2021 UCI Road World Championships: A day for the Danes and Dutch

Denmark and the Netherlands retained their rainbow jerseys in the Men Under 23 and Women Elite individual time trials (ITT) on Monday, but not with the same riders as at the last UCI Road World Championships.

Mikkel Bjerg and Anna van der Breggen were not there to defend their rainbow jerseys, but after two thrilling battles in Flanders (Belgium) they were succeeded by Johan Price-Petjersen and Ellen Van Dijk.

Time trial Men U23: a new Dane on top

Denmark is blossoming with cycling talent, as the return of the youth events to the UCI Road World Championships (after an absence at Imola, Italy, last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic) highlighted on Monday. Following Mikkel Bjerg’s record three consecutive UCI World titles in the Men Under 23 ITT (2017-2019), another Dane, Johan Price-Petjersen, claimed the rainbow jersey in Flanders.

“I’m really satisfied that I could put up the pace and take the win today,” said Price-Petjersen, double European Champion (2019, 2021). He succeeds not only Bjerg but also Mads Würtz Schmidt, winner in 2015: “I think we've won five of the last six time trial World Championships with Denmark, so it’s very important for the national team as well.”

At 22 years old, Johan Price-Pejtersen won’t be able to establish such dominance as Bjerg in the U23 category, but his strong results so far are signs of a brilliant future for the young Dane, who rides with the Uno-X Pro Cycling Team. Third at the first intermediate sprint (the young American Magnus Sheffield was the fastest at the moment), he eventually dominated the 30.3km effort from Knokke to Bruges in 34:29.75 – 10secs faster than Luke Plapp (AUS) and 11secs ahead of Florian Vermeersch (BEL), while the in-form Norwegian Søren Wærenskjold finished fourth (+13secs).

Luke Plapp’s silver medal is a continuation of stellar year. At the beginning of 2021, he won the ITT Australian National Championships in the Elite category. He went on to take team pursuit bronze on the Izu Velodrome at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. He also signed his first pro contract with Ineos Grenadiers.

Third-placed Vermeersch has also been riding with the Elite this year, arriving in Flanders off the back of his first Grand Tour (121st at La Vuelta Ciclista a España).

Time trial Women’s Elite: Van Dijk gets the best of Reusser

The Dutch record in the Women Elite ITT is as stellar as the Danes’ in the Men Under 23 ranks: they claimed a seventh gold medal in the history of the event on Monday despite the absence of Anna van der Breggen, who will focus on defending her road race UCI World title. In Bruges, Ellen van Dijk powered to victory, eight years after her previous triumph in Florence (Italy).

With a time of 36:25.28 (50.377km/h), Van Dijk won gold ahead of Marlen Reusser (+10.29secs), recent winner of the ITT at the European Championships where she had kept ahead of the Dutch woman. The Swiss champion had already claimed silver in the Olympic Games this summer and last year at the UCI Worlds. Another Oranje star, Annemiek van Vleuten, rounded out the podium (+24.02secs).

“I didn’t know I would become so emotional,” Ellen van Dijk explained after claiming her seventh UCI World Champion title (she also won the team time trial in 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2017, as well as the Scratch Race on the track in 2008). “This year, everything felt good but there was always Marlen Reusser, who was so strong. I knew I had a really good level, but I also knew she was super strong. I knew I would have to ride the best time trial ever. I can’t quite believe it yet. Time trial is my favourite discipline; it’s something I love with all my heart. I knew it was gonna be a good course for me and I put everything into it. It’s a dream come true.”

Reusser had the best start, leading the way at the first intermediate point (km 13.8) with a time of 16:24.40, almost 4secs faster than Van Dijk and 13secs ahead of Van Vleuten. But the Oranje stars upped the pace to take gold and bronze, while the USA’s Amber Leone Neben finished fourth, a minute away from the podium.