This Sunday, cycling fans around the world will be treatedto one of the most highly anticipated races of the season the mens road raceat the 2024 UCI World Championships. Held in Zurich, Switzerland, this year'srace features a brutal route with 274 kilometres of punishing terrain and over4,20...

In the illustrious history of the sport of road cycling, just two riders have ever managed to complete the fabled 'Triple Crown' of Giro d'Italia, Tour de France andWorld Championships road race in the same calendar year. This weekend in Zurich, Tadej Pogacar attempts to join Eddy Merckx and Stephe...

The cycling world is in mourning this Friday, September 27th after the tragic passing of 18-year-old Swiss junior Muriel Furrer, following a crash in the women's junior road race on Thursday afternoon at the 2024World Championships in Zurich."The cycling world loses a great talent," says UCI's spo...

CyclistWouts World: Which other pro riders deserve lifetime contracts?Wout van Aert recently signed a lifetime contract with Visma-Lease a Bike. While top riders like Tadej Pogaar have been given long contract extensions, lifetime deals are rarely seen in any sport and its a big show of faith from the team. Should other teams follow suit and lock down their stars?We look at seven other riders who we think are worthy of lifetime contracts at their current teams.Tadej Pogaar (UAE Team Emirates)A.S.O./Billy CeustersThe most obvious choice given the legendary run he has been on since turning pro in 2019, Tadej Pogaar is all-but locked in at UAE Team Emirates already.He had a little blip in his quest for world domination, getting beaten in back-to-back Tours de France by Jonas Vingegaard, however he got back on track this year and his palmars speaks for itself. Three Tour de France wins, one Giro, six Monuments, countless more other races, and he has only just turned 26. He may complete the 2024 Triple Crown this weekend, he will certainly complete the Grand Tour set at some point, he may well set a new record for Tour de France wins, and you know hell try to win every single Monument. It would be ridiculous for UAE Team Emirates to pass such a deal up.Hell inevitably extend his contract far beyond its current end in 2027 and making it until the end of his career would be an easy choice. Related Posts Womens Milan-San Remo to make long-awaited return in 2025 Who are the favourites for the womens World Championships Road Race 2024? Who are the favourites for the mens World Championships Road Race 2024? Opinion: Tadej Pogaar is the Greatest Of All Time UCI Road World Championships 2024: Routes, how to watch and all you need to know Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)A.S.O./Thomas Maheux28-year-old Lotte Kopecky joined SD Worx-Protime in 2022 and since then has been a monumental force, powering to victories that include Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.Dynamic no matter the terrain, shes an immense weapon for SD Worx and shes now even challenging for stage race GCs. With Demi Vollering set to sign elsewhere next season, SD Worx need to lock Kopecky in (Vollering is also worthy of a lifetime contract, but for which team we dont yet know).SD Worx-Protime are stacked with talent but you simply cannot afford to let her head to pastures new because she will beat you.Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep)Unipublic/Charly LopezSometimes its easy to forget that Remco Evenepoel hasnt been in cycling all that long in comparison to others. He transitioned from football and made his pro debut at the Vuelta a San Juan in 2019. He soon became the youngest winner of a WorldTour race in his very first at the Clsica San Sebastin at just 19 years and 190 days old.With Soudal-QuickStep team he has thrived in stage races and one-day races alike. His first Grand Tour victory came at the Vuelta a Espaa aged 22, where he became the first Belgian rider to win a three-week race in 44 years. He made his Tour debut this year, finishing an impressive third.Evenepoel is a monster talent; the only national or international championships to elude him is the European Road Race, hes won the time-trial and hes won the time-time and road race and Belgian nationals, World Championships and the Olympics. Hes still only 24.A lifetime contract would be suitable for the man whose ceiling is not yet clear. The Soudal-QuickStep team clearly values him, having changed their entire structure from a Classics team to a Grand Tour team to help him. The only issue here would be budgetary, especially considering his value keeps rising.Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike)A.S.O/Alex Berasategi37-year-old Marianne Vos is signed through 2025 with Visma-Lease a Bike. As one of the greatest riders to ever grace the sport, she has sustained such a high level of ability that has resulted in multiple National, European, World and Olympic titles across road, track and cyclocross. Recent victories range from Omloop Het Niewsblad to the overall at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya to the points classification at the Tour de France Femmes show she is not slowing down. Annemiek van Vleuten retired when she was in her forties, and at the rate Vos keeps winning, hopefully she will remain in the sport for many more years to come. Either way, surely Visma wont want to let her go.Biniam Girmay (Intermarch-Wanty)A.S.O./Charly LopezIts not just about the wins, which Biniam Girmay has. Its about what they mean. One look at the score of Eritrean flags at the roadside when he races underlines the importance of such a rider.The 24-year-old has been making history throughout his career. From his first one-day Classic victory to winning the green jersey this year, Girmay has been blazing a trail for Black and African riders every step of the way. You can be sure the next generation is inspired by his achievements.Hes currently signed through 2026 and Intermarch-Wanty feels like a suitable home for Girmay to continue his career. It would be a prosperous deal for both sides, Girmays prevalence helping push them to new heights and the team in turn allowing him to thrive.Lachlan Morton (EF Education-EasyPost)Valentine Chapuis/AFP via Getty Images)Lachlan Morton is just different. The Australian rides for WorldTour team EF Education-EasyPost but hes not a WorldTour rider. Morton has his own calendar and can often be found undertaking extreme challenges to raise money for good causes. Whether its his Alt Tour that took him over the 2021 Tour de France route unsupported for World Bicycle Relief, riding over 1,000km in one trip to raise over $250,000 for Ukrainian refugees, smashing the Tour Divide record for Adventure for All, or his current Around Australia Record attempt to raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. And thats just a few.Hes also competing in Americas premier gravel and mountain bike series the Life Time Grand Prix currently sitting second overall and won the worlds biggest gravel race Unbound Gravel earlier this year.His contract is unique in the freedom and support he receives from the team, and why would they stop? Its a perfect fit. Related Posts Womens Milan-San Remo to make long-awaited return in 2025 Who are the favourites for the womens World Championships Road Race 2024? Who are the favourites for the mens World Championships Road Race 2024? Opinion: Tadej Pogaar is the Greatest Of All Time UCI Road World Championships 2024: Routes, how to watch and all you need to know The post Wouts World: Which other pro riders deserve lifetime contracts? appeared first on Cyclist.

