Tadej Pogačar is currently training in Zurich and already on a new Colnago bike. 🌈 #Zurich2024 🎥: @Christian_S_N
Not Pogacar, Evenepoel or Roglic, Jens Voigt backs Van der Poel to defend Rainbow Jersey in Zurich: "Mathieu is my personal favourite for the title"
CyclingSaturday, 28 September 2024 at 10:52
The men's elite road race at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich is now just days away. As such, many experts and pundits from across the cycling world are weighing in with their predictions. In Jens Voigt's opinion, Mathieu van der Poel is the man most likely to take the victory.
"It's as clear as day to me: I expect Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Mathieu van der Poel to be in the top three places - I just don't know in which order," the experienced German previews in his pre-race analysis for Eurosport. "All three have legitimate claims to say: Yes, I want to, I can and I will win. If I had to decide on the winner, I would choose van der Poel."
Read also
It's not unfair to say Voigt's predictions goes somewhat against the grain. The majority of experts seem to think the hilly course favours Pogacar and Evenepoel over the 2023 world champion, but Voigt isn't so sure. "Mathieu has lost some weight again and looks much thinner and slimmer. He lacks a bit of the punch that used to define him. But he is tough and was in very good shape at the Tour de Luxembourg," he explains. "I think he has a real chance of defending his world championship title because he has prepared specifically for it. Mathieu is my personal favourite for the title."
Against Evenepoel and Pogacar though, it's going to be far from easy. "There's no question that Remco is also in very good form. He has won three of the four major titles this year: double gold at the Olympics and the World Championship time trial. He has also already been world champion on the road - so he knows how it's done," Voigt concedes. "Remco is confident and motivated to the core. What also speaks in his favour in my view is that Wout van Aert is not there, so there is no co-captain for Belgium, just helpers for Remco."
In the Slovenian team alongside Pogacar, also starts the wildcard for the race, Primoz Roglic. Voigt though, doesn't the see the experienced Roglic as a contender. "After the two crashes at the Tour de France, he has turned his full focus to the Vuelta and was very successful there. The Vuelta was the highlight of his season. Primoz is simply tired now after a long season. Since, in my opinion, he has no chance of making the podium, he will submit himself and ride for his captain - even if Roglic and Pogacar are not the best of friends who invite each other to barbecues."
claps 3visitors 4013
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Avoiding him is a good strategy, you get more wins and then you can compete in the TDF relatively relaxed. Pit yourself against Pogi and not only there will be no wins, it will be considerable mental setbackabstractengineer21-12-2024
- If you hold onto then, you blowup in a minute and then you finish 5 minutes down like Ben O'Connorabstractengineer21-12-2024
- Based on what argument?Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Agreed except the length of climbs, pretty sure you can stretch that to about a km unless we’re talking about half a dozen in quick succession.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Lot of contradictory information floating around world cup contenders, someone should do some tidying up.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- A bit much to suggest that Pogacar is better than MvdP on most terrains. The only terrain Pogacar is clearly better is long climbs, on any other terrain they are pretty even except flat cobbles and short and steep climbs (max a few 100 mtrs) where MvdP is clearly better than Pogacar.Velovibes21-12-2024
- The likelihood of RE improving enough at this point to outclass TP or JV is less than zero.verve82521-12-2024
- That’s the most stupid thing I’ve read for a long time, did you not go to school and learn even the most basic physics? Aero depends on one thing only, drag, drag depends speed and the relationship is squared and apart from maybe at zero or the speed of sound or due to side winds that relationship is valid at all speeds, it dies not “suddenly” start at a magic number. Very simply, the faster you go the more the effect becomes important. If you think 25km/h is needed to have noticeable effects you’re delusional, athletic WR are cancelled as soon as winds top 2m/s that’s 7.2km/h, why because the assistance is already too important at that speed and the times prove it. You don’t even consider wind which can significantly increase the effective speed for aerodynamics and you underestimate speed of climbs, 6% is ridden more at 30 than 25km/h, a speed at which early generation high rims were considered to have more advantages than disadvantages. And finally, as in normal races you can’t just switch bikes according to terrain, it’s pretty pointless to discuss climbs as a separate situation, the aero will have justified itself plenty during the rest of the ride.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- If you look at how much TP progressed in that 1 1/2 years you can no longer say that’s nothing. If Remco improves as much he’s a challenger!Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Froome wishing to ride the Vuelta...he won't even be selected for the team!frieders320-12-2024