There’s been a lot of discussion about the under-23 category of late—but the bigger question is, what exactly is the under-23 champion the champion of?
The under-23 category in cycling was introduced to bridge the gap between junior and elite racing, offering young riders a dedicated space to develop before transitioning to the professional ranks. First established in 1996 by the UCI, the category provides riders aged 19 to 22 the opportunity to compete in races tailored to their experience and abilities, including the prestigious UCI road world championships for under-23 riders. This initiative has helped nurture numerous talents who have gone on to dominate the elite circuit, offering a stepping stone for future stars to refine their skills and gain international exposure.
The history behind the addition of under-23
Prior to 1996, cycling had two categories at the elite level: amateur and professional. Amateur had no age restrictions—you could be 30, racing without a professional contract, and be world champion.
Lines are further being blurred after Friday’s under-23 worlds, as several WorldTour riders raced. Team UAE Emirates’ Isaac del Toro, who won a stage of the Tour Down Under, finished sixth in the Under-23 race, for example. His teammate Jan Christen finished fourth. The winner, Niklas Behrens, rides for Lidl – Trek—granted, the Continental squad. However, the runner-up was Martin Svrček from Soudal Quick-Step. Third place went to Alec Segaert of ProTeam Lotto Dstny.
The question is: what exactly is the under-23 champion the champion of if other riders of the same age are racing in the elite race? There is only one junior category—so when Lorenzo Finn or Cat Ferguson won, they were the best under-19 riders in the world. There’s simply no question they are the best of their ages. With the men, at least, there needs to be more discussion about the under-23. With women, there’s definitely more argument for its existence, as will be noted later in this article.
Younger riders riding faster, earlier
When the category was created, you’d rarely see a rider like Remco Evenepoel winning stages of Grand Tours, or even racing them. Sure, there were riders like Greg LeMond or Lance Armstrong who had big wins at young ages, but the philosophy was usually to ease riders into the bigger pro races.
A rider would either turn pro and start with smaller races or race in division 3 or 2 (now Continental and ProTeam) before racing in division 1—WorldTour.
The argument for the under-23 worlds
Kevin Field, who runs a continental team, Team Ecoflo Chronos, which has under-23 riders, still believes in the value of the category.
“We are seeing a trend toward younger riders moving to WorldTour (WT) and a bit of a frenzy to recruit at the junior level. Nonetheless, juniors moving directly to WT is still the exception, not the norm. While the average age of a WT neo-pro has come down by a full year, the opposite is true of riders recruited to ProTeams (formerly Pro Continental or second-division pro teams), where the neo-pro age has increased. This indicates that under-23 is still a valuable development category, and the majority of talented athletes still need those four years to develop,” Field said.
Either way, in 2025, the UCI has confirmed that WorldTour riders won’t be allowed to race in the under-23 worlds, which makes sense for several reasons. They definitely have an unfair advantage over Conti riders who are racing during the year at a lower level. Practically speaking, there’s also the issue that a WT rider wouldn’t be able to wear the under-23 rainbow jersey in any WT race.
Field thinks the decision coming out of the recent UCI congress will help clean up under-23. “Perhaps in 4-6 years, it may end up that the category truly isn’t needed; however, for now, I think it’s still a really valuable category,” he said. “We also need to think about women, where it hasn’t been a category, and it is really needed there.”
Field said the exact ruling on under-23 riders who ride for a WorldTour team being unable to compete at the worlds seems to apply only to men, which he thinks is better given the continued progress and growth for women’s racing at the pro and elite levels.
The post What exactly is the under-23 champion the champion of? appeared first on Canadian Cycling Magazine.
