Cycling: Tomorrow is the men's road race at the World Cycling Championships in Bergen. Who will be Peter Sagan's successor? Or can the world champion maybe even defend his jersey and set a new record with it?
267,5 kilometers will decide the new world champion
After 39,5 kilometers of hilly terrain, the men's elite will complete a 17,9-kilometer intermediate section and then turn onto the final run course. This must then be completed eleven times. The circuit includes Salmon Hill, which is 1,5 kilometers long and has an average gradient of 6,4 percent, which is why the experts ruled out a pure mass sprint. It is not for nothing that the top sprinters, such as the Germans André Greipel and Marcel Kittel, have canceled. An exciting elimination race with an uncertain outcome is expected. Another question mark is the defending champion himself. How fit is Peter Sagan? The Slovak complains of a cold that he has had to carry around with him for several days. He doesn't see himself in top form, which puts the focus on his challengers. Who can become the new world champion in Bergen in 2017?
Our tip: Michael Matthews crowns his strong year with the world title
Many experts give many opinions. The street race is very open in 2017. As expected, the pure sprinters will not be at the start. Chances for the breakaways? Quite possible, but the teams of hill-proof sprinters will have something against it. In addition to Peter Sagan - who hardly has any helpers at his side - Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium) and Michael Matthews (Australia) are the big favorites. But the street race will be decided by tactics. Because: If there are not enough people for the follow-up work, the escapees have the best chance of finding the title among themselves. The Belgians will certainly call every attack to keep all doors open. If the Australians also send people into the group, the pace in the main draw could quickly drop. The Germans, the Swiss and the Austrians can only succeed if they flee. But our tip is Michael Matthews. The strong Australian can rely on the help of his compatriots. If they can keep the peloton together, he's one of the top favorites in the sprint. If Peter Sagan is actually not in top shape, Matthews automatically has good cards.
