Road Race women Ponferrada 2014(Image credit: Organization Ponferrada 2014)
Road Race men Ponferrada 2014(Image credit: Organization Ponferrada 2014)
Time Trial men Ponferrada 2014(Image credit: Organization Ponferrada 2014)
Time Trial women Ponferrada 2014(Image credit: Organization Ponferrada 2014)
Team Time Trial women Ponferrada 2014(Image credit: Organization Ponferrada 2014)
Team Time Trial men Ponferrada 2014(Image credit: Organization Ponferrada 2014)
The organization of the UCI Road World Championships in 2014 in Ponferrada, Spain has launched its new website and revealed the routes of all twelve events. The championships in the northwestern region of Castilia and Léon starts on the 21st of September with the team time trial for both men and women.
The 36.15 kilometre long TTT course for the elite women features only one climb with a maximum gradient of 10%. The men's elite race is 57,10 kilometre long and includes two short climbs. The majority of the course is flat.
The same goes for the individual time trials for junior women, junior men, U23 men, elite women and elite men. The initial idea to have an uphill time trial was discarded. It would have required two finish sections which would not be possible from a logistical point of view.
For the reigning elite women's time trial champion, Ellen van Dijk, that news came as a relief. The new course which is 29.5 kilometres in length and has a short climb with a maximum gradient of 7% in the final five kilometers.
"It's a very tough course," Van Dijk said to Cyclingnews. "It is not especially suited for me next year but it's much better than the original idea to do an uphill time trial. I will see how far I can get on this course to defend my title, but riders like Evelyn Stevens, Linda Villumsen, Marianne Vos, Emma Pooley and Trixi Worrack will be strong too."
Tony Martin will defend his time trial crown on the 24th of September in a 47.1 kilometre long stretch with 458m of elevation gain over two climbs in the second half of the race.
The women's road race is made up of seven laps of 18.2 kilometres. The race is 127.4 kilometres long with a total of over 2,100m of climbing. The men's race is exactly twice as long with 14 laps of 18.2 kilometres. Over the course of 254,8 kilometres the riders will face 28 climbs with a maximum gradient of 11%.
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Schedule for 2014 UCI Road World Championships:
Sunday, September 21 Elite women – Team time trial Elite men – Team time trial
Monday, September 22 Junior men – Individual time trial Under-23 men – Individual
Tuesday, September 23 Junior women – Individual time trial Elite women – Individual time trial
Wednesday, September 24 Elite men – Individual time trial
Friday, September 26 Junior women – road race Under-23 men – road race
Saturday, September 27 Junior men – road race Elite women – road race
