Niklas Behrens took the victory in the U23 road race at the World Championships. The German rider, part of Lidl-Trek Future Racing, outsprinted Slovakia's Martin Svrcek for the win. Belgian Alec Segaert finished a strong third, on a day overshadowed by tragic news from Switzerland.
Friday’s U23 course covered 173.6 kilometers. The first 45 were flat, leading into a tough climb that brought the riders to the well-known circuit. While the elite men will race the 27-kilometer loop seven times on Sunday, the U23 riders had to tackle it four times.
Tensions were high even before the official start, with a crash occurring in the neutral zone. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, and everyone made it to the official start. From the beginning, the wind played a role, adding to the intensity of the race.
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Three riders in early break, but peloton keeps them in check
Only three riders managed to break away early: Robert Donaldson (Great Britain), Cole Kessler (USA) and Lewis Bower (New Zealand). They were given just a one-minute gap as the peloton, wary of potential echelons, kept a high pace.
As the race hit the first climbs around the 50-kilometer mark, the breakaway was quickly reeled in. The Swiss team, riding for their leader Christen, took control. Despite several attacks from riders like Artem Schmidt (USA), Callum Thornley (UK), Noa Isidore (France) and Arno Wallerborn (Luxembourg), no one could escape the Swiss-led peloton.
Around this time, the devastating news broke that 18-year-old Muriel Furrer, who had crashed in the junior women’s road race the previous day, had passed away. While the cycling world was in mourning, the U23 riders, who race without communication devices, remained unaware. It was a heartbreaking day for the sport.
Morgado makes first big move, but Christen strikes back
Among the big names, Portuguese rider Antonio Morgado was the first to make a serious attack, briefly joined by Italy’s Davide de Pretto. However, they didn’t get far. In a chaotic middle phase of the race, numerous riders made attempts, but none could establish a meaningful lead.
An attack led by Tibor Del Grosso resulted in a short-lived breakaway of nine riders, notably excluding any Swiss riders. This prompted a fierce chase from the Swiss team, quickly bringing the break back. It was during this moment that Christen launched a decisive attack.
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Christen’s bold move, Widar leads the chase
And what an attack that was! With more than 50 kilometers to go, Christen unleashed a lightning-fast acceleration that no one could match. Giulio Pellizzari and Segaert tried to follow suit, but ultimately fell short. Pellizzari, riding alone for a while, was eventually caught by the chasing group. Thirteen riders, including big names like Joseph Blackmore, Isaac Del Toro and Iván Romeo, were now in pursuit of Christen.
The Belgians, with five riders in the pursuing group, took charge of the pace. Christen’s lead hovered around 45 seconds for a long time, putting the Swiss rider in a promising position.
As the final lap began, Jarno Widar made the first move, followed by Blackmore and Del Toro. Behrens and Svrcek also joined the attack, and together they began to chip away at Christen’s lead, trimming it down to less than 15 seconds with 15 kilometers to go.
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Behrens closes the gap, teams up with Svrcek for the finish
In the end, it was the powerful Behrens who bridged the gap to Christen, with Svrcek right on his wheel. Together, they left behind Christen, who was completely spent. Behrens and Svrcek raced down the descent with Widar, Del Toro, Blackmore and Christen in pursuit.
Segaert rejoined the chase group and immediately attacked for the bronze, with Christen following. Meanwhile, Behrens and Svrcek were left to battle for the rainbow jersey. Behrens launched a dominant sprint, and Svrcek just couldn't keep up. Segaert held off Christen to secure the bronze. After his brave solo effort, Christen finished fifth. Del Toro finished sixth, and Widar seventh.
2024 World Championships – U23 Road Race Results
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