Rigoberto Urán won't be among the top favourites for the elite men's road race the UCI Road World Championships in Bergen, but the Salmon Hill climb that awaits on the main circuit will certainly offer an opportunity to an enterprising climber, and the Colombian squad has those in spades. What's more, Colombia may have the best card to play of all should things come down to a big bunch finish in Fernando Gaviria, and Urán is committed to riding for his compatriot in that scenario.
In short, Colombia has several options for a variety of potential outcomes on Sunday.
"I think we have a good team for the Worlds this year. It's a bit complicated, the route is maybe a bit more for the sprinters but we've got Fernando Gaviria so I'll be in good shape to help him through good or bad," he told Cyclingnews during his visit to Canadian WorldTour races.
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"The Worlds is a pretty unique race. It's just one day and anything can happen. You never know what's going to happen at Worlds. We have a good team, with [Sergio] Henao who is well-suited to the parcours, [Esteban] Chaves, [Miguel Ángel] López, a parcours that's good for them. We expect with the cold, 270 kilometres with rain, it's going to be an elimination race."
Urán himself has shown some punch at the end of major one-days during his career. He says his finishing kick is not something he's quite held onto as he's developed into a GC threat these past few years, but he has made it a goal to recapture some of that speed, at least for the longer, lumpier races he tends to target.
"I've lost a bit of it, but recently we've been working on it and have recovered it," he said. "Races like the Classics, after six hours, you don't have to be so fast, you just have to be strong. It's more about strength so it's different."
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