The men's elite road race at the 2024World Championships in Zurich is now just days away. As such, many experts and pundits from across the cycling world are weighing inwith their predictions. In Jens Voigt's opinion, Mathieu van der Poel is the man most likely to take the victory."It's as clear...

On the 28th of September, some of the biggest names in the women's peloton will fight it out for the Rainbow Jersey at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich. Last year, Lotte Kopecky took the win and the first world title of her career.The final startlist for the race includes: Caroline Andersson,...

Darren Rafferty may have looked like he was coming under pressure with over an hour remaining in the U23 mens race at the UCI World Road Championships in Zurich today but the Irish rider never gave up the fight. On a day when all the Irish team were among the finishers, Rafferty led the Irish []The post Darren Rafferty fights hard for Ireland in classic World Champs race | Video appeared first on Sticky Bottle.

As the riders of the under 23 men's road race at the 2024 World Championships were battling it out for the Rainbow Jersey in Zurich on Friday afternoon, the tragic news of the death of18-year-old Swiss junior, Muriel Furrer, following a crash in the women's junior road race on Thursday came through...

In just a couple of days, Mathieu van der Poel is set to try and retain his Rainbow Jersey in the men's elite road race at the 2024World Championships inZrich. According to reports though, the Dutchman's seasonwon't finish there.According to a report by HLN,whether Van der Poel is able to succ...

When Florian Lipowitz switched from to cycing from biathlon, not many were convinced about the reports that the German rider could become one of the up and coming GC talents. But with 7th place at this year's Vuelta, while riding in support of winner Primoz Roglic and many more strong results, there...