Debuts, Del Toro and Determination - 3 Highlights from the World Champs
The biggest global moments from the 2024 Road World Championships in Zurich
The women’s and men’s elite road race victories could hardly have been more different. One was a tactical, yo-yoing affair, where the eventual winner looked down and out before roaring back to a sensational victory in a reduced sprint. The other was a masterclass that we have seen time and again this year from one of the greatest riders ever. Kopecky and Pogačar, two worthy world champions.
The UCI Road World Championships are about more than that, though. It’s the event of the year that carries with it more stories than any other. Here are three of my highlights from Zurich 2024.
First Timers
As I’ve mentioned a few times, Zurich 2024 is the most diverse World Championships of all time. Several nations made their debuts at the Championships, including the West African nation of Benin.
Benin is investing heavily in cycling at the moment. Five years ago, the nation was way down the UCI Nations rankings, with little sign of development. Two years ago, Benin’s Federation FEBECY teamed up with Team Africa Rising and appointed Rwandan former WorldTour rider Adrien Niyonshuti as their national coach.
This summer, they took several riders to train and race in the Vendée region of France, developing their skills, building experience and preparing for the Worlds in Zurich.
Read more: Interview with Adrien Niyonshuti
Benin placed three riders in the championships; Hermionne Ahouissou, Exodus Saizonou and Georgette Vignonfodo.
Ahouissou, the winner of this year’s Tour de Lunsar, competed in both the time-trial and road race in the women’s elite category. Saizonou raced both disciplines in the men’s juniors.
Vignonfodo was dropped early in the women’s junior race, but gritted her teeth in tough conditions - especially for many Africans - and finished in 110th place, 28:34 down on winner Cat Ferguson. She was the only rider from Benin to finish a road race at the Championships and was one of only two Africans to finish the women’s junior event.
Here’s what she had to say after the race:
I am Georgette, a 17 year old female rider from Benin. This was my first time racing at the World Championships and it was very hard indeed. I tried my best and am very happy to finish the race. I always want to improve myself and hope to do even better at the World Championships in Rwanda next year.
Del Toro impresses for Mexico
It was great to see Mexican sensation Isaac del Toro racing in the under-23s. In my opinion, it will be a shame to see this category reduced somewhat with the new UCI ruling that professional riders will be excluded next season.
He’s had an incredible first WorldTour season, and wanted to round it off with a rainbow jersey, but it didn’t quite pay off for him. The road race was full of action and the UAE Team Emirates rider looked good during the early attacks, even whittling the group down himself on a couple of occasions on the short, steep kickers. He ran out of gas at the end as winner Niklas Behrens made the winning move off the front with Martin Svrcek. Del Toro is a sensational talent, but perhaps the fatigue of having a debut Grand Tour in his legs, alongside minimal team support, did for him. He eventually finished in sixth place.
Del Toro also looked good in the time-trial earlier in the week, placing 12th on a course that didn’t really play to his strengths. He was in the hotseat early on and there was a lovely moment caught by the cameras as Uganda’s Paul Lomuria departed from his place in the leader’s enclosure. Lomuria got up to leave and waved his goodbyes, Del Toro stopped, asked him his name and shook his hand. It was classy.
Kuskova’s emotional week
It’s been a highly-charged period of time for 22-year-old Uzbek Yanina Kuskova. First she raced her first Olympic Games at the beginning of August, followed by completing the Tour de France Femmes as the final representative of Tashkent City and then the Zurich debacle, as the Uzbek Federation refused to support her participation at the Worlds. All of this in the context of her team closing and questions around her future in the sport.
Kuskova doggedly made her way to the Worlds in Zurich, determined to show her talent on the world stage, with the chance of securing a future in the sport. Her career was on the line in the women’s elite road race. Racing on her training bike after the federation refused to release her race equipment, Kuskova finished the race in 66th place in a group with the likes of Alison Jackson, Eri Yonamine and Ana Vitoria Magalhães.
Who knows what will happen next in Kuskova’s story. Rumours are circulating about possible team interest for next season. Look out for a paid subscriber post later this week where I’ll share the latest information I have.
What were your highlights from the 2024 World Championships in Zurich?
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Unfortunate the coverage and press overlooked global diversity and focussed only on one person..
A highlight for me was seeing the Hashimi sisters compete so well. An incredible achievement.