Results 2024 World Cycling Championships
1. Tadej Pogacar (slo)
2. Ben O’Connor (aus) + 0.34
3. Mathieu van der Poel (nld) + 0.58
4. Toms Skujins (lat) s.t.
5. Remco Evenepoel (bel) s.t.
6. Marc Hirschi (swi) s.t.
7. Ben Healy (irl) + 1.00
8. Enric Mas (spa) + 1.01
9. Quinn Simmons (usa) + 2.18
10. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
Race report
The first breakaway features Riley Sheehan, Ivo Oliveira, Emīls Liepins, and Filip Maciejuk, but it’s short-lived. Then Andreas Leknessund, Jonathan Caicedo, and Erik Fetter give it a go on the climb to Buch am Irchel. Also to no avail.
After 30 kilometres, Silvan Dillier, Piotr Pękala, and Luc Wirtgen join forces to go on the attack before Tobias Foss and Rui Oliveira close the gap. Simon Geschke, Markus Pajur, and Roberto Carlos González also bridge across. The latter two lose contact on the climb to Kyburg.
Pello Bilbao and Julian Alaphilippe crash in the run-up to the circuit, and the former World Champion is forced to abandon the race.
The lead group opens a maximum lead of almost 6 minutes.
Just after passing the midway point, Laurens De Plus, Jan Tratnik, Mattia Cattaneo, Magnus Cort, Pavel Sivakov, Stephen Williams, Jay Vine, Kevin Vermaerke, Johannes Staune-Mittet, and Florian Lipowitz escape from the peloton. They catch the leaders with four laps remaining.
Tadej Pogacar goes on the attack with 100 kilometres to go, as the peloton is 2 minutes behind. Andrea Bagioli and Quinn Simmons follow the move initially, but they can’t follow. Tratnik waits for the Tour and Giro winner and together they rejoin the front of the race.
The peloton is almost 30 seconds behind as Pogacar speeds up on the Zürichbergstrasse climb. Sivakov is the only rider who manages to stay on his wheel. The gap widens to 50 seconds under Pogacar’s impulse.
Ben Healy opens the chase with Oscar Onley and Toms Skujins. They cross the finish 40 seconds behind the two leaders. A group with Mathieu van der Poel, Frederik Wandahl, and Kevin Vermaerke is next.
On the penultimate ascent of the Zürichbergstrasse, Pogacar shakes off Sivakov. In the background Onley can’t keep up with Healy and Skujins. The Brit is caught by Van der Poel before a group featuring Bauke Mollema, Remco Evenepoel, Enric Mas, Ben O’Connor, Marc Hirschi, Quinn Simmons, Mathias Vacek, Roger Adrià, David Gaudu, and Romain Bardet catch up.
Pogacar enters the final lap 1 minute ahead of Skujins and Healy. The Van der Poel group is another 30 seconds further behind.
Hirschi distances his companions on the Zürichbergstrasse. Mas rejoins the homerider a couple of kilometres later, and together they regain contact with Skujins and Healy. Moments later, Van der Poel, Evenepoel, and O’Connor are back in contention as as well. Pogacar’s lead is down to 40 seconds by then.
Van der Poel accelerates with 10 kilometres to go, and Hirschi and Skujins immediately follow his move. The others catch up later. The attacks keep coming, all without success, until O’Connor slips away in the final 2 kilometres.
Pogacar secures the rainbow jersey ahead of O’Connor, after which Van der Poel sprints to the bronze medal.
Other interesting reads: route and start list 2024 World Cycling Championships, road race.
World Cycling Championships 2024, road race: route, profile, video
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