World Males’s TT Preview: The World championship time trial for the elite males is that this Friday, coming 5 days after the highway race. Usually now we have it as a warm-up, however this 12 months it’s the closing race for the lads. With Filippo Ganna, Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert as massive favourites, now we have a prime class subject in Scotland. Don’t neglect there’s additionally Tadej Pogačar, Stefan Küng and final 12 months’s shock champion; Tobias Foss.
Can Ganna beat the Belgians?
Final 12 months’s winner – Tobias Foss
The World time trial Championship is now in its thirtieth version, the primary one being in Sicily in 1994. That 12 months, Chris Boardman was the primary World TT champion, simply days after successful the pursuit crown. I keep in mind it properly as I used to be there within the Sicilian warmth. Since then there have been some very massive names take the rainbow TT jersey: Jan Ullrich, Michael Rogers, Fabian Cancellara, Tony Martin, Bradley Wiggins, Vasil Kiryienka, Rohan Dennis, Filippo Ganna and final 12 months it was Tobias Foss.
The primary World ITT champion – Chris Boardman
The route
The 2023 World’s time trials all begin and end in Stirling, a fort city that has at all times been essential in Scottish historical past, particularly when it got here to invading English armies and the battles that despatched them dwelling once more. The Battles of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn have been all on this space. Stirling is situated in central Scotland, roughly 42km north east of Glasgow and about 60km north west of Edinburgh.
Worlds’23 Males’s Time Trial map
The time trial battle takes place west of Stirling, within the shadow of the fort on roads properly know to native time trialists. The boys race over a route of 47.8 kilometres, with quite a lot of lengthy straights. There are solely twelve bends of 90 levels or sharper. There are a number of climbs, which supplies the race a complete of 352 metres of climbing. There are not any lengthy or steep climbs.
An influence course made for Filippo Ganna?
The early kilometres, to the primary intermediate timing level at 12.5 kilometres, are fully flat. After about 30 kilometres, there’s a slight rise close to the city of Kippen (0.8km at 3.2%). Adopted at 34.5 kilometres by the second time test. Then there’s a brief climb of 400 metres at 5%.
Worlds’23 Males’s Time Trial profile
Then there are two extra small up-hills of 300 metres at 3.7% and 600 metres at 3.7% earlier than returning to Stirling. The toughest a part of the course is on the end to Stirling Fort. The final 800 cobbled metres to the fortress are at 5.5%.
The end in-front of Stirling Fort
The Favourites
Final 12 months’s winner, Tobias Foss might be firstly, however the defending champion has not proven a lot this 12 months. His finest consequence towards the clock was 2nd within the prologue of the Tour de Romandie, one second behind winner Josef Cerny. He additionally completed fifth within the Volta ao Algarve, eighth within the Tour of Romandie and ninth in Tour of Poland time trials. Though the Norwegian didn’t carry out significantly better final 12 months, earlier than he gained the World title in Wollongong. It will once more be a shock if he gained on Friday.
Foss once more?
Remco Evenepoel has already come shut a number of instances. He was World TT champion as a junior and he completed 2nd behind Rohan Dennis in his first 12 months as a professional. In 2020, Evenepoel didn’t experience due his crash in Il Lombardia, however in 2021, in Brugge, he was on the rostrum with bronze. It was the identical once more in Wollongong, per week after successful the Vuelta a España. This 12 months Evenepoel doesn’t have a full Grand Tour in his legs and must be somewhat brisker firstly of the time trial in Scotland. He rode the World’s highway race final Sunday, the place he most likely wasn’t suited to the course. The time trial isn’t technical and may swimsuit him quite a bit higher. Clearly his kind is sweet, as was seen within the Clásica San Sebastián and we all know he can win towards the clock. Within the 19.6 kilometre opening time trial of the Giro, Evenepoel beat Ganna by 22 seconds.
Evenepoel needs a rainbow jersey, once more
Filippo Ganna, the world champion of 2020 and 2021, will wish to take again his title. The indicators are good for the Italian: he gained two time trials previous to the World championships. On the finish of June he turned nationwide time trial champion, a month later he gained the time trial of the Ethias-Tour de Wallonie. The 27 year-old INEOS Grenadiers rider additionally retained his World pursuit title final weekend. Ganna might be higher rested for the World time trial championship than most of his opponents, as he didn’t experience the World highway race final Sunday.
