Youngsters can take part in the 2024 World Time Trial Championships, which will be held the day after the elite race. After the junior men’s in the morning, the U23 race will take place in the afternoon. IDLProCycling.com has a full list of what to expect and who’s competing.
A look at the track record of the U23 World Time Trial Championships shows that it is not a good platform for time trial success. The winner of the world title race has never also become an elite world champion. In fact, two of the champions from the past decade, Campbell Flakemore (2014) and Marco Mathis (2016), are now retired.
And recent winners haven’t quite made the leap. Of course, guys like Soren Wellensjöld, Mikkel Bjerg, and before them Taylor Phinney and Lars Boom have all won impressive time trials. And yet, in the elite ranks, very different names usually emerge. That may change after 2024…
Practical information for the 2024 World Time Trial Championships U23
Monday, September 23rd: Gossau – Zurich (Switzerland) Participants
Category: World Championship
In this article
Latest winners Parkour, weather and time favorites TV info
Recent World Championship Time Trial U23 Winners
2023 Lorenzo Milesi
2022 Soren Wellenskjöld
2021 Johan Preiss Petersen
2020 Unridden
2019 Mikkel Bjorg
2018 Mikkel Bjorg
2017 Mikkel Bjorg
2016 Marco Mattis
2015 Mats Wurtz-Schmidt
2014 Campbell Flakemore
2024 World Time Trial Championships U23: Course, Weather, Times
The elite men will cover 46 kilometers on Sunday, while the U23s will have to do 15 kilometers shorter. Still, the course is quite similar, with a smooth turn onto the men’s course from the start in Gossau. That means the road starts to climb steadily before cresting at the first timed stop. After the 10.4 kilometers in Jutricon am See, they’ll average just 5 percent for a few more kilometers.
The next 8 kilometers are also hilly, but then we have a long straight stretch along Lake Zurich for about 15 kilometers. Here, too, we are timed again after 20.5 kilometers. As in the other races, we arrive at Seckseleuzenplatz. After one kilometer, the riders have been riding for several kilometers at an average gradient of 5 percent.
weather
Monday is set to be a tougher day for the weather than Sunday, with temperatures expected to drop by around 16 degrees, or about 6 degrees lower, and a higher chance of precipitation.
Times
Start: 2:45 pm (first riders)
Finish: 5:30pm (last rider)
2024 World Time Trial World Championships U23 Favourites
The U23 World Time Trial Championships still occasionally throws surprises, but one rider in particular stands out this time around. Alec Segaert, runner-up last year in Glasgow and the year before that in Wollongong, has proven twice in the past month that he has made even greater progress. The Belgian from Lotto-D’Ostny won the WorldTour time trial at the Renewi Tour and set the fastest time for an U23 rider at the European Championships on home soil. Noah Vandenbranden and Robin Olins are also in the running from Belgium.
Who can stop Segalt? In terms of pure talent, you should look among the three guest riders of UAE Team Emirates. In particular, Mexico’s Isaac Del Toro has shown flashes of talent on a time trial bike at the Tour of the Algarve and at the Vuelta, where he finished 15th on the final day in Madrid, and he has another big tour coming up.
Also to watch are local rider Jan Kristen, who has limitless potential, and Portuguese Antonio Morgado of Team Emirates. INEOS Grenadiers also have three riders with medal chances, while North America will feature Artem Schmidt, AJ August (USA) and Canada’s Michael Leonard, who recently won the prologue at the Tour de l’Avenir.
Menno Huijsing and Wessel Maurice are representing the Netherlands, with the latter having recently performed well, finishing third at the European Championships, while Segaard and Lidl-Trek’s Swede Jakob Soderqvist also finished ahead of him there. Another rider with Dutch connections is Norway’s Visma | Lease a Bike talent, Jörgen Nordhagen.
Also worth mentioning are Darren Lafferty (EF Education Easypost Ireland), Ivan Romeo (Movistar Spain), Tudor rider Fabian Weiss, Soudal-QuickStep talent Ander Laccani Noviello, Australian Patrick Eddy of dsm Firmenich Post NL, Danish elite champion Rasmus Soyberg Pedersen and the somewhat unpredictable Briton Josh Carlton.
According to IDLProCycling.com, who is the favorite to win the 2024 U23 World Time Trial Championships?
Top favourites: Alec Segaert (Belgium) and Isaac Del Toro (Mexico)
Outsiders: Jan Kristen (Switzerland), Jakob Soderqvist (Sweden), Ivan Romeo (Spain), Michael Leonard (Canada)
Long Shots: Wessel Maurice (Netherlands), Jörgen Nordhagen (Norway), Darren Lafferty (Ireland), Artem Schmidt, AJ August (USA), Antonio Morgado (Portugal), Fabian Weiss (Switzerland), Andrea Laccani Noviello (Italy)
TV 2024 World Time Trial Championships U23
Those who want to watch the world title race on Monday can tune in to Sporza (VRT 1) and Eurosport (Eurosport 1, HBO Max and Discovery+). The coverage will start around 3pm, with the last rider expected to cross the finish line at 5:30pm.