World Championship 2024 - Men's U23 Road Race: Uster-Zürich (173.5 km)

[RedheadDane]

It's time for the U23 road race, which brings up the question: Should the WT riders be allowed to participate?

Either way, they are, and Del Toro is probably a big favourite.

(Do I really need to add all the profile-stuff? You can find it elsewhere...)

Startlist for World Championships MU - Road Race 2024

Competing teams and riders for World Championships MU - Road Race 2024. Top competitors are Isaac del Toro, Joseph Blackmore and Alec Segaert.

www.procyclingstats.com

Top competitors:

Pos.	Rider	Team	Points	#
1	del Toro Isaac	Mexico	811	48
2	Blackmore Joseph	Great Britain	589	90
3	Segaert Alec	Belgium	473	127
4	Christen Jan	Switzerland	452	135
5	Morgado António	Portugal	381	174
6	Pellizzari Giulio	Italy	355	189
7	Christen Fabio	Switzerland	330	207
8	Lecerf William Junior	Belgium	293	232
9	De Pretto Davide	Italy	280	239
10	Costiou Ewen	France	242	274

Should a junior be allowed to ride?

 

[Berniece]

I think this category as a whole should be removed maybe. Riders are too good, too young, it's a bit silly like this.

 

[Anderis]

Either way, they are, and Del Toro is probably a big favourite.

According to the bookies, Christen is the favourite and Del Toro is tied 2nd with Blackmore. I probably would rate Blackmore over Del Toro myself, seems to have more experience and results in hectic one day races.

 

[Wyndbrook]

I think this category as a whole should be removed maybe. Riders are too good, too young, it's a bit silly like this.

The change next year not allowing world tour riders may benefit.
Not all riders are young super hero's who sign for world tour teams just out of their nappies. Many develop much later and the category allows them time.
It has become a race against time and we are in danger of dumping riders on the scrapheap just because they are not winning big by the time they reach twenty.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Christen is heavy heavy favourite on all markets, think that's wrong tbh, Nordhagen, Blackmore, De Pretto would be my guess, Orins perhaps too at 125/1 as an outsider. Morgado would usually clean this but he's out of form, Del Toro similarly seems out of form? I'll probably eat my words later though.

 

[Didinho]

Expected rain?

Hoping for Widar to show something against these young pro’s. Lecerf as my dark horse, with the Vuelta in his legs.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Some said the mixed TTT was uninteresting. Well, that's what I find the U23 to be. Not because of the race format, but because the U23 concept is obsolete. It's the same with the youth jerseys in stage races: it's not interesting to apply a special status to riders who are in their early 20's. As we know, that's an age at which you can compete at the highest level. And the other way around: if you're 22 and not on a World Tour team, how big a talent are you really, in an international perspective?

The U23 championship has become more of a B level championship - sort of like football at the Olympics that I don't watch either. In both cases some top class guys are in the mix which just makes the competition even more confusing and bland.

Instead: Make a cut at 21 years, maybe even 20.

 

[E_F_]

U23 probably does serve a purpose for riders who don't develop instantly, but it really doesn't work for a "World Championship".

 

[Tim Cahill]

Can't see it on the schedule on Discovery?

Some kind of sick joke?

 

[Brullnux]

How many U23 riders are competing in the Elite race? It's like Ayuso, Onley, Staune-Mittet, Steinhauser, Ryan, Gregoire. Other than Ayuso I feel like the others could well be in this race instead and wouldn't be overpowering the others, I don't think it's entirely obsolete. I think our expectations got a bit messed up by Remco and Pogacar (and Bernal), but I think they're still mostly the exception.

 

[search]

How many U23 riders are competing in the Elite race?

I forgot what exactly counts as U23, but you can sort startlists by age on PCS:

Youngest and oldest riders in World Championships ME - Road Race 2024

The youngest competitor in World Championships ME - Road Race 2024 is Madis Mihkels at age 21y + 121d. The oldest rider is Carlos Iván Oyarzún at age 42y + 339d.

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[RedheadDane]

How many U23 riders are competing in the Elite race?

