A look back at 2016: How the World Cycling Championships in Qatar went - what happened to the champions from back then

World Cycling Championships in Qatar: Hardly any spectators, little atmosphere

The World Cycling Championships in Qatar were held from 9 to 16 October 2016. The centre of the action was Doha, more precisely the artificial island "The Pearl". There was much criticism of the UCI's decision to award the World Championships to Qatar. Races at around 40 degrees Celsius were and are not ideal conditions for cyclists. In addition, the World Championships in Qatar lacked what makes cycling so special: the fans. Where in Italy, France, Belgium or Spain hundreds of thousands lined the routes and created a great atmosphere, in Qatar only a few people travelled to the races. There was no World Cup flair. Exactly what is also feared at the World Cup.

Medals were awarded in twelve different disciplines at the championships. A few years later, it is worth taking a look at the development of the disciplines and, above all, the world champions from back then.

Team time trial at the start

The women's and men's team time trials kicked off on 9 October. This competition is no longer part of the Road World Championships programme. It was last held at a World Championships in 2018; since 2019, mixed teams of women and men have been competing for the medals under the national team flag instead of professional cycling teams.

At the World Championships in Qatar, the Boels-Dolmans team ended the winning streak of the then Canyon/SRAM Racing team, which had previously won the title four times in a row under different names. Canyon/SRAM Racing with the German riders Lisa Brennauer, Mieke Kröger and Trixi Worrack had to make do with silver. Bronze went to Cervelo-Bigla Pro Cycling with Lisa Klein and Stephanie Pohl.

Martin wins gold in Qatar

After BMC narrowly beat Etixx-Quick Step in the men's race in 2015, the Belgians turned the tables this time and took gold twelve seconds ahead of BMC. Two Germans also took part: Marcel Kittel and Tony Martin. The World Championships in Qatar went particularly well for the latter.

In the individual time trial a few days later, the Cottbus native raced to his fourth rainbow jersey in this discipline. It was also Martin's last world championship title in the individual time trial. Together with Fabian Cancellara from Switzerland, he still holds the record for the most gold medals at world championships in the individual time trial. The flat course with long straights and only a few bends was tailor-made for the exceptional rouleur Martin.

Close result for the women

While the German won by a clear 45 seconds ahead of Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus - ended his career in 2020) and 1:10 minutes ahead of Jonathan Castroviejo (Spain - now with Ineos Grenadiers), the women's individual time trial was much closer.

The then 41-year-old Amber Neben from the USA became world champion in the individual time trial, just five seconds ahead of Ellen van Dijk from the Netherlands. She still competes today and most recently came third at the Chrono des Nations. Consolation for van Dijk: the Dutchwoman collected her second and third world titles in the individual time trial in 2021 and 2022 and also won the 2022 the hourly world record. Bronze medallist Katrin Garfoot ended her career in 2018.

Italian hangs up her bike

It is also interesting to take a look at the time trials in the junior classes at the World Championships in Qatar. At the time, there was only one competition in the junior women's category (in 2022, medals were also awarded in the women's U23 category for the first time). The 2016 17-year-old Dutch junior world champion Karlijn Swinkels is now a professional with Team Jumbo-Visma, as is bronze medallist Juliette Labous (currently riding for DSM). Lisa Morzenti, the runner-up in Doha, on the other hand, hung up her bike in 2019 at the age of just 21. "I still love cycling, but in recent years I've stopped loving the environment of women's cycling," said the Italian on her departure.

Cycling fans saw a German double victory in the men's U23 time trial. Marco Mathis took gold ahead of Maximilian Schachmann and Australian Miles Scotson. Schachmann's path led him to the top of the world. The Berliner turned pro with Quick-Step and is now under contract with Bora-Hansgrohe. His palmares are adorned with two overall victories in Paris-Nice, a stage win in the Giro d'Italia and numerous top placings in one-day races.

Things went differently for Mathis. The now 28-year-old turned pro with Katusha and was later signed to Cofidis. However, he did not make the big breakthrough. He ended his career at the end of 2021. Bronze medallist Scotson has been riding at a solid level for Groupama-FDJ since 2019.

