Preview World Time Trial Championship 2024 - U23 | Segaert, but also talent from UAE, INEOS and Visma

If you look at the track record of the World Time Trial Championships for the U23, you will see that it is not a suitable basis for a successful career in time trials. Never before has a winner of the world title race also been able to become an elite world champion. In fact, of the champions of the last decade, two have already retired, with Campbell Flakemore (2014) and Marco Mathis (2016).

Nor have the other recent winners been able to break through fully. Of course, riders like Soren Waerenskjold, Mikkel Bjerg, and earlier, for example, Taylor Phinney and Lars Boom, have won beautiful time trials. Still, in the elite ranks, very different names usually emerge. Although that may change after 2024...

2023 Lorenzo Milesi
2022 Soren Waerenskjold
2021 Johan Price-Pejtersen
2020 Not ridden
2019 Mikkel Bjerg
2018 Mikkel Bjerg
2017 Mikkel Bjerg
2016 Marco Mathis
2015 Mads Würtz Schmidt
2014 Campbell Flakemore

The elite men will face 46 kilometers on Sunday, while the U23 will settle for 15 kilometers less. Nonetheless, the course is quite similar, as they turn smoothly onto the men's course from the starting point in Gossau. That means the road starts to climb steadily before reaching the highest point at the first measuring point. At Uetlikon am See, after 10.4 kilometers, they have completed a few kilometers at a five percent average.

The following eight kilometers are also hilly, but then it's in one long, straight line of about 15 kilometers pedaling along Lake Zurich. Here, they also time it again, after 20.5 kilometers. We arrive—as in all races—at the Sechseläutzenplatz. kilometer, the riders have a few kilometers on it at a five percent average.

Weather
The weather appears to have more influence on Monday than on Sunday. Not only is the temperature around 16 degrees Celsius, about six degrees lower but there is also a good chance of precipitation.

Times
Start: 2:45 p.m. (first rider)
Finish: 5:30 p.m. (last rider)

There is still the occasional surprise at the World Time Trial Championship for U23, but one man stands out in particular for this edition. Alec Segaert, second in Glasgow last year and second in Wollongong the year before, showed twice in the past month that he has taken another big step. The Belgian from Lotto-Dstny won the WorldTour time trial in the Renewi Tour and - as a U23 rider- had the fastest time recorded at the European Championships in his country. Noah Vandenbranden and Robin Orins are the other Belgian participants.

Who can stop Segaert? Based on pure talent, we should look for it among three guests from UAE-Team Emirates. In particular, Mexican Isaac del Toro showed flashes of his abilities on the time trial bike, such as in the Tour of the Algarve, Isaac del Toro. With the Vuelta, he has another big tour in his legs, where he finished 15th on the final day in Madrid.

We are also looking at home rider Jan Christen, another rider with seemingly unlimited potential, and Portuguese Antonio Morgado from the Emirates team. INEOS Grenadiers also provides three men with a chance of a medal: from North America, they put in Artem Schmidt, AJ August (United States), and Michael Leonard from Canada. The latter recently won the prologue at the Tour de l'Avenir.

Menno Huising and Wessel Mouris are representing the Netherlands, with the latter recently doing well by finishing third at the European Championships. Segaert and Lidl-Trek Swede Jakob Soderqvist stayed ahead of him there. Another rider with a Dutch link is Jorgen Nordhagen, the Visma | Lease a Bike gem from Norway.

Also worth mentioning are guys like Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost-Irish), Ivan Romeo (Movistar-Spaniard), Tudor home rider Fabian Weiss, Soudal Quick-Step talent Andea Raccagni Noviero, dsm-firmenich PostNL-Aussie Patrick Eddy, Danish elite champion Rasmus Sojberg Pedersen and the somewhat unpredictable Brit Josh Carlton.

Top favorite: Alec Segaert (Belgium) and Isaac del Toro (Mexico)
Outsiders: Jan Christen (Switzerland), Jakob Soderqvist (Sweden), Ivan Romeo (Spain) and Michael Leonard (Canada)
Long shots: Wessel Mouris (Netherlands), Jorgen Nordhagen (Norway), Darren Rafferty (Ireland), Artem Schmidt, AJ August (United States), Antonio Morgado (Portugal), Fabian Weiss (Switzerland) and Andrea Raccagni Noviero (Italy)

Those who want to watch the world title race in the underpowers on Monday can check out Sporza (VRT 1) and Eurosport (Eurosport 1, HBO Max, and Discovery+). Broadcasts will begin around 3 p.m., with the last rider expected at the finish line at 5:30 p.m.