2024 World Cycling Championships: Bremen's Behrens is U23 World Champion
Sebastian Lindner
· 27.09.2024
Silver at the European Championships is followed by gold at the World Championships! Niklas Behrens took over from Glasgow world champion Axel Laurance in Zurich. The 20-year-old, who was previously a triathlete and swimmer, has only been fully focussed on the road bike for three years. But he already has plenty of power. The 1.95 metre tall athlete, who actually has his strengths in sprinting, did not rely on those qualities, but left his rivals standing on the last waves of the 174 kilometre long world championship course despite his greater weight.
He was unable to overtake the Slovakian Martin Svrcek, bronze medallist in Glasgow. But he left the 21-year-old no chance on the finishing straight. The rider from Bremen had previously been part of a breakaway group that dwindled to five men after the last difficult climb on the dreaded mountain road in Zurich. The Swiss gold medallist Jan Christen was in the lead. But Behrens caught him ten kilometres before the finish.
Behrens: "I felt that I would be stronger"
"I saw that it was going to be really tough when Jan Christen attacked. But it was clear that there were only a few left at the back. I just rode at full throttle," he said, describing his situation in the final kilometres. And it continued to gush out of him. "It was a great feeling when I realised that I would only be sprinting against the climbers. Arriving solo would have been even better, of course, but it was nice this way too. I knew that the Slovakian could also sprint a bit, but I also felt that I would be stronger. That's what I've been training for, it feels great to wear the world championship jersey."
While Svrcek (with Soudal - Quick Step), Alec Segaert (Lotto-Dstny), who took bronze, Christen (UAE Team Emirates) and all the other remaining riders from the former top group already have well-paid professional contracts with World Teams or one level below in the Pro Tour, Behrens has only been riding with Lidl-Trek's development team since this year and only switched to the German continental team Storck-Metropol in mid-2023. However, there has been speculation for some time that he will sign his first professional contract with Visma | Lease a Bike next year. Behrens, who has already finished seventh in the world championship time trial, proved today at the latest that he could be in good hands there. His goal is to develop into a strong sprinter in the classics, as he has repeatedly stated recently.
World Cycling Championships 2024 - Results: the top 10 of the men's U23 road race
- Niklas Behrens (Germany) 3:57:24
- Martin Svrcek (Slovakia) +0:00
- Alec Segaert (Belgium) +0:28
- Jan Christen (Switzerland) +0:39
- Joseph Blackmore (Great Britain) +0:46
- Isaac del Toro (Mexico) +0:46
- Jarno Widar (Belgium) +0:50
- Tibor del Grosso (Netherlands) +1:25
- Ivan Romeo (Spain) +2:27
- Igor Arrieta (Spain) +2:45
World Cycling Championships 2024: How the U23 men's road race went
A trio dominated the first kilometres of the U23 road race, which, like the junior races, had to be completed entirely in constant rain. After a few kilometres, Robert Donaldson (Great Britain) rode to the front ahead of Cole Kessler (USA) and Lewis Bower (New Zealand). Australia's Alastair Mackellar also tried to catch up later on, but was unable to close the gap. Before the finish line was crossed for the first of four times, however, it was all history again, as the Swiss team in particular kept up the pace in the field.
After just under 70 kilometres, Isaac del Toro took the lead for the first time on the up to 17 per cent steep mountain road and quickly carved up the field. However, as the Mexican was unable to find any support, the move fizzled out and much of the race came back together. After that, a few breakaways kept appearing in front of the peloton, but without gaining a significant lead.
There were major changes again at the start of the penultimate lap. Because then Jan Christen attacked. The Swiss rider's attack caused the peloton to split up again. While Giulio Pellizzari (Italy) prepared to start a solo chase, a 13-man group formed behind him, in which Behrens was the only German. With 32 kilometres to go, Pellizzari was caught again, but Christen still had a 45-second lead.
Behrens seeks his salvation in flight
Christen also held this position when he had to climb the mountain road for the last time. The five Belgians in the group behind were unable to capitalise on their superior numbers. There, the chasing group initially fell apart again before almost everyone came back together. However, not all those who managed to catch up were able to hold on, so that in addition to Behrens, Jarno Widar (Belgium), Joseph Blackmore (Great Britain), del Toro and Svrcek joined forces in the chase. And it paid off: 20 kilometres before the finish, Christen's lead was only 20 seconds.
But the closer the chasers got, the more their unity dwindled. As a result, Behrens attacked on one of the last waves 10.6 kilometres before the finish. Only Svrcek was able to follow, and shortly afterwards they reached Christen. Once there, Behrens launched the next attack. However, he was unable to shake off Svrcek.
The duo extended their lead over the last few kilometres, almost to a minute. It was a little less on the final straight, but it was enough. Behrens launched an attack from behind Svrcek 200 metres before the finish, and it worked. The rider from Bremen tore the gap that his rival was no longer able to close.
