zürichbergstrasse (1.1km at 7.4%) starts on a wide road, but after a couple of bends it narrows and the real climbing begins. The climb goes up in steps and the last bit is the hardest. The final hundred metres ramp up to 16%.

2024 men’s World road race map

After the Zürichbergstrasse, there is a flat section of 1.5 kilometres, followed by the second climb on the circuit: The Witikonerstrasse (3.5km at 4.4%). This climb is all on a wide road. The first sections are not too hard, but there is a 1 kilometre section at an average of 8%. Towards the top, the climb levels off, but in the later laps the rider’s legs are going to hurt. There is a plateau of about 10 kilometres on the rolling road of the Pfannenstiel, there are the Zollikonstrasse (650 metres at 5.5%) and the Farlifangstrasse (800 metres at 3.6%), before the descent to Küsnacht. There is still the 1.5 kilometre climb of the Alte Landstrasse, at 5%, to Zollikon, which is 5 kilometres from the finish.

2024 men’s World road race profile

The race then follows Lake Zurich with a gentle descent and then 2 flat kilometres to the finish line in Zurich. 273.9 kilometres with 4,470 metres of climbing, is this too hard for the Classic riders like last years winner, Mathieu van der Poel? This year’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège was ‘only’ 254.5 kilometres and had 4,260 meters of climbing, so the Zurich Worlds are longer and harder, but a World championship is not ridden in the same way as a Classic. It’s not a sprinter’s race, but it’s not an out-and-out climber’s race either.

UCI World Championships Zürich 2024 – Road Race Men Elites by Procyclingmaps

Sunday 29 September, Winterthur – Zurich

Distance: 273.9 kilometres

Climbing: 4,470 metres

Start: 10:30 in Winterthur

Finish: 16:40 to 17:20 in Zurich.

Tadej Pogačar seems to be the favourite

The Favourites for the Rainbow

The men’s World road championships are one of the highlights of the season, but it is usually one of the hardest to predict. This year we will have a duel between Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel. They should have clashed in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but Evenepoel crashed in the Tour of the Basque Country and couldn’t start La Doyenne. The course in Zurich suits both riders, but there are many more strong riders that could take the rainbow home. Tadej Pogačar is the top favourite. Pogačar is probably the best and most complete rider of the present generation. His Classics palmarès are equal to his Grand Tours list. He has won Il Lombardia three times and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, so Zurich is right up his Straße. The 26 year-old Slovenian has already won just about everything, but Pogačar has never been a World champion and this could be his big chance. he has the form and ability, but you always need good luck. Can he take the Giro/Tour/Worlds triple?

Don’t rule out the other Slovenian – Primoz Roglič

The Slovenian team also has Primoz Roglič. The course also suits Roglič’s style and everyone will be looking at his teammate, Pogačar. The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider just won his fourth Vuelta a España to go with his Giro d’Italia win in 2023. Roglič has also proved that he can be a one-day rider, with his win Liège-Bastogne-Liège, three times the Giro dell’Emilia Milano–Torino and Tre Valli Varesine. Roglič could be in a dangerous break in the finale, would the Slovenian team back Rog or Pog?

Remco Evenepoel has the talent and the class, but has the season been too long?

If, or more likely when, Pogačar attacks,​ Remco Evenepoel can follow. The ex-road and double TT champ soloed to his first world title in Australia two years ago. since then he has win the World TT title twice in a row and done the double in the Olympic road and time trials. Can he be the first man to become double World champion and Double Olympic champion in the same year? Evenepoel would also be the first rider to be World time trial and road champion in the same season. Abraham Olano is the only male pro to win World titles in both disciplines, but they were in different years; 1995 and 1998. Evenepoel has a strong Belgian team behind him: Tiesj Benoot, Jasper Stuyven, Tim Wellens and Victor Campenaerts all have World championship experience. Quinten Hermans, Laurens De Plus and Maxim Van Gils make up the team. World’s first timer, Van Gils, could be a ‘Plan B’ but the team will be 100% Evenepoel.

Another year in the rainbow jersey for Mathieu van der Poel?

Pogačar and Evenepoel are not the only riders who want to win. Mathieu van der Poel want’s to be in ‘his’ rainbow jersey for another year and has been preparing for it. The 29-year-old has lost weight to help him on the climbs. It has been said that the course in Zurich is a bit too hilly for Van der Poel. He looked good in the Tour de Luxembourg last week, which had some similarities to the course in Zurich, the Queen stage had nearly 4,000 meters of climbing. Can Van der Poel handle Pogačar and Evenepoel on this kind of course? When the Dutchman puts his mind to something, he usually succeeds. The Netherlands team is also strong with experienced riders Wilco Kelderman, Bauke Mollema, Sam Oomen, Oscar Riesebeek and Daan Hoole. There is also young riders Bart Lemmen, Frank van den Broek and Sjoerd Bax.