McNulty & Bjerg at UAE Team Emirates today

The podium of the junior time trial class from Qatar is working together today - at least in part. Gold medallist Brandon McNulty and Mikkel Bjerg (silver) both ride for UAE Team Emirates. Things didn't go so well for McNulty's compatriot Ian Garrison. Although he won another silver medal in the U23 time trial at the 2019 World Championships, after two years with Deceuninck-Quick Step (2020 and 2021) he was out of the World Tour. He switched to the small American team L39ION of Los Angeles.

In the junior classes of road racing, there were also riders who took off and those who were not heard from much afterwards. Jakob Egholm, junior world champion in Qatar, rode at World Tour level for two years in 2021 and 2022, but it was not enough for a professional victory. In 2023, the Dane moved to his home country to Restaurant Suri - Carl Ras. Silver went to Niklas Märkl at the time. The German's path initially led to the Sunweb development team (forerunner of Team DSM) and later to the DSM pros in the World Tour. Bronze medallist Reto Müller from Switzerland, overall winner of the prestigious Grand Prix Rüebliland junior race in 2016 and junior world champion on the track in the two-man team race with Marc Hirschi, ended his career at the end of 2021 to focus on his studies in economics.

Ackermann takes silver at the World Championships in Qatar

In the U23 road race, the then 22-year-old Pascal Ackermann proved his talent with silver. The Palatinate rider then moved to Bora-Hansgrohe, where he rode until the end of 2021. He is now with UAE Team Emirates. At the age of 28, Ackermann has already won stages at the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana won the points jersey at the Giro and also the classic Eschborn-Frankfurt.

At first glance, Jakub Mareczko, who won bronze in the U23 road race in Qatar, has a similarly good record. The Italian has discovered a kind of gap in the market for himself: races in Asia. Between 2015 and 2018, Mareczko alone won 18 stages at the Tour of Taihu Lake, a second-category race in China. However, the 28-year-old has yet to win at World Tour level.

Mareczko and Ackermann were beaten by Kristoffer Halvorsen at the World Championships in Qatar. The Norwegian joined Sky for two years in 2018, with moderate success. He took two victories during this time. After a year with EF Pro Cycling, he returned to his home country in 2021 and has been riding for the up-and-coming Norwegian racing team Uno-X Pro Cycling ever since.

Balsamo launches a great career

The junior women's road race was won by Elisa Balsamo. The Italian is now one of the world's top riders in the women's peloton and became world champion in the elite road race in Belgium in 2021. Silver medallist Skylar Schneider from the USA currently rides for L39ION of Los Angeles. Norwegian Susanne Andersen, who took bronze, is under contract with Uno-X Pro Cycling in the Women's World Tour.

Amalie Dideriksen, elite world champion in Qatar, will be her team-mate there in 2023. The Dane won the sprint ahead of Kirsten Wild from the Netherlands and Lotta Lepistö from Finland to become the second youngest road world champion at the time. Silver medallist Wild ended her career at the end of 2021 at the age of 39. Lepistö, now called Henttala, will ride for the AG Insurance-NXTG team from 2023.

World Cup in Qatar: Fiasco for the German team

The men's elite road race concluded the World Championships in Qatar. The German team started the race with high hopes. On the flat course in Qatar, Andre Greipel, Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb were three potential medal candidates, if not contenders for victory. But the Germans did not manage to get involved in the sprint for the gold medal. Dreams of the first German road world championship title 50 years after Rudi Altig's victory on the Nürburgring were dashed after around 70 of 257 kilometres in the desert wind outside Doha.

Sagan becomes world champion in Qatar

The BDR team missed the decisive attack on the windward edge - with the exception of Degenkolb, who was in the first relay. But he also dropped back after a defect a few kilometres later. The Brits, the Belgians and the three Slovakian riders were also in the first group.

In the end, it was Peter Sagan who sprinted ahead of Cavendish and Tom Boonen to take his second world title at a very strange World Championships in Qatar.

Results of the World Cup in Qatar 2016

The world champions

• Women's team time trial: Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team
• Team time trial men: Etixx-Quick Step
• Individual time trial juniors: Karlijn Swinkels
• Individual time trial U23 men: Marco Mathis
• Individual time trial juniors: Brandon McNulty
• Individual time trial elite women: Amber Neben
• Individual time trial elite men: Tony Martin
• Road race U23 men: Kristoffer Halvorsen
• Junior road race: Elisa Balsamo
• Road race juniors: Jakob Egholm
• Road race elite women: Amalie Dideriksen
• Road race elite men: Peter Sagan