The UCI Road World Championships rarely pass by without some sort of selection drama and this year things have been kicked off early by Denmark, with Magnus Cort making some striking statements in response to his omission from the squad.
Cort, a multiple Grand Tour stage winner, will retire at the end of 2026 at the age of 33, and he had marked out the Worlds road race in Montréal on September as a final farewell.
However, he has been informed by the Danish national selector, the former lead-out man Michael Mørkøv, that he will not be taking part.
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"I understand that I'm up against some good riders, but I'm disappointed not to be there," Cort told the Danish broadcaster TV2.
Cort's comments, however, came with the remarkable escalation of questioning another rider's place on the squad – that of EF Education-EasyPost rider Mikkel Honoré, who hasn't raced since June.
"To be honest, Honoré hasn't been racing for long, so it's a bit funny that he's there," said Cort, who rode with Honoré at EF in 2023.
Cort did acknowledge that it was "not certain that I would have been the next man" had Honoré been overlooked, but he still suggested the selectors are making a 'mistake'.
"I've been there many times, and it would have been great to be able to end my career at the World Championships, but I have to try to prove that it was a mistake not to go with me," he added.
The response from Mørkøv and the Danish Cycling Union
The comments have caused quite a stir in Denmark, and have drawn public responses from various officials at the national cycling federation, as well as commentary from pundits.
The cycling website Feltet contacted Mørkøv, who defended his decision to select Honoré, who rode a packed Spring Classics campaign but hasn't raced since breaking a number of bones at the Heistse Pijl in early June.
"Mikkel is very optimistic, and I am confident based on what he tells me," Mørkøv said to Feltet.
"And compared to the previous great performances he has delivered, I definitely think he is qualified to be on such a World Championship team."
Separately, the elite manager of the Danish Cycling Union, Morten Bennekou, responded to Cort's comments.
"I would like to say that of course you will not be selected [only] because it is your last World Championship," he told TV2.
"We cannot know that, so we have tried to field the strongest riders we could. Magnus is one of those who was in the running, but one of those who unfortunately has not been selected."
Denmark will be led at the World Championships by Mads Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose, with a strong squad that includes Michael Valgren, Mikkel Bjerg, Kasper Asgreen, Søren Kragh Andersen, Andreas Kron, and, of course, Honoré.
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