The time trials on the UCI Highway World Championships 2024 in Zürich are simply days away, with the elite girls’s and males’s the primary elite highway occasions at this yr’s Worlds. The races in opposition to the clock are scheduled for the opening Sunday – 22 September – with the ladies’s race occurring first, adopted by the boys’s.
Each are over hilly, however not mountainous, programs that end within the centre of Zürich, the most important metropolis in Switzerland, with defending champions Remco Evenepoel of Belgium and Chloe Dygert among the many favourites, though there are many folks hoping for medals. These embody GB’s Anna Henderson, silver medallist on the latest Paris Olympics, and Josh Tarling, third final yr.
The 2024 Worlds is the primary to mix the Highway Worlds and the Para-cycling Worlds in the identical occasion, with the para-cycling time trials taking place all through the week; there are many riders to look at in these races too.
Ladies to look at
Chloe Dygert (USA)
2024 TT wins: 0
A crash throughout the wet time trial in Paris meant she needed to accept bronze on the Olympics in July. She went on to win gold within the workforce pursuit, however Chloe Dygert will need to put herself again on the TT high step as she turns her consideration in the direction of defending the World title she received in Glasgow final yr. In contrast to a lot of her rivals, the American is a specialist within the self-discipline, and can focus her preparation on this, earlier than giving the highway race a shot too.
Grace Brown (Australia)
2024 TT wins: 3
There’s an inexpensive likelihood that we received’t see the rainbow jersey worn in time trials subsequent yr. That’s as a result of Grace Brown retires on the finish of the season, regardless of the face she appears to be having fun with the type of her life. Profitable Olympic gold by a whopping margin of 1 minute and 31 seconds means she’ll line up as one of many main favourites in Zurich. Having received silver each the final two years, an improve to gold could be the proper solution to bow out. That’s if the 32-year-old can’t be persuaded to hold on for yet another yr.
The newest race content material, interviews, options, opinions and professional shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
Demi Vollering (Netherlands)
2024 TT wins: 2
Final yr was a seismic second for the ladies’s particular person time trial on the World Championships – it was the primary time since 2014 {that a} Dutch rider hadn’t completed on the rostrum of the occasion. Demi Vollering will lead the cost to vary that, with the previous Tour de France Femmes winner top-of-the-line on this planet within the self-discipline, particularly on a lumpy course.
Others to look at
Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands) will as soon as once more try to equal Jeannie Longo’s file of 4 profession World time trial titles, however she nonetheless hasn’t fairly checked out her finest since getting back from an ankle fracture in July. Recent off the again of profitable on the European Championships, defending highway champion Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) must be an element on this sporting TT course.
A silver medal in Paris has outlined Britain’s Anna Henderson as a high favorite, having narrowly missed out on bronze in Glasgow final yr, as does fifth place that day for Juliette Labous (France).
Riejanne Markus is an alternative choice for the Netherlands, whereas bronze medallist on the European Championships Christina Schweinberger of Austria may podium once more.
Males to look at
2024 TT wins: 4
The 24-year-old comes into the World Championships as not solely the defending champion, however because the Olympic champion too. His efficiency in Paris final month was proof that he’s the person to beat in opposition to the clock, however he can be trying to peak in his kind for a 3rd time this yr, after the Tour de France and the Olympics. He received a equally hilly time trial on the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier this yr.
Filippo Ganna (Italy)
2024 TT wins: 2
The 2-time world champion of 2020 and 2021 has since been supplanted by Remco Evenepoel as the perfect time trialist on this planet, and needed to accept silver medal behind him each on the Olympics this yr and the Worlds final yr. He’ll be determined to reclaim his title in Zurich, however the undulating route shouldn’t be perfect for his massive, highly effective physique.
Josh Tarling (GB)
2024 TT wins: 2
Was it not for an unlucky puncture, Josh Tarling would virtually actually have received an Olympic medal within the time trial final month. Whereas the Welshman was left annoyed with a fourth-place end that day, the efficiency proved he has stepped up as a rider after taking a shock bronze on the Worlds final yr. He adopted that up with victory on the European championships and if he continues to enhance will quickly be difficult Evenepoel and Ganna on the largest occasions.
Maybe Stefan Küng of Switzerland can profit from the house benefit and crown a powerful season with the World title. The 30-year-old received a stage on the Vuelta and claimed TT silver on the European champs.
Brandon McNulty’s opening stage win on the Vuelta and fifth place on the Olympics makes him an attention-grabbing darkish horse, whereas his American compatriot Magnus Sheffield and residential Swiss favorite Stefan Bissegger may additionally trigger an upset in the event that they handle to beat persistent habits of crashing.
Primož Roglič of Slovenia, whereas not a pure time trialist any extra, may show suited to the lumpy course, and received the Olympic race in 2021. In the meantime, common top-10 riders João Almeida (Portugal), Dani Martínez (Colombia) and Mikkel Bjerg (Denmark) cannot be discounted from the medal dialog, nor can European champion Edoardo Affini (Italy).
Para-cyclists to look at
The TT isn’t factored as within the Paralympics, so particular person classifications can present their true strengths. What’s extra, TT was Britain’s weakest space on the Paralympics so anticipate our 19-strong workforce to be below some strain to medal up right here.
Britain’s highway tandem pairing Chris McDonald and Adam Duggleby missed their Paralympic slot. They may take to the fore with out the presence of Paralympic tandem Steve Bate and Chris Latham at these championships. The latter duo are shaping as much as be endurance monitor specialists – they medalled on monitor however not on the highway in Paris. McDonald and Duggleby should maintain off two Dutch and two French tandems who took the highest 4 locations in Paris.
Dutch gold medallists Tristan Bagma and Patrick Bos are probably the most dominant and are multi-gold Paralympic medallists on highway and monitor. It might be fairly a press release if McDonald may enhance on his World Cup TT bronze in Could and produce down Bangma.
Among the many girls TT specialists, China are notably sturdy within the C1 class however are absent at this champs, so Katie Toft may have an opportunity at gold. Fran Brown, who podiumed within the blended occasion in Paris, outperforming favorite C2 Schrager, will possible problem her for it. Schrager can be charging for her personal C2 gold within the TT, a favorite occasion however Paralympic gold went to C2 Maike Hausberger of Germany, and that is Flurina Rigling’s dwelling turf, so she would possibly come out on high.
