The time trials at the UCI Road World Championships 2024 in Zürich are just days away, with the elite women’s and men’s the first elite road events at this year’s Worlds. The races against the clock are scheduled for the opening Sunday – 22 September – with the women’s race occurring first, followed by the men’s.

Both are over hilly, but not mountainous, courses that finish in the centre of Zürich, the biggest city in Switzerland, with defending champions Remco Evenepoel of Belgium and Chloe Dygert among the favourites, although there are lots of people hoping for medals. These include GB’s Anna Henderson, silver medallist at the recent Paris Olympics, and Josh Tarling, third last year.

A crash during the rainy time trial in Paris meant she had to settle for bronze at the Olympics in July. She went on to win gold in the team pursuit, but Chloe Dygert will want to put herself back on the TT top step as she turns her attention towards defending the World title she won in Glasgow last year. Unlike many of her rivals, the American is a specialist in the discipline, and will focus her preparation on this, before giving the road race a shot too.

There’s a reasonable chance that we won’t see the rainbow jersey worn in time trials next year. That’s because Grace Brown retires at the end of the season, despite the face she seems to be enjoying the form of her life. Winning Olympic gold by a whopping margin of one minute and 31 seconds means she’ll line up as one of the major favourites in Zurich. Having won silver both the last two years, an upgrade to gold would be the perfect way to bow out. That’s if the 32-year-old can’t be persuaded to carry on for one more year.

The 24-year-old comes into the World Championships as not only the defending champion, but as the Olympic champion too. His performance in Paris last month was proof that he is the man to beat against the clock, but he will be looking to peak in his form for a third time this year, after the Tour de France and the Olympics. He won a similarly hilly time trial at the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier this year.

Was it not for an unfortunate puncture, Josh Tarling would almost certainly have won an Olympic medal in the time trial last month. While the Welshman was left frustrated with a fourth-place finish that day, the performance proved he has stepped up as a rider after taking a surprise bronze at the Worlds last year. He followed that up with victory at the European championships and if he continues to improve will soon be challenging Evenepoel and Ganna at the biggest events.

Britain’s road tandem pairing Chris McDonald and Adam Duggleby missed their Paralympic slot. They will take to the fore without the presence of Paralympic tandem Steve Bate and Chris Latham at these championships. The latter duo are shaping up to be endurance track specialists – they medalled on track but not on the road in Paris. McDonald and Duggleby will have to hold off two Dutch and two French tandems who took the top four places in Paris.

Among the women TT specialists, China are particularly strong in the C1 category but are absent at this champs, so Katie Toft will have a chance at gold. Fran Brown, who podiumed in the mixed event in Paris, outperforming favourite C2 Schrager, will likely challenge her for it. Schrager will be charging for her own C2 gold in the TT, a favourite event but Paralympic gold went to C2 Maike Hausberger of Germany, and this is Flurina Rigling’s home turf, so she might come out on top.

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UCI Road World Championships 2024 – time trial contenders

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