Tadej Pogacar, the dominant force of the season, is the top favorite to snatch the rainbow jersey from reigning champion Mathieu van der Poel. Both are strong contenders for victory in the main event of the 2024 Cycling World Championships, starting this Saturday in Zurich, Switzerland, and running until the 29th.
The race promises to be grueling, covering 273.9 km with a start in Winterthur and a finish in Zurich, packed with challenging climbs and 4,470 meters of total elevation gain. The main climb is Witikon, a 2 km ascent at a 6% gradient, with ramps reaching up to 9%. Although not the toughest climb, its repeated inclusion in the race will wear down the riders. Witikon will be tackled seven times in the final 200 km of the course, following an initial section with three more climbs, including the steeper Burch and Irchel (4.8 km at 4.2%), Kyburg (1.3 km at 10%, maxing out at 16%), and Zuessbatz (1.7 km at 8.5%, with a max of 15%).
Simultaneously, the Paracycling World Championships will take place, with the Mixed Relay event kicking off the calendar this Saturday.
Returning to the main event on the 29th, the showdown between Pogacar and Van der Poel alone is a thrilling prospect. Adding to the excitement, two other riders from cycling’s golden generation will also participate: Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel. Roglic may support his fellow Slovenian, Pogacar, but will certainly take his own chances if the opportunity arises. Evenepoel, the undisputed leader of the Belgian team due to Wout van Aert’s injury, is another strong contender for victory.
This season, the Slovenians have dominated the Grand Tours, with Pogacar winning the Giro and Tour, while Roglic claimed the Vuelta. Evenepoel shone at the Paris Olympics, taking gold in both the road race and time trial, which he also aims to replicate in Zurich.
Jonas Vingegaard completes this incredible generation, but the Danish rider seems to have been recovering from the tough Tour de France following a severe crash at the Itzulia race. The accident also involved Evenepoel and Roglic, marking a difficult 2024 season for all three.
Excitement for the men’s road race is growing, especially after Pogacar’s commanding win at the Montreal Classic, where he launched his final attack early, a move that is expected to be repeated in Zurich. Van der Poel’s recent form in the Tour of Luxembourg further fuels anticipation, as the Dutchman continues to prove his mettle as one of cycling’s best classic riders.
The Spanish team is also filled with optimism, boasting a group of talented riders like Enric Mas, Mikel Landa, Carlos Rodríguez, and Juan Ayuso. Their strong recent performances, such as Pello Bilbao’s second-place finish in Montreal, far behind Pogacar but ahead of the rest of the group, and a one-two victory by Roger Adriá and Alex Aranburu at the GP de Wallonia, have boosted morale.
With hopes that these Spanish cyclists will echo the successes of past greats like Freire, Valverde, Contador, and Purito, the team also draws inspiration from impressive results in younger categories at the recent European Championships in Limburg, Netherlands. There, Paula Ostiz won gold in the junior time trial, and Héctor Álvarez took silver in the junior road race. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Pablo Torres has emerged as a standout performer this year, dazzling in the Tour de l’Avenir.
As the excitement builds for the elite road race, the World Championships will first kick off with the elite time trials. Evenepoel, the reigning world and Olympic champion, enters as the favorite, ahead of British rider Joshua Tarling and Roglic, among others. In the women’s time trial, Australia’s Grace Brown and the USA’s Chloé Dygert, last year’s silver and gold medalists, are top contenders.
However, Belgian Lotte Kopecky and Dutch rider Demi Vollering are also expected to be strong competitors, especially as they aim to repeat their 2023 Glasgow success in the road race.
