"It's a Criterium course when we're at the World Championships" - Thomas Voeckler latest to criticise Glasgow circuit
Cycling
Much has been made of the tricky, twisty and technical 2023 Glasgow World Championships course over the past few days. Thomas Voeckler, coach of the French national team, has been the latest to express his concerns over the circuit.
"It's atypical, not usual for a world championship. I don't remember a technical course with so many turns," he said in an interview with L'Équipe."I came to see the circuit in April and I don't like the course, that's my opinion, I don't think it's a World Championship course. It's a Criterium course when we're at the World Championships."
On the French hopes for taking the Rainbow Jersey, Voeckler admits they aren't one of the favourites despite having former two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe and last year's runner-up, Christophe Laporte amongst their ranks.
Click here to
play along with our Fantasy World Championships Road Race Men (At least $6,590/€6,000/£5,150 in
prizes!)
"It's a course where it's very hard collectively to put something in place. We do not advance with the best cards," he admits. "I know where we stand and I also know that it's not always the guy or the team that is most cited who wins. It will depend on how it is raced. It can be very hard and we can also have a race that neutralizes itself a bit, the circuit can allow that."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 2visitors 2
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
- If Tiberi has a better and more consistent 2027 I somehow doubt it will be because of this victorious warning. Unless his preparation has been off, cycling isn't football.flyer07-11-2026
- Love this guy. He is such a pure racer.mij07-11-2026
- Fair enough. Everyone’s entitled to one and I respect yours! Nothing wrong with being a one week and GT guy if that’s his vibemij07-11-2026
- LOL...it's a predetermined finish ! N one is 'clashing' at these exhibition crits!frieders307-11-2026
- Surely the UCI and the race organisers have a responsibility to ensure the best medical care is available to riders when incidents like this happen. All very well pushing for global expansion but not so good if riders lives are put at risk because medical support is not up to scratch.Andy12306-11-2026
- Well it clearly helps that this was Pidcock's own car, no?Occam06-11-2026
Loading
1 Comments