"It's really scary": Does World Championship time trial course force participants to take irresponsible risks?

This Sunday, the 2024 World Championship time trial is scheduled in Zürich. The men will cover 46.1 kilometers in the surrounding areas of the Swiss city, while the women's race is set for 29.9 kilometers. The final section of both events is the same, and the men and women we spoke to in Zürich all agree on one thing: the descent over Schwabachstrasse toward Lake Zürich was unnecessary.

Both the men and women will face a steep descent starting from a viewpoint in Meilen, with 13 kilometers remaining. For almost a kilometer, the road descends at a ten percent gradient, a treacherous drop. It's neither a straight line nor filled with sharp curves, but it includes chicanes that are difficult to judge. Ski jumper Primoz Roglic might benefit from this descent ;)

After this wild drop, the participants will rejoin Seestrasse and follow Lake Zürich to the finish, located at Sechseläutenplatz. Everyone hopes to make it there without crashing, as we gather from the words of Dutch riders Daan Hoole, Ellen van Dijk and Demi Vollering, as well as Italy's Edoardo Affini.

View the descent on Google Maps below!

Daan Hoole - Netherlands

"There are various elements in the course. It starts with a very fast section on smooth asphalt, which isn't too technical. Then we face some hills. They aren't very steep, but you do feel them. You really need to save some energy there because you'll need to ride as hard as possible on the section along the water, which is still twelve kilometers long.

The hardest part is in the middle. At first, it's all about aerodynamics, but then you need extra power for the climbs. In the technical section, you need to be careful and take the corners well, and in the descent, you really need to keep your hands firmly on the handlebars. The descent is basically straight, but there are a lot of bumps. You're going 80 or 90 kilometers per hour there, so you need to keep a good grip on the bars."

Edoardo Affini - Italy

"It's a tough course, which is obviously different from Hasselt (where Affini won the European Championship last week, ed.). But I'm at the start after spending three days at home in Drenthe, so anything is possible. I'm not a favorite, but I'll do my best and we'll see how it goes. It's a long time trial, which is good for a World Championship, and I think the middle part is the hardest. You have to use your energy there, but you also can't go too fast.

In my opinion, the descent to the lake is too dangerous. The asphalt isn't good, and I think it should be possible to take another route. There are so many beautiful roads in Switzerland, but well, this is the course we have to deal with. You shouldn't take too many risks because you won't win or lose the time trial there."

Demi Vollering - Netherlands

"It's a beautiful course, with that climb in it. The descent is dangerous, and I hope everyone can stay on their bike. But overall, it suits me well. It's less about aerodynamics and more about powering through, which suits me. If everything falls into place, I think I can become World Champion. I'm very motivated, especially after just missing out a few times. I'm really hungry for it.

The feeling of going for revenge is strong, which only fuels my fire. After the Tour, I quickly switched gears. I enjoyed a few days without my bike with friends and family, but after that, I was able to focus again. I'm dreaming a little of the World Championship victory, and I think it's possible. I'm still making a lot of progress in time trials."

Ellen van Dijk - Netherlands

"It's a complicated course. It has a bit of everything. Actually, it's a very nice course, even though it's not tailor-made for me. It starts off flat, but then it becomes more up and down. There are tough climbs and tough descents. It's all about pacing. We have computer models for that, but they don't take everything into account. In theory, you can generate a certain power, but in practice, you also need to breathe. So, you have to apply your own strategy.

That descent is over very quickly, so you don't really recover there. That steep descent is really scary, you're going very fast. It's almost straight, so you don't need to brake too hard, but you can barely see where you're going. Some riders dare to go without braking, but I don't. In the end, you won't gain that much by taking risks there, so I'd rather play it safe on that descent."