Olympic champion, defending champion or Pogačar? A big battle for cycling rainbows is coming – Sport.cz

No chance for sprinters, extreme movement even for the best classics. There is no steep hill on the 27-kilometer circuit, but riders must climb the 2.3-kilometer Witikonerstrasse seven times, with a gradient of up to nine percent. “Of course the climbers will have a way out, but even the classics can survive if they have a good day. This race can turn out either way,” Evenepoel understands.

Belgium itself has put the rainbow on one trip already, after its victory two years ago in Australia. Even then there were enough hills on the program, now even a little more. Competitors will overcome a total elevation gain of 4,291 meters. Evenepoel is also encouraged by the time trial victory at the end of last week. “It put a little pressure on me. Plus, I can trust myself even more now. I feel great, my legs are great here,” boasts the 24-year-old Evenepoel.

If, after the two golds from Paris, two world champion titles were added in the two disciplines, it would be a real need. However, although it was popular in the test of time, now the attention is mostly on the Slovenian phenomenon. Tadej Pogačar took time off after his third Tour de France victory, skipped the Olympics and only did two one-strokes in Canada, winning the second of them.

Otherwise, the 26-year-old star was completely focused on the world championship. “I really want to win it,” Pogačar does not hide his desire. The rainbow jersey is still missing from his collection. He shot out two years ago in Australia, last year he took third place. The question is who will be able to support the team. Matej Mohorič is absent due to injury and another of the big names Primož Roglič has his own goals.

And how will the defender, the 29-year-old Dutch Mathieu van der Poel? In the spring he won everything he could, he also won the famous Paris-Roubaix. He has not been seen much at the Tour de France, but the head of his Alpecin-Deceuninck stable, Christoph Roodhooft, reports shortly before the start: “He is in good condition. In the best situation he can be. And he can handle the tough circuit,” Roodhooft is convinced.

The home hope is that Marc Hirschi, the aforementioned Roglič, Matteo Jorgenson, Australian Ben O’Connor, Briton Adam Yates or Dane Mads Pedersen will be included in the circle of favourites.

Czech team leader Mathias Vack, who failed the time trial and only took 27th place, has a very difficult task ahead of him. “It will be a very difficult race, everyone is talking about one of the elite climbers should win. But if it suits Vack, he can do a surprise,” national team coach Petr Kaltofen believes.

Beroun, who is 22 years old, works with Jakub Otruba, Michael Boroš and Michal Schlegel. Missing from the nomination is elite climber Jan Hirt, who was hampered by health problems and told the coach in advance that he would not have time to get back to his best form. “The team is well assembled, the boys will try to help Mathias as much as possible,” said Kaltofen.

In conclusion, it is worth remembering that the World Championships, like the Olympics or the European Championships, are raced without radios. Cyclists have to deal with real chaos. Who will fight against the lack of information and a difficult course best and ride in a beautiful rainbow all year?