Tadej Pogačar and Magdeleine Vallieres. Two totally different riders, at two totally different levels, in two totally different races. But on Sunday night, they are not totally different, as they are both the new elite road race world champions, and their successes have more in common than you might think.
On Saturday, Canada’s Vallieres came from almost nowhere to surprise the peloton – and the world – with her victory from a late breakaway, truly an outsider underdog turned world champion.
On Sunday, Slovenia’s Pogačar started as the defending champion, the overwhelming favourite for the men’s road race, and considered by most as the best in the world. And he duly delivered, attacking exactly where everyone knew he would, and soloing 66km to the world title many already considered his.
Totally different stories, right? Well, of course, yes, but also no, if we think about what these two races taught us about how the World Championships are won. In both races, it became clear that tactics, strategy and game-play – things that might net you wins in other races, in other parts of the season – go out the window in the World Championships.
This event is designed to crown the best rider in the world – not the most tactically astute, or the most race intelligent, just the best. And that’s what happened this weekend. It wasn’t the cleverest riders who won; it was the two who just went for it, who believed in themselves, and relied on their pure strength to deliver them to their line. In fact, their rivals’ attempts to try and outsmart each other to win probably even played into the hands of our new champions.
Towards the end of the race, several attacks, including the one Vallieres was in, went away, whilst the pre-race favourites like Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney all sat back. This wouldn’t usually be an issue, as most top contenders had a teammate up the road, but suddenly the leaders’ advantage ballooned out, whilst the favourites continued to just watch each other.
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