Jonathan Castroviejo will be one of the top contenders in the time trial at the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016.
After winning the time trial at the first ever European Championships in the elite category in Plumelec, France, the 29-year-old Spaniard will take some rest before aiming to end the season on a high in Qatar.
Castroviego came second in the time trial at La Vuelta a Espa?a just six days earlier, and helped Colombian teammate Nairo Quintana secure the overall victory in the Spanish stage race.
“Taking on such a TT just four days after a Vuelta a Espa?a is really difficult. It all depends on how you have finished things off there, if your team did well and you’ve got morale,” Castroviejo said.
“The Qatar Worlds? Well, we’ve got time before that. For me, the most important thing now is having some more rest, recovering also my head and not only my legs, and enjoying my family, to whom I dedicate this victory.
“My wife and my child really suffered after my hard injury in February, and I can’t thank them enough for remaining close and caring. After that, we will race a couple of races with the team in Italy and we will start thinking about the Worlds after that. When it comes to physical work, we’ve done more than enough before Doha already.”
Castoviejo suffered a broken arm and a broken vertebra when he collided with a spectator while descending after a mountain top finish at the Volta ao Algarve in February. He recovered well and came fourth in the Olympic time trial in Rio de Janeiro. Last year he also came fourth in the time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Richmond.
With Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara retiring in Doha, the Spaniard hopes to grab silverware at last. However, he’ll face a couple of big guns who were absent in Plumelec. Olympic silver and bronze medallists Tom Dumoulin and Christopher Froome will be very tough competitors in Qatar.
The men’s Elite Road Race will be held on the final day of the UCI Road World Championships (October 16), and will finish at the spectacular Pearl-Qatar.
The UCI Road World Championship will be held from October 9-16 in Doha. Bringing together the world’s best male and female road cyclists in the Elite, Under-23 and Junior categories for the time trial and road race, Doha 2016 is the first ever UCI Road World Championships to be held in the Middle East. Twelve UCI world titles will be awarded during the historic event. More details are available at http://www.dohacycling2016.com.