The UCI Road World Championships will come to a head this weekend with the women’s road race on Saturday, before the men’s finale on Sunday. Here’s all you need to know.
A course for sprinters?
Video: Course preview
Great Britain’s squad
The medal contenders
Television schedule
A course for sprinters?
World Championship circuits have, in recent years, quickly eliminated riders who arrive at the season’s crescendo carrying anything less than peak form in their hand luggage.
- Mark Cavendish fine-tuned his preparations with two stages wins at the Tour of Britain
With two stiff climbs on last year’s Geelong circuit, Classics specialist Philippe Gilbert launched a trio of attacks before eventually being reeled in by the select chasing pack for hard man Thor Hushovd to sprint to victory.
And in 2009, Mendrisio, in the foothills of the Alps, played host to Cadel Evans’ transition from nearly-man to world champion.
In fact, not since Zolder in 2002 have the worlds been played out on a true sprinters course. It’s a rare occassion when someone like Mark Cavendish is among the favourites – and that’s why the Brit has labelled this year’s circuit his “biggest opportunity” to top the podium.
The men’s race (266km) opens with a 28km stretch from Copenhagen City Hall to Rudersdal, in the north of the city, where the peloton will tackle 17 laps of a 14km course. The women’s race (140k) will start on the circuit itself, taking in ten laps.
But the circuit is no walk in the park – see the video below. Each lap of the technical circuit contains 105m of climbing. That’s an unalarming accumulative total of 1785m, but the short, and dead-straight, finishing rise, where the final battle for the rainbow jersey will be fought out, will suit a punchy sprinter, while the twists, turns and street furniture could cause panic in the peloton.
Video: Course preview
“The route is much easier than in Geelong, but actually harder than I thought. It’s technically very difficult,” said Cavendish after completing two laps of the circuit last year.
“I think it’ll finish with a large bunch sprint. With the finish on a hill, it becomes a pure power sprint. It will be one of the most important races for me in 2011 and I will make a huge effort to become world champion.
“As worlds courses go it couldn’t get any better. It’ll be the biggest opportunity for a bunch sprint that I’ll have in my life – so hopefully it’ll be a bunch sprint.”
Flying the British flag
Britain’s cause will be heavily aided by Mark Cavendish having seven team-mates – Steve Cummings, Chris Froome, Jeremy Hunt, David Millar, Ian Stannard, Geraint Thomas and Bradley Wiggins – to protect him and help setup the finish.
- Mark Cavendish won the Olympic test event in August
Cavendish’s much-lauded HTC-Highroad leadout train has helped launched the Manx Missile to many of his 20 Tour de France stage victories.
But Cavendish is no one-trick pony, and is capable of winning over tough parcours, proved not least by his 2009 Milan-San Remo win and victory on stage five of this year’s Tour de France, when, without his HTC-Highroad train, the 26-year-old launched his sprint from the wheel of Thomas, riding for Team Sky, to beat Philippe Gilbert to the line.
Cavendish and Thomas will swap HTC-Highroad and Sky colours respectively for blue, red and white this weekend, and Great Britain’s team will be well-versed in setting up their man for the finish.
“I’m confident, I’ve got the strongest team I can possibly hope for so there is nothing more I can do now, nothing I can be worried about,” said Cavendish after the Tour of Britain, where he won two stages.
“The biggest thing to contend with is probably a crash. There are some riders who probably won’t be in the same form that I’m in – Tyler Farrar for instance – so you’ve got to be worried they don’t wipe out.”
Meanwhile, in Saturday’s women’s race, Great Britain qualified a full quota of seven riders, with Olympic champion Nicole Cooke, Emma Pooley and Lizzie Armitstead all capable of acting as leader, with Katie Colclough, Catherine Williamson, Sharon Laws and Lucy Martin supporting the trio.
The contenders
One-day specialist Philippe Gilbert has been installed as the bookies favourite after a stunning season that has seen the Omega Pharma-Lotto rider pick up a host of victories, including a hat-trick of wins in April’s Ardennes Classics.
- Philippe Gilbert won the opening stage of the Tour de France
Gilbert carried that form through the summer, winning stage one of the Tour de France before going on to claim the Clasica de San Sebastian, while autumn has proved equally predictable, with victory in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec.
Otherwise, the ever-present Thor Hushovd is likely to feature, while young Czech sensation Peter Sagan, who won three stages at the Vuelta a Espana, is also among the favourites.
Click here to see the provisional squad list.
Television schedule
BBC
Saturday September 24
Women’s road race – 12:30-16:15 BST, BBC Red Button/ online (UK only)
Highlights and live coverage – 13:00-14:00, BBC One/ online (UK only)
Sunday September 25
Men’s road race – 09:00-16:05 BST, BBC Red Button/ online (UK only)
Highlights and live coverage – 15:15-17:00, BBC Two/ online (UK only)
Eurosport
Saturday September 24
Women’s road race live coverage – 12:30-16:15, British Eurosport
Highlights – 19:15-20:20, British Eurosport
Sunday September 25
Men’s road race live coverage – 10:00-16:00, British Eurosport
Highlights – 18:45-20:15, British Eurosport
Who’s your pick?
Can Mark Cavendish become the first Brit to win the rainbow jersey since Tom Simpson in 1965? Tell us who your pick is in this forum thread.
