Sunday 6 August, about a month and a half ahead of the last editions, the world championship on the road for professionals takes place. In an attempt to win the rainbow jersey, the riders will start from Edinburgh to arrive in Glasgow after 272.4km. The route is not difficult, despite the 3,500 meters of difference in altitude, and has already been largely tackled at the 2018 European Championships when Matteo Trentin won.

After the first 120 km with the Bonnybridge and Crow Road climbs, both under 6 km with moderate gradients, you will enter the Glasgow street circuit: a 14.3 km ring to be covered ten times with many curves and some not irresistible stretches such as, for example, the 250 yards at 10 percent Montrose Street. Obviously the weather conditions will be decisive: if it rains it will be a tough race.

BELGIUM AT THE TOP – Three captains and many other excellent-profile stars for the favorite national team on the eve: lucky them that they will have the defending champion, Remco Evenepoel, Wout Van Aert looking for redemption and, if they finish in the sprint, Jasper Philipsen . Working for them will be Benoot, Van Hooydonck, Stuyven and Lampaert, just to name a few worthy names. The question is always the same: will they be able to coexist?

NETHERLANDS AND DENMARK IN THE FRONT ROW – Mathieu Van der Poel : just saying the name is enough to frighten the Belgians: the Dutch talent arrives at the World Championship eager for redemption after last year's sensational absence and already quite satisfied after the victories at Sanremo and Roubaix . His condition is uncertain but there is no shortage of the option for the sprint, that Olav Kooij increasingly at ease among sprinters and awaited by a definitive leap in quality. Let's not forget Dylan Van Baarle , capable of actions from afar, even alone.

Denmark has a captain who is Mads Pedersen (already world in 2019), and two pawns not to be underestimated such as Kasper Asgreen and Magnus Cort as well as Mattias Skjelmose. The Danish school is ready to amaze.

POGACAR QUESTION POINT – We close this first part with Tadej Pogacar : he shouldn't have been at the start, but the call of the national jersey convinced him to be present, albeit tired from the efforts of the Tour de France. The route doesn't suit him, so he could work for a faster teammate, that Luka Mezgec who is several times a follower at Michael Matthews' Jayco.

Watch the latest live with guest director of the Bora, Enrico Gasparotto :

ROUTE and FAVORITES UCI MEN ELITE World Championships Glasgow 2023 - YouTube

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