Several Lotto Soudal riders will represent their respective nations at the upcoming World Championships, both in the time trial and in the road races. This evening, Ruben Pols will participate in the U23 time trial. Just like the women elite, women juniors and men juniors, the U23 riders will have to face a particularly flat course of fifteen kilometres per lap. Especially the second part of this course has an undulating character. The U23 men, women elite and men juniors will each complete two laps of the circuit and the junior women will only complete one lap.

For the men’s elite time trial, Jurgen Van Den Broeck of the Lotto Soudal team is part of the Belgian two-man selection. The course is different from the other categories as it is hillier and much longer. Especially the first part of this time trial is very hilly and goes all the way downtown. The longer hills on the long straight roads will lead the riders back to Richmond. After they let the hills behind them, the corners will determine the difficulty of this second part of the time trial. Nearly half the turns of the entire route fall within the closing kilometres. As in the team time trial and road race, the riders will face the Governor Street in the last two kilometres. This hill could be decisive in the fight for the rainbow jersey.

The first road races will take place on Friday. The riders will start in the inner-city of Richmond and will follow the long sloping roads downtown. There they will follow the road along the canal that will take them to the first of three hills on the course. The top of Libby Hill Park is only five kilometres from the finish and this hill is a 200 metres long cobbled climb. The second hill, 23rd Street, is a cobbled climb which is the steepest of the three on the course. In the final kilometre, the riders will face the Governor Street, which also was the final climb in the team time trial and individual time trial. This hill is 300 metres long and at the top, riders face a 680 metres false flat to the finish. It will probably be a clash between the strong classic riders and the power sprinters.

A total of fourteen Lotto Soudal riders will compete in this World Championships. Friday, Fenna Vanhoutte will start in the women junior category. Also in the U23 race there will be a Lotto Soudal rider, Laurens De Plus. The women elite will race on Saturday, including four Lotto Soudal Ladies [Jessie Daams (Belgium), Anisha Vekemans (Belgium), Elena Cecchini (Italy), Sarah Rijkes (Austria)]. Eventually, the elite men will fight for glory on Sunday. Tiesj Benoot (Belgium), Greg Henderson (New-Zealand), Lars Bak (Denmark), Tony Gallopin (France), Vegard Breen (Norway), André Greipel and Marcel Sieberg (Germany) and Pim Ligthart (The Netherlands) are the riders of Lotto Soudal in the national selections.

MONDAY 21/09: Time Trial men U23

ITT men U23

Hour: 11.30 a.m. – 3.50 p.m. / 17.30 – 21.50 hour C.E.T.

Distance: 30 km

Lotto Soudal riders: Ruben Pols

Belgian Selection: Nathan Van Hooydonck, Ruben Pols

WEDNESDAY 23/9: Time Trial elite men

ITT elite men

Hour: 1.00 p.m. – 3.35 p.m. / 19.00 – 21.35 hour C.E.T.

Distance: 53 km

Lotto Soudal riders: Jurgen Van Den Broeck

Belgian Selection: Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Yves Lampaert

FRIDAY 25/09: Road Race Women Junior + Road Race Men U23

RR women junior

Hour: 10.00 a.m. – 11.50 a.m. / 16.00 – 17.50 hour C.E.T.

Distance: 64.9 km

Lotto Soudal riders: Fenna Vanhoutte

Belgian Selection: Nathalie Bex, Lenny Druyts, Eva Maria Palm, Fenna Vanhoutte

RR men U23

Hour: 12.45 p.m. – 4.50 p.m. / 18.45 – 22.50 hour C.E.T.

Distance: 162.2 km

Lotto Soudal riders: Laurens De Plus

Belgian Selection: Laurens De Plus, Maxime Farazijn, Benjamin Declercq, Daan Myngheer, Nathan Van Hooydonck

SATURDAY 26/09: Road Race women elite

RR women elite

Hour: 1.00 p.m. – 4.25 p.m. / 19.00 – 22.25 hour C.E.T.

Distance: 129.8 km

Lotto Soudal riders: Jessie Daams (Belgium), Anisha Vekemans (Belgium), Elena Cecchini (Italy), Sarah Rijkes (Austria)

Belgian Selection: Jessie Daams, Sofie De Vuyst, Jolien D’hoore, Annelies Dom, Kaat Hannes, Anisha Vekemans

SUNDAY 27/09: Road Race Men elite

RR men elite

Hour: 9.00 a.m. – 3.40 p.m. / 15.00 – 21.40 hour C.E.T.

Distance: 261.4 km

Lotto Soudal riders: Tiesj Benoot (Belgium), Greg Henderson (New-Zealand), Lars Bak (Denmark), Tony Gallopin (France), Vegard Breen (Norway), Andre Greipel and Marcel Sieberg (Germany), Pim Ligthart (The Netherlands)

Belgian Selection: Tiesj Benoot, Tom Boonen, Philippe Gilbert, Iljo Keisse, Jens Keukeleire,  Nikolas Maes, Greg Van Avermaet, Stijn Vandenbergh, Sep Vanmarcke