2022 UCI Road World Championships: the favourites for the rainbow

The favourites for the rainbow

From the Junior to the Elite categories in the individual time trial and the road race – plus the team time trial mixed relay – 13 titles will be awarded at the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong (Australia).

Julian Alaphilippe and Elisa Balsamo will put their titles on the line. The UCI Road World Champions in the Men Elite and Women Elite categories wore their 2021 rainbow jerseys for the last time on the roads of La Vuelta Ciclista a España and the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta. Many contenders will come to Wollongong to try to take their crowns.

The condition of Alaphilippe, the double defending UCI World Champion, is a source of concern. The Frenchman fell again on Spanish roads, a few months after his serious accident in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. If he still hopes to defend his title in Australia on September 25, Alaphilippe has seen his preparation largely disrupted. He will be assisted within the French team by dark horses such as Romain Bardet or Christophe Laporte.

It’s a green light for the other big favourites. Tadej Pogačar won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal last Sunday, beating Wout van Aert in the sprint. After his success, the Slovenian immediately thought of Australia: “It gives me confidence before the UCI World Championships.”

As for Van Aert, already up there in the finale of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec (4th), the Canadian classics were also reassuring, although the Belgian was not to raise his arms. The big attraction of the last Tour de France is determined to take revenge after several frustrations in the rainbow race. He has also chosen to give up on the time trial to maximize his chances in the road race. But he will also have to fight with his lifelong rival Mathieu van der Poel (NED) and to share leading duties in the Belgian team with the recent winner of La Vuelta, Remco Evenepoel.

Evenepoel will also be one of the big favourites in the Men Elite individual time trial (ITT) on 18 September, along with double winner Filippo Ganna (ITA). The Swiss pair of Stefan Bissegger and Stefan Küng will try to upset the Belgian and the Italian after their recent 1-2 at the European Championships. This will also be the case for Yves Lampaert (BEL), the first yellow jersey of the 2022 Tour de France in Copenhagen.

The unbeatable Dutchwomen?

In the Women Elite, the Dutch will be the big favourites again this year. Annemiek van Vleuten, leader of the UCI Women's WorldTour general classification, will share leadership with Marianne Vos, silver medallist in last year’s UCI Road Worlds, and Demi Vollering. Ellen van Dijk will defend her title in the ITT but with competition from Van Vleuten, UCI World Champion for the specialty in 2017 and 2018. In this event, the main rival for the Oranje is Marlen Reusser; the Swiss is the two-time reigning European Champion.

The road race (September 24) seems more open. The Italians, led by Elisa Balsamo, Elisa Longo Borghini and Silvia Persico, seem capable of challenging the domination of the Netherlands and defending the title they won in Leuven. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (DEN), Mavi Garcia (ESP), Lotte Kopecky (BEL) or Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL) make for a strong list of contenders for the rainbow jersey.

The two Women Elite events will also have the particularity of awarding the Under 23 title to the best ranked rider in this class in each of the two races. Here again, a Dutchwoman will start as favourite: Shirin van Anrooij, the European Champion in both the ITT and the road race.

Youth and mixed relay: the other attractions

As usual, these 2022 UCI World Championships will also award rainbow jerseys in the Junior and Under 23 categories, both in the individual time trial and the road races.

On Sunday 19 September, the Men Under 23 will compete on a 28.8km ITT course. Five of the last six editions have been won by Danish riders, but this season the favourites are Søren Wærenskjold (NOR), Alec Segaert (BEL), Michel Hessman (GER), Mick van Dijke (NED) and Leo Hayter (GBR), the winner of the Giro d'Italia Giovani Under 23.

The road race will take place on Friday 23 September, featuring Olav Kooij (NED), 3rd last year behind Filippo Baroncini and Biniam Girmay.

The Junior individual time trials will take place on September 20, three days before the Men Junior road race and four days before the Women Junior road race. It will be an opportunity to see the young talents of tomorrow such as Jan Christen (SUI), Jørgen Nordhagen (NOR), Emil Herzog (GER) and the Belgian Jens Verbrugghe – son of Rik.

Zoe Bäckstedt (GBR) and Febe Jooris (BEL), both brilliant at the last European Championships, are already riders to pay close attention to in the Women Junior category.

Finally, as in 2019 and 2021, the mixed relay will also be on the programme for these UCI Worlds. The Netherlands, winners three years ago but beaten by Germany in Leuven, will try to take their revenge. Mathieu Van der Poel, Bauke Mollema, Ellen van Dijk and Annemiek van Vleuten are among the big names announced.