Way back in 2002, when cycling legend Eddy Merckx came to Doha to launch the groundbreaking Tour of Qatar, John Lelangue was one of the main people in his core team.
Son of Belgian great Robert, Lelangue made his name in cycling team management. His managerial and organisational skills will once again shine through when the curtains rise for the Middle East’s first-ever UCI Road World Championships, which will be held in Qatar’s capital between October 9 and 16, 2016.
In the first part of a wide-ranging interview, Lelangue, who is Sport Technical Director of the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016, spoke about the competition’s circuit, its complexities and what to look forward to. Excerpts:
Will the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016 be similar to any of the ones preceding it?
No, I do not think so. It will be a unique competition because one, it is over a flat course and two, it is a Championship for sprinters. We are not changing Qatar for the Road World Championships. On the contrary, we’re adapting the event to suit the country’s terrain.
After 15 years of the Tour of Qatar, I can confidently say that none of its stages are predictable or boring. Qatar’s winds and technical difficulties make each stage unique.
The UCI tries to maintain a balance about the kind of courses available at each World Championships — for climbers, classic riders, specialists and sprinters. It usually happens in a cycle.
The last World Championships that favoured sprinters happened in 2011, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Before that, it was way back in 1969, in Zolder, Belgium.
This is a great opportunity for sprinters to finally try and win the rainbow jersey for a whole year. They may not get another chance soon.
If you remember, there was a lot of interest from male, female, junior and U23 sprinters to compete in every category at the Rio Olympics. For many, it was the last major competition before the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Doha. So they are prepared and in great form. You can expect fireworks.
Is there a chance for crosswinds in Qatar? Are we going to see echelon formations?
There is always a chance for crosswinds in Qatar. However, we can’t say much about wind conditions on race days. Since 2002, wind patterns have varied widely during each stage of the Tour of Qatar.
Even with no crosswinds, the circuit race will be quite interesting as the course is technical and little bit curvy. Things will become edgy when riders attempt breakaways.
With or without winds, I can assure you this will be an interesting World Championship.
As to echelons, it’s not something that is a given. If it happens, that is good. But for me, what’s more important is that Qatar organises the best ever UCI Road World Championships. If we can have a week of racing without many complaints, I would prefer that to anything else.
How challenging is The Pearl-Qatar circuit? Will wind once again be a deciding factor here?
The wind will be a factor depending on the direction it blows. But what’s more important is that The Pearl-Qatar course is very technical. It’s never in one straight line. That means it’s more difficult to control the race.
We wanted a technical circuit with lots and lots of curves.
So if there’s a breakaway, positioning in the peloton becomes really important. You always need to be in a good position where anything can happen. You have to re-launch yourself and regain speed after each roundabout or curve. You have to vary your speed and it is going to be intense. I think it will be interesting to see how the cyclists cope.
So raw power alone will not win you the race in Qatar?
You simply have to be the best on that day. It may not necessarily be a sprinter winning all the time, because what happens in the first part of the race is also quite important.
The UCI Road World Championships are always far different from other races throughout the year. Firstly, these are national teams and secondly, each team fields different number of riders — three, six, or maybe just one. So it is very difficult to keep things under your tight control. In the end, you just have to be the best and smartest of the lot.
Do you expect to see a lot of bunch sprints during races in Doha?
While we may not see total bunch sprints, smaller group sprints are very likely. Generally, it will be difficult to have a breakaway group of two or three riders or a rider finishing alone. But then again, you never know. These are going to be incredibly exciting races.
How do you plan for the technical and operational requirements of such a big event?
Cycling is one of the most complex competitions to organise because our field of play is not inside a stadium, but on public roads. We put closures in place and make the roads exclusive for cyclists. This is for the riders’ as well as public’s safety.
Are you allowed to walk across a football field when a game is in progress? The same rule applies to cycling as well. You cannot inject cars into an area where cyclists are racing.
But I am not too concerned about the race’s security. Officials from Qatar traffic police and Lekhwiya are very experienced in making such arrangements during Tour of Qatar races. They have been working with us for the past four months. They are fully up to the challenge.
