Having been postponed from its original slot in May, the Yeongdo World Cup will take place this weekend.
Fresh of a personal best WTCS performance in Sunderland, where he finished 11th, Valentin Wernz may be the man to beat. Prior to that, Wernz had set a personal best WTCS finish in Cagliari through his 13th place.
Wernz has had a slightly inconsistent year to date as finishes of 40th at WTCS Abu Dhabi and 42nd at WTCS Montreal will attest. On his day, though, he will be a match for anyone in the field. Last year he was the European champion over the Super Sprint distance, indicating that he will have the finishing burst to win a sprint finish in Yeongdo. As a balanced athlete across the board, it is hard to see him lagging behind at any stage of the race.
His compatriots, Eric Diener and Chris Ziehmer, could be in the mix. However, Wernz’s primary opposition will come from a strong Japanese team.
Like Wernz, Ren Sato will be racing on the back of a personal best WTCS result in Sunderland. He finished 22nd. On the note of the WTCS, Takumi Hojo has enjoyed a solid year at the top level of the sport.
He has focused exclusively on WTCS racing in 2023 and has been rewarded with finishes of 19th in Yokohama and 24th in Montreal. As the highest ranked man in the field, Hojo will also be wearing number 1.
Perhaps the biggest threat to Wernz, though, will be Jumpei Furuya.
On balance, Furuya is probably the best cyclist in the field. In the WTCS last year, he proved his power with a breakaway in Cagliari and several massive turns at the Final in Abu Dhabi. This season, he has confirmed his form with several impressive displays at the Asia Cup level.
At the Asia Cup in Taizhou, he rode away from the field in a two man breakaway to storm to victory. Shortly after, he followed it up with a win at the Asia Cup in Osaka and a bronze medal at the Asia Cup in Lianyungang. On either side of those results, he finished 28th in Yokohama and 25th in Montreal.
Aoba Yasumatsu likewise will arrive in Yeongdo on the back of Asia Cup successes and will be a danger on the run.
The man that beat Furuya in Lianyungang, Oscar Dart, will lead the Australian squad. Dart also won a silver medal at the Oceania Championships in Port Douglas. Although his recent performances on the world level have not quite matched his continental results, Dart is a young athlete and can be expected to make the step up in the near future.
An 8th place at the Miyazaki World Cup remains his only result in the top-40 from World Cup racing. Having proven he can break into the top-10, though, he will likely get back to such highs sooner rather than later.
Callum McClusky will be another Australian to watch. After a successful Oceanian summer that included a win at the Oceania Cup in Wanaka and an 8th place at the New Plymouth World Cup, McClusky has made the step up to become a regular face in the WTCS.
With speed to burn on the run, he could push for a medal if he arrives in T2 with the front pack.
Ramón Armando Matute will be racing on the back of Americas Cup wins in Lima and Salinas. Like McClusky, Matute is a rapid runner and could be in the mix for a medal. To do so, he will need to nail his swim and bike which has not always fired for him at World Cups.
Aiden Longcroft-Harris and Martin Sobey also won Americas Cup races earlier in year. Perhaps the best bet for a medal from the Canadian team, though, will be Liam Donnelly.
Donnelly won consecutive bronze medals at the Americas Cup races in Montreal and Long Beach in July. Prior to that, he also won the Americas Cup in Pucón. As with several other contenders, Donnelly’s strength lies in the run.
With so many athletes capable of ripping a fast 5km, pushing the pace in the swim and bike might be an ideal strategy for some. On his WTCS debut, Max Stapley did just that in Sunderland and could try to force a breakaway in Yeongdo. If he could get away with the likes of Furuya and Wernz, he might be able to vault ahead of some of the more run-oriented contenders.
TriStats Predictions
- Valentin Wernz
- Jumpei Furuya
- Aoba Yasumatsu
- Oscar Dart
- Ramón Armando Matute
