Though the U23s had only four races, one man, the German Philipp Walsleben dominated throughout the season.
He managed to win all four races and the only rider who seemed to be able to match his strength and prowess was French Aurelien Duval who finished 2nd all races, except for Pijnacker, where he finished 9th.
Duval had been expected to be the main challenger before the Worlds, but he finished at a disappointing 11th place, whilst Walsleben won the race and the World Champion title withouth any interference from the rest of the riders.
As both will remain in the U23 age group, it’s quite likely that we’ll see memorable races this year as well.
Philipp Walsleben and Aurelien Duval – Images by Balint Hamvas