Which step of the rostrum for Ganna
Wout van Aert had a tough highway race in Glasgow, taking second place. The Belgian had no reply to his rival Mathieu van der Poel, however he might be trying ahead to Friday. Van Aert already has two silver time trial medals. Second in Imola and second in Brugge. Final 12 months he didn’t experience World’s time trial World Championship to deal with the highway race, however the change so as means he’s again. He’s additionally the reigning Belgian champion. In Herzele he took his solely time trial victory of 2023, after Evenepoel crashed early on the moist highway floor. If it rains once more in Scotland on Friday, that must be a bonus for Van Aert.
Can Van Aert take gold?
Third on the highway race podium in Glasgow was Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian has recovered from the Tour de France and is racing properly. In Glasgow the gold was out of his grasp, however in Sterling he has one other likelihood, though it is going to be tough to beat his extra highly effective opponents. In his earlier participations within the Worlds TT, he completed tenth in 2021 and sixth 2022. On his day, Pogačar can experience a great flat time trial, as he did within the first TT stage of the 2021 Tour.
Pogačar – Why not?
Stefan Kung has been European time trial champion twice, in 2020 and 2021, however he normally finishes on the rostrum. Küng has gained two time trials this season. Within the Volta ao Algarve he beat Rémi Cavagna and Filippo Ganna, then within the Tour de Suisse he beat Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert. So he can do it. Now he has to win a very powerful time trial of the season.
Küng – All the time shut
Rohan Dennis has been the World time trial champion twice, in 2018 and 2019. Though successful a 3rd title appears tough. The Jumbo-Visma rider began his closing 12 months within the professional peloton fairly properly, however hasn’t been seen to a lot on the motion finish of issues. Because the Tour de Suisse he hasn’t raced. However, up to now, Dennis has labored in direction of sure targets, with success and that is a kind of targets.
a final title for Rohan Dennis?
Younger Joshua Tarling is in his first season as a professional and has already proven that he’s very gifted as a time trialist. The 19 year-old INEOS Grenadiers rider has ridden three time trials this season and has by no means completed worse than second. Second within the closing time trial of the Etoile de Bessèges, victory within the British TT championship and second within the time trial of the Ethias-Tour de Wallonie. Within the 32.7 kilometre stage in Wollonia, he misplaced solely 8 seconds to Filippo Ganna.
GB younger hope – Joshua Tarling
INEOS Grenadiers and Britain even have Geraint Thomas. The Welshman is eighteen years older than Tarling, however he can nonetheless put in a prime efficiency towards the clock. He was 2nd within the second time trial of the Giro, 1 second behind Evenepoel (who had covid). Final week he was third within the TT stage of the Tour de Pologne. His kind must be good as he’s using the Vuelta on the finish of the month. Thomas didn’t experience the highway race, concentrating on the time trial, he gained’t be doing that for nothing.
Not so younger GB hope – Geraint Thomas
Within the Polish time trial, Thomas was overwhelmed by João Almeida and Mattia Cattaneo, each are firstly on Friday. The Italian gained the time trial in Poland, however doesn’t think about himself a favorite for the World title. Cattaneo was second within the Italian nationwide championship TT, 24 seconds behind Ganna.
Mattia Cattaneo – Italy’s No.2
Rémi Cavagna, ‘The TGV of Clermont-Ferrand’ hasn’t proven his time trial abilities a lot this 12 months, however they have been on programs that didn’t swimsuit him. A sixth place within the Tour’s hilly time trial was a great efficiency for the French TT champion. He rode higher within the time trials with much less climbing, within the Volta ao Algarve he was 2nd and he gained within the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali.
Outdoors likelihood for Rémi Cavagna
Is there anybody else we must always search for? Mikkel Bjerg and Stefan Bissegger may do one thing. Bjerg gained the person time trial within the Critérium du Dauphiné this 12 months and was U23 World time trial champion three years in a row in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He was third in Danish TT championship, behind Mattias Skjelmose and Kasper Asgreen. Bissegger is the reigning European champion and he completed within the prime ten on the earlier two World championships.
Euro champ Stefan Bissegger – Prime 10
Our favourites:
The large battle might be between: Remco Evenepoel, Filippo Ganna and Wout van Aert.
The possibles: Stefan Küng, Tadej Pogačar and Rohan Dennis.
The out-siders: Geraint Thomas, Joshua Tarling, Mattia Cattaneo and Remi Cavagna.
The PEZ cash goes on Remco…
# Keep PEZ for the time trial race report quickly after the end on Friday. #
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