The time trials continued Monday at the 2024 UCI Road World Championships in Zürich, Switzerland, with the Junior men racing early in the day. Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale got a peek at its future as Paul Seixas gave France a gold medal. Adam Smith was the top Canadian in 34th.
The Course
The Junior men had a flat course starting in Zürich, heading south on the east side of the Zürichsee, turning around after 12.5 km and returning to the city. Time checks were at kilometres 9.1 and 15.5.
#zurich2024 MJ
🚩 Zurich
🏁 Zurich
🚴🏻♂️ 25 Km ITT
Weather: 🌧 18°C, moderate rain
Route: https://t.co/jWHJeGGTSU pic.twitter.com/SShwYvW5AZ— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) September 23, 2024
The Canadian contingent consisted of 17-year-old Adam Smith and 18-year-old Mikael Guilbault.
Early in the competition Belgian Matisse Van Kerckhove smashed the course, setting best intermediate times 10:12 and 17:31 before crossing the line at 28:15.
Several riders came close to cracking the half hour mark like Van Kerckhove, and finally Spaniard Adrià Pericas slotted into second with 29:17. Frenchman Louis Chaleil was even faster at 28:53. Along came Irishman Conor Murphy with 28:50. Pericas was off the podium. Dane Carl Emil Just Pedersen’s 28:43 shifted Murphy down to bronze.
The podium kept getting refreshed. Seixas passed Guilbault on his way to snagging Van Kerckhove’s top spot with 28:08.
Soon after Murphy was shoved off the podium, another Irishman, Seth Dunwoody, claimed third with 28:32. Aussie William Holmes supplanted Dunwoody. Jasper Schoofs, third at the first intermediate time check and second at Check 2, put a second Belgian on the final podium, replacing Van Kerckhove in the silver spot.
2024 Zurich World Championships, Junior Men’s Time Trial
Gold) Paul Seixas (France) 28:08
Silver) Jasper Schoofs (Belgium) +0:06
Bronze) Matisse Van Kerckhove (Belgium) +0:07
34) Adam Smith (Canada) +2:23
47) Mikael Guilbault (Canada) +3:18
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