1	MIHKELS Madis		21y + 121d
2	GRÉGOIRE Romain		21y + 252d
3	ONLEY Oscar		21y + 352d
4	AYUSO Juan		22y + 13d
5	BRENNER Marco		22y + 33d
6	VACEK Mathias		22y + 109d
7	BOCHAROV Dmitriy		22y + 115d
8	SOSALAM Tullatorn		22y + 126d
9	SHEFFIELD Magnus		22y + 163d
10	STAUNE-MITTET Johannes		22y + 255d

 

[search]

Can't see it on the schedule on Discovery?

Some kind of sick joke?

I see it on both, Eurosport as well as Disco, and coverage already started.

 

[RedheadDane]

Calling our friendly neighbourhood mod(erman) @Armchair Cyclist!

Sticky.

 

[Brullnux]

I forgot what exactly counts as U23, but you can sort startlists by age on PCS:

Youngest and oldest riders in World Championships ME - Road Race 2024

The youngest competitor in World Championships ME - Road Race 2024 is Madis Mihkels at age 21y + 121d. The oldest rider is Carlos Iván Oyarzún at age 42y + 339d.

www.procyclingstats.com

Yeah I don't think the 21 and 22yo riders here are much better than the startlist in the U23 race, other than Ayuso and potentially Fisher-Black.

Actually, Fisher-Black wouldn't even be eligible as he's 2001. So it's really just Ayuso who is a lot better than the rest of the U23 riders. Ryan and Steinhauser also not eligible.

The race would be more fun if Onley, Gregoire, Staune-Mittet, Brenner, Sheffield, and Vacek were here, but I think people are overstating the demise of the U23 world championship. Even if they were all here, the winner could well still be Christen or Del Toro or Blackmore, or one of the Italians.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

well, barely 5mins in and we have a major incident.

 

[ashhutch1997]

Riders literally urinating outside people's houses, pretty disgusting and a terrible look for cycling.

 

[theyoungest]

U23 probably does serve a purpose for riders who don't develop instantly, but it really doesn't work for a "World Championship".

The U23 age category is outdated. In the early 2000s U23 racing had a point because of various reasons, most of them involving doping. Now 21-year-olds can already win grand tours. Or world titles.

There are of course still exceptions, but it doesn't really make sense to have a separate racing category for late bloomers.

 

[E_F_]

it doesn't really make sense to have a separate racing category for late bloomers.

Well isn't it worth it to avoid discarding said late bloomers? They could go on to become world beaters.

 

[ashhutch1997]

The U23 age category is outdated. In the early 2000s U23 racing had a point because of various reasons, most of them involving doping. Now 21-year-olds can already win grand tours. Or world titles.

There are of course still exceptions, but it doesn't really make sense to have a separate racing category for late bloomers.

It's also unfair as there are some riders racing today who are in the WT and have done Grand Tours this year, which clearly gives an unfair advantage. Although I believe they are changing this next year?

 

[Brullnux]

The U23 age category is outdated. In the early 2000s U23 racing had a point because of various reasons, most of them involving doping. Now 21-year-olds can already win grand tours. Or world titles.

There are of course still exceptions, but it doesn't really make sense to have a separate racing category for late bloomers.

Other than Pogacar and Remco I'm unconvinced that's true. I think they're the exceptions, along with someone like Ayuso. The rest of the guys in the WT peloton born in <2002 don't really have a chance of winning on Sunday, and so I guess they're all 'late bloomers'.

I guess De Lie is another performing at a higher level. The rest? Pretty much all at WC U23 level.

 

[RedheadDane]

Kessler and Bower with a small gap.

 

[ashhutch1997]

Hookles wheels not looking great today.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Front 3 might get quite far because nobody behind knows what they're doing or who the favourite is.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

It's also unfair as there are some riders racing today who are in the WT and have done Grand Tours this year, which clearly gives an unfair advantage. Although I believe they are changing this next year?

I don't see how being good enough to have been given top level experience makes in unfair for people to be eligible for a World Championship.

"I could have been world champion, but other people are better than me and were allowed to compete against me: that's not fair!"


As to next year's change in the rules, the idea that justice is served by excluding riders on, for example, TDT or Corratec on the grounds of professionalism, while allowing those on V|LAB/UAE/Trek etc development teams is laughable.