The conditions when Astana were training for the TTT in Doha show the World Championships are in the lap of the Gods.
The lunacy of selecting Doha to host the World Road Championships is beginning to become clear, with a clip posted by Astana online today showing just how high the temperatures are there.
According to Astana, it reached a whopping 42°C as the WorldTour outfit’s riders trained in formation for the team time trial.
The team tests involve trade teams rather than national selections and get the Worlds underway this weekend.
But with the UCI having already said it will reduce the length of the road races should the temperatures prove extreme, the fact it is so hot there now puts the championships in the lap of the Gods.
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The world governing body has said it will monitor the temperature in Qatar and if it were climb to extreme levels it would implement extreme weather protocols.
That would mean the men’s race would be reduced from the planned 257.5km to just 106.6km.
The choice of Doha has already been questioned by many in the cycling community, with little if any history of cycling there, the heat, high winds and desert terrain all make it a very unlikely venue for the world road titles to be decided.
And with the heat pretty extreme there at present, let’s hope it doesn’t ruin what is normally a fantastic week of road racing and TTs.
Astana training for team TT
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