WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

 

What should we make of the first edition of the UCI’s marathon Super World’s in Scotland held over 10 days earlier this month?

~Tadej Pogacar on his way to the bronze medal in the
2023 Elite Men's World Road Race Championship in Glasgow.

This new format is to be held every four years, like the Olympics.

Over 200 rainbow jerseys were awarded – that iconic and most beautiful of them all worn by the king or queen of a particular discipline. In Scotland titles were decided on the road, track and in the para events, cross country, plus artistic cycling and cycle ball and I can't recall how many other events!  Only  cyclo-cross and gravel road were not represented.

My interest has always centred on endurance and sprint events, the rest don't hold my interest.

Each to their own.

You might imagine that combining so many events was a recipe for chaos yet it appears to have been very well organised and  entertaining. 

Certainly there was controversy, particularly concerning the extensive road closures leading to imprisoned residents complaining they were unable to leave their own homes on their own wheels.

But did this super cycling show cram in too many events? At the time it seemed there was too much going on at once. Barely had one event finished before TV viewers were whisked away to the next - be it track, mtb, time trial, plus artistic cycling! Something for everyone. Not me, though. That last one's for the circus.

There was hardly any time to savour the outcome of some events. TV missed showing the podium presentations for the Elite men's road race because it finished so late thanks to the climate change activists holding up the race earlier.  

For me, I have always rated the elite road races for men and women as the toughest of the championships, because of their sheer length and the pain that must be endured to be in with a chance.

They have always climaxed the World's road race series, being held  over  consecutive days at the end of the program. But in Scotland they were split up, the Elite men kicking off the proceedings on the first weekend, with the women's title race held a week later. 

Clearly, this suited the complex logistics of putting on so many disciplines.

I understand that there was such a crowded track program  medal ceremonies were held in back rooms unseen by the audience – so tight was the schedule.  Shame, for this robbed the riders of their moment of crowning glory and also the crowd of the big occasion. 

The greatest controversy and excitement was probably over the course for the new look Elite Men’s road race which started from Edinburgh and finished in Glasgow.  Some way down the course that morning we watched the race being held up  for nearly an hour by "stop oil" climate change campaigners. But the big story was to come.  When the race finally hit Glasgow after 120 kilometres,  it was transformed into a 10-lap "criterium"  which many  riders said was too technical. 

This sent the field orbiting the city on a dizzying tight circuit which included as many as 48 “turns” per lap. It was bit like long track speed skating switching to short track for the finish!  Required two entirely different skill sets.

It was unlike any previous World’s road race, where the endurance needed to go the extra distance intended to kill all but the best, now also demanded skills of a crit  or ‘cross rider  with the ability to accelerate again and again as they rushed into and out of the many  corners one after the other.

And of course, two of the best in the world at ‘cross were right in the thick of it Matthieu van der Poel and  Wout van Aert, together with Tour de France marvel Tadej Pogacar.

And they turned it into the probably the most thrilling title race we have ever seen.

Whether it was right or wrong to turn it into a criterium, many of the riders who were at first critical approved of it after riding it. It made a dramatic and exciting change.

And it was pointed out to me, rather pointedly,   that the three best men in the world dominated it anyway, as they most certainly would also have done on a conventional course.  

Van der Poel stunned us with his lone break to take his first road rainbow jersey risking everything with an effort that put him on the ground on one corner. He was back up in a second, hurt it was later revealed, but with adrenalin coursing through his veins nothing could stop him from finishing the job.

That other stunning piece of work, Van Aert took the silver while Pogacar took bronze. All three of them have delighted us with their brutal attacking riding in the classics and the Tours. And there they were, all together,  doing the business in Scotland, tearing each other up, and distancing the rest. 

These three  are worlds apart, as they demonstrated in Glasgow. Perhaps they are from another planet. 

You can read a full review of the ups and downs of the 2023  super world’s on Cyclingnews.com.