The 2024 UCI Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Zurich, Switzerland, concluded on Sunday with the highly anticipated Elite Men’s Road Race. Riders faced a challenging 273.9 kilometer course, which included seven laps of the technical Zurich circuit. Team USA was represented by eight riders: Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho; Visma - Lease A Bike), Brandon McNulty (Phoenix, Ariz.; Team UAE), Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif.; EF Education-EasyPost), Riley Sheehan (Boulder, Colo.; Israel – Premier Tech), Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Ineos Grenadiers), Quinn Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Lidl-Trek), Kevin Vermaerke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), and Larry Warbasse (Traverse City, Mich.; Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team).
On the final day of the World Championships, Zurich finally saw clear skies and ideal racing conditions. 154 riders lined up to compete for the rainbow jersey. Early in the race, Poland initiated the first attack, which American rider Sheehan followed. The peloton quickly brought them back. Shortly after, a group of six riders - Silvan Dillier (SUI), Tobias Svendsen Foss (NOR), Rui Filipe Alves Oliveira (POR), Piotr Pekala (POL), Simon Geschke (GER), and Luc Wirtgen (LUX) - formed a breakaway, building a gap of nearly five minutes. With 126 kilometers remaining, 10 riders launched an attack on the climb, which included Vermaerke. The two breakaway groups merged just after the halfway point of the race. Simmons launched an attack on the Witikon climb in an attempt to reach his teammate. Race favorite Tadej Pogacar (SLO) responded, dropping Simmons. Pogacar then rode with teammate Jan Tratnik (SLO) and joined the break.
At 77.6 kilometers to go, Pogacar attacked the break and rode off the front with one other rider. Back at the peloton, Powless put in a big effort to work his way to the front of the race, but Belgium quickly responded. The chase dwindled down to 16 riders with Vermaerke, Simmons, and Jorgenson all still in it.
The climbs continued to challenge riders, leading to the formation of multiple chase groups. With 12 kilometers remaining Tadej Pogacar maintained his lead, with a group of seven riders trailing him by less than a minute. By the time he had reached the finish straight Pogacar was confident he would secure the jersey. He crossed the finish line in first place, nearly 30 seconds ahead of Ben O’Connor (AUS), who claimed second, while Mathieu van der Poel (NED) sprinted in for third. Simmons was the top American finisher in ninth place, followed by McNulty in 17th, Vermaerke in 19th, Jorgenson in 34th, Powless in 39th, Sheffield in 47th, and Warbasse in 70th.
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO)
2. Ben O’Connor (AUS)
3. Mathieu van der Poel (NED)
9. Quinn Simmons (USA)
17. Brandon McNulty (USA)
19. Kevin Vermaerke (USA)
34. Matteo Jorgenson (USA)
39. Neilson Powless (USA)
47. Magnus Sheffield (USA)
70. Larry Warbasse (USA)
DNF - Riley Sheehan (USA)
