WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW

Taking place in northern Belgium, this year’s Worlds naturally takes its cues from the Classics – with a series of long and lumpy road races coupled with a flat and windswept time trial course

- James Shrubsall, Owen Rogers

Road races

ELITE MEN

Sunday 26 September 268km | 2,562m

Forty-two classified climbs. Just pause to take that in. That’s what the men will be tackling on Sunday. ‘Attritional’ is going to be the watchword here.

Leaving Antwerp in the north-west of Belgium, the race heads south for Leuven, as do the women and the Under-23s. This is pretty much where the racing proper begins, things toughen up and the hills kick in. There are two loops – one is tortuous, short and hilly and based in Leuven itself; the other is tortuous, longer and hilly and heads out into the more rural Flanders hills. After reaching Leuven the men ride 1.5 Leuven loops then one Flandrian loop, followed by four Leuven loops, another Flandrian loop and 2.5 more Leuven. The race then finishes uphill in the city centre to crown the champion.

ELITE WOMEN

Saturday 25 September 157.7km | 1,047m

The women will take on 20 climbs, which is more than the men’s Tour of Flanders, although less climbing at just over 1,000 metres. After completing the first leg from Antwerp to Leuven they take on the same loops as the men in an abridged format: the 1.5 Leuven and one Flandrian are followed by the final 2.5 circuits of Leuven before finishing in the same spot as the men.

U23 MEN

Friday 24 September 160km | 1,049m

According to the official stats, the U23 Men’s road race is 2.3km longer than the Elite Women’s, with two metres (yes, two) of extra climbing. We’ll be blowed if we can work out where that extra distance comes from though, because ASO’s own descriptions of the races are identical.