Dubai: Alexander Kristoff is not even considering participation at the 2018 UCI Road World Championships to be held at Innsbruck-Tirol in Austria.
Kristoff, who will be competing under the new UAE Team Emirates’ colours this season, was runner-up to Peter Sagan at the 2017 edition held in Bergen, Norway. This year’s race will be held in the western Austrian mountains of Innsbruck-Tirol from September 22-30.
However, Kristoff has no plans to even participate. “The racing would never suit me as I am a sprinter and this year, the course would suit climbers,” Kristoff told Gulf News.
“At the moment, I am fully concentrated on getting myself into shape and see how many of the Classics I can take. I know the level of the sprinters and I believe I have a good chance if everything goes my way. Last year’s second place at the Road World Championships was a good result for me, but I doubt I will even consider participating this year,” he added.
In 2017, Slovakian Sagan became the first man to win three successive world road race championships leaving Kristoff in second place, while Michael Matthews of Australia took the bronze.
The eight days of competition at a UCI Road World Championships sees the world’s best road cyclists competing in the Individual Time Trial, Team Time Trial and Road Race.
