Tom Pidcock and Oscar Onley will lead Great Britain’s challenge for the men’s elite road-race rainbow jersey at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal on Sunday 27 September, with Tadej Pogacar absent and the contest described by Pidcock as unusually open.
The race takes the field around 12 laps of Montreal’s hilly Mount Royal circuit on a route of about 273km with almost 4,000 metres of climbing. Cyclingnews reported that the Camilien-Houde climb, which is 1.6km long at an average gradient of 7.7%, is expected to be a decisive point.
The 12 laps of the Mount Royal circuit will make the Camilien-Houde climb a recurring feature of the race, while the overall distance makes conserving energy a relevant consideration before the closing laps. That combination helps explain why the course can suit riders able to climb strongly late in a long one-day race, although tactics between national squads will also matter.
Pogacar’s absence removes a major rival from the start list. The Guardian reported that the Slovenian is recovering from injuries sustained in a heavy crash at the Vuelta a España, leaving a broad group of contenders pursuing the title.
Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel is among the leading contenders after winning a fourth consecutive world time-trial title. According to the Guardian, he is attempting to become the first rider to hold world and Olympic road-race and time-trial titles at the same time. Mexico’s Isaac del Toro, France’s Paul Seixas and the Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel are also among the named entrants.
Pidcock sees a leading opportunity
Pidcock said this World Championships represented his best opportunity so far, while stressing that he did not regard himself as the principal favourite. His assessment that the race is open reflects both the demanding terrain and Pogacar’s absence.
The Briton arrives with several recent results behind him. The Guardian reported that he has won the world mountain-bike championships and Italy’s GP Industria & Artigianato, while he finished ninth in this summer’s Tour de France. It was his best Tour de France placing, according to the newspaper.
Those results suggest Pidcock has recent form across different types of racing, but the Worlds format presents a separate challenge. Riders compete in national squads rather than their trade teams, and the length and climbing of the Montreal route should place a premium on endurance as well as the ability to respond to attacks on repeated ascents.
A victory would carry a particular place in British men’s road-racing history. The Guardian reported that Pidcock would become only the third British male winner of the rainbow jersey, after Tom Simpson and Mark Cavendish.
Onley brings Grand Tour confidence
Onley offers Great Britain another serious option on the climbs. The 23-year-old Scot finished sixth overall at this year’s Vuelta a España and won its young-rider classification, BBC Scotland reported. He is the first Scotsman since 1987 to win a jersey at a Grand Tour.
Speaking before the Montreal race, Onley said belief from people within his team had given him confidence, while adding that he preferred to focus on his own performance rather than outside expectations. Geraint Thomas, now Netcompany Ineos’s director of racing, backed Onley’s talent and mentality, although he also said he did not want the rider to suffer from placing extra pressure on himself.
Great Britain’s nine-rider elite men’s selection also includes Mark Donovan, Ethan Hayter, Finlay Pickering, James Shaw, Callum Thornley, Fred Wright and Adam Yates. Their collective role could be significant over a long race in which positioning before the Mount Royal climbs and the timing of any move may shape the outcome.
UK viewers can watch the men’s race live via BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, with BBC Three carrying coverage from 19:00 to 21:00 BST. The BBC schedules the full online broadcast from 14:00 to 21:00 BST.