'A bit of a sh*tshow': What recon day looks like at the UCI Road World Championships
Two hours, hundreds of riders, one crowded circuit. I did the course recon at Worlds – here's what I saw
Recon day at the UCI Road World Championships in Montréal resembled a chaotic, yet social gathering of the world's top cyclists. Among the participants were stars such as Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, Mathieu van der Poel, Isaac del Toro, Demi Vollering, Kasia Niewiadoma, and Lotte Kopecky, alongside junior and under-23 riders. The event aimed to familiarize the riders with the technical city circuit before the race meetings.
While recon day started as a seemingly leisurely ride, it quickly turned into a high-intensity workout. The riders quickly shifted from casual chatting to forming single-file packs, testing their speed and skill on sharp turns and steep climbs. The unofficial neutral rollout ended abruptly, and the riders were left to navigate the streets littered with potholes and cracks.
Some riders, like Niamh Fisher-Black and Remco Evenepoel, were content with an easy look around, while others were focused on testing specific sections of the course or pushing their limits. The varying skill levels and purposes of the riders created a diverse and unpredictable environment.
Fisher-Black emphasized the unpredictability of the course, stating that every move at the World Championships can be dangerous. The 13.4km (8.3-mile) circuit is known for its technicality and 269 meters of climbing per lap, making it a grueling challenge. The day's activities included bike checks for junior and under-23 riders, as well as headshots for riders who would later appear on television broadcasts.
Written by urgent.news from Cycling Weekly's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