Marc Hirschi has been on top form recently

Marc Hirschi will lead the Swiss team and the 26-year-old will have the pressure of the home nation on his shoulders. As a man in form, he needs to be watched by the others. The explosive rider won five consecutive one-day races in the last weeks before the World Championships. He can excel in races of just over 200 kilometres, but he struggles when a race gets into its sixth hour. But, let’s not forget that in the spring, Hirschi was second in the Amstel Gold Race, which is a Classic of over 250 kilometres with a similar amount of climbing to the course in Zurich. We have to expect him to be at the front in the finale on Sunday. He will be backed by Mauro Schmid and Stefan Küng.

Double World champion – Julian Alaphilippe

You can’t dismiss Julian Alaphilippe. The world champion of Imola (2020) and Leuven (2021) looks to be racing at a high level again after a few bad/unlucky seasons. He was recently second in the Clásica San Sebastián and third in the GP de Montréal. Two races that are similar to what he will be up against on Sunday. The French team also has David Gaudu, Romain Bardet and Valentin Madouas.

Tom Pidcock – You never know

Great Britain will be in Zurich with a strong World championship team, with four possible leaders: Tom Pidcock, Stephen Williams and the twin brothers Adam and Simon Yates. Of these four, Pidcock is the rider with the best credentials, although the versatile rider hasn’t had a perfect preparation for the worlds. Whether he is in his best form or not is unknown. If there is as much climbing as has been claimed, then the Yates could do something.

Maybe too hilly for Mads Pedersen

The Danes always have a strong team at the World Championships, but their intended leader, Mattias Skjelmose, won’t be at the start due to a crash in the Tour of Luxembourg last week. The wounds to his elbow, hip and knee are too bad for him to ride the Worlds road race. The Danes will have to rely on Mads Pedersen, but the course in Zurich probably has too much climbing.

Mikel Landa – Maybe not

The route in Zurich will suit the Spanish Worlds team. With Mikel Landa, Enric Mas, Carlos Rodríguez, Juan Ayuso, Pello Bilbao, Pablo Castrillo, Alex Aranburu and Roger Adrià, Pascual Momparler, they have a strong team, but do they have a rider who can finish the job?. Italy is in much the same position, they do have attackers Giulio Ciccone, Andrea Bagioli, Diego Ulissi and Antonio Tiberi, but the man who you might expect a result, Alberto Bettiol, is not riding.

Matteo Jorgenson will be amongst the action

The American team has four strong riders; Matteo Jorgenson, Neilson Powless, Brandon McNulty and Kevin Vermaerke. Australia can rely on Ben O’Connor and Michael Matthews. Germany has Florian Lipowitz and Maximilian Schachmann, while Daniel Felipe Martínez and Santiago Buitrago lead the Colombian team.

Ireland has three riders who could pull off a surprise – Eddie Dunbar is one of them

Outsiders: Eddie Dunbar, Ben Healy and Archie Ryan (Ireland), Felix Großschartner (Austria), Michael Woods (Canada), Attila Valter (Hungary), Toms Skujiņš (Latvia), Tobias Halland Johannessen (Norway), Finn Fisher-Black (New Zealand), João Almeida (Portugal) and Aleksandr Vlasov who can ride as an individual.

Can Tadej Pogačar be beaten?

Who will win?

Top favourite: Tadej Pogačar

Highly possible: Remco Evenepoel and Mathieu van der Poel

Will be up there: Marc Hirschi, Primoz Roglič and Matteo Jorgenson

Maybe: David Gaudu, Tom Pidcock, Julian Alaphilippe and Maxim Van Gils.

Road Races Course Preview with Shimano | 2024 UCI Road World Championships

*** Stay PEZ for the Worlds Race Report on Sunday and all the news in EUROTRASH Monday. ***

# Thanks to CyclingFlash and WielerFlits for fact, figures and inspiration. #

Alastair Hamilton

Alastair Hamilton has been a pro team mechanic on the road, track and mountain bike and worked for the Great Britain team at the World championships in all disciplines. Since moving to Spain and finding out how to use a computer, he has gone from contributor of Daily Distractions at the 2002 Vuelta a España to editor at PezCyclingNews.