“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, a.o-button”} }”>
Get a free Giordana cycling jersey when you subscribe to Velo with Outside+! It’s our way of celebrating the 2024 Road World Championships in Zurich. Includes free shipping. Hurry, ends Sept. 29.
>”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>Join now.
Niklas Behrens (Germany) turned on the turbos in a two-up sprint to beat Martin Svrček (Slovakia) to win the U23 world title at the UCI world championships Friday in Zürich.
Alec Segaert (Belgium) was gapped on the final lap, but chased back to ride straight through a lead group of chasers with about 5km to go snatch bronze.
The attack-riddled race saw pre-race favorites Joe Blackmore (Great Britain) and Isaac del Toro (Mexico) fizzle out in soggy conditions to miss the medals, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.
A race of attrition was turned on its head when Jan Christen (Switzerland) attacked on the penultimate lap to carry a 40-second gap to an elite group of chasers on the bell lap.
Also read: Swiss rider dies from crash at Zürich worlds
The fierce pace blew up the peloton, with the bunch breaking into pieces in his wake.
The Swiss rider, who won bronze in the U23 time trial earlier this week, started to suffer with about 20km to go.
With 12km to go, he kept checking over his shoulder as a superstar chase group of five were nipping on his heels.
Del Toro and Blackmore were joined by Jarno Widar (Belgium), Svrček (Slovakia), and Behrens (Germany).
A short ramp at 10km to go saw attacks from Svrček and Behrens to reel in Christen, and the pair blew right past him.
The 20-year-old German, second at the U23 European road race, attacked on the long descent heading to the final climb with 8.5km to go to drive the gap to the chasers, with only Svrček marking his wheel.
Pre-race favorites Del Toro and Blackmore were gapped, and linked up with Widar and Christen with 5km to go.
None of the U.S. riders figured in the hunt for the U23 world title. Artem Shmidt and Colby Simmons were active midway through the race, but lost contact under the attacks with two laps to go.
