course, Tadej Pogacar favorite, French chances… Three questions about the men’s road race

Mathieu van der Poel puts his title back on the line on Sunday in Zurich, and there will be many candidates eyeing the rainbow jersey, starting with Tadej Pogacar, who has always struggled with it.

After the young Paul Seixas in the junior time trial, will Zurich crown another Frenchman world champion? The road race, Sunday September 29 in Switzerland, will see the defending champion, the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, put his title on the line on a hilly, technical and perhaps wet course.

A route that corresponds to the qualities of Tadej Pogacar, always looking for a first rainbow jersey. Unless an outsider – Julian Alaphilippe? – don’t interfere with the plans of the favorites. Here are three questions about the world championships in Zurich.

A selective course, but not too much?

273.9 km for 4,470 m of positive altitude difference, the equivalent of a big mountain stage, and perhaps rain: this is what awaits the runners on the Zurich course on Sunday. In detail, this gives a first route of 69.4 km, then a loop of 27 km taken seven times. “This course is not easy, but I did not find anything prohibitive either, given the overall level of the peloton, to make a huge selection”says Romain Bardet.

Three difficulties, including one severe (1.1 km at 8.8% average), winding roads and descents: ideal for a double from Mathieu van der Poel, relieved of two kilos and adept at this type of technical route ? “It will be very difficult,” admits the Dutchman.

Without a “justice of the peace” listed, the World Cup should, as for the other categories, offer a movement race which could play into the hands of less expected runners, such as Marc Hirschi or Mads Pedersen. “The last part of the circuit favors regrouping, but the first 15 kilometers are really hard and conducive to movement. There will be a big tactical part,” believes Bardet, who is participating in his fifth and final world championship. Demanding, but not insurmountable: this course should still offer an offensive spectacle that only the world championships can offer.

Will Tadej Pogacar finally get there?

18th, 33rd, 37th, 19th and 3rd: these are Tadej Pogacar’s results at the Worlds since his professional debut in 2019. Accustomed to devouring everything during the year, the Slovenian constantly stumbles over this obstacle, while he has everything to achieve this. This year, the course suits him once again and he won one of the two races he competed in between the Tour and these Worlds, at the Montreal Grand Prix.

The Slovenian has the opportunity to become only the third rider in history after Eddy Merckx in 1974 and Stephen Roche in 1987 to win the triple crown (Giro, Tour de France and Worlds in the same year). But he will have one main obstacle, and specific to the Worlds: his opponents, divided by nationality. Sunday, no UAE Emirates machine to put it into orbit. Tadej Pogacar will “only” have Primoz Roglic and Jan Tratnik as high-level teammates.

Difficult then, as in previous years, to control everyone, and in particular the teams with several cards, like France (Alaphilippe, Madouas, Gaudu), Spain (Bilbao, Aranburu, Landa) or Belgium (Evenepoel, Wellens , Stuyven). Even without Wout van Aert and Jonas Vingegaard, the huge favorite will be attacked from all sides, which will once again push him to improvise.

How can the French do well?

With nine podiums in 13 races (including three coronations), Thomas Voeckler has been firing on all cylinders since his arrival as coach in 2019. Two months after the double Olympic medal, the French team sets out again with the same weapons: a homogeneous team, where “oThere are almost eight people who can have this jersey, it’s a strength”announces the silver medalist in Paris, Valentin Madouas.

Between David Gaudu and Pavel Sivakov (6th and 9th in the last Vuelta), Romain Bardet for his last Worlds or the hopeful Romain Grégoire, they can all claim a place on the box in Zurich.

In the middle, Julian Alaphilippe remains the figurehead of this selection, he who achieved his first podium of the season at the Montreal Grand Prix in early September. In a form “better than the Olympics”where he finished 11th, the double world champion “love” the route “which requires all the qualities: to be explosive, resistant, technical”.

Like their coach, rogue and strategist when he was running, the French will undoubtedly slip into the blows in order to sow discord. “It’s not about being offensive just to get on TV, but it has to be useful if we want to give ourselves a chance of being world champions.“, warns Thomas Voeckler. After all, the method has more than proven itself. Enough for a new rainbow jersey?