Hill-climb champ skips title defence

Welshman Dan Evans heading to Taiwan KOM

Dan Evans will not be defending his national hill-climb title at Shelsley Walsh at the end of October as he instead seeks success on the world stage in Asia.

The Welshman, who won the national title in Northumberland last year to add to his 2014 crown, is racing the Taiwan KOM Challenge on October 26, a 105km race that goes from sea level to 3,275m.

Vincenzo Nibali won last year in three hours, 20 minutes, and this year Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-scott) and Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-soudal) are among the Worldtour pros expected to race.

With such esteemed company, having never been higher than 2,800m and being unable to train on anything remotely similar to the course, Evans, 37, is sanguine about his chances of scoring a top result in Taiwan.

“I’m not naive to think I can go there and win, especially when guys like De Gendt are coming off Grand Tours where a four hour-hill effort is a normal day’s work,” he said. “My normal day’s work is sitting behind my desk. I’m British champion at riding 3-15 minute hill-climbs; this is a completely different experience. But if I have a good ride, there’s no reason I can’t put myself in the top 10, or even top five. I’m going to get myself down to 62kg, lighter than I have ever been, and I think my bike will be lighter than everyone else’s.”

Evans, who won Glossop Kinder Velo’s hill-climb on Sunday — his fourth win of the autumn — will be racing more events in the UK in preparation, as well as adding more endurance rides into his training to replicate the longevity of the race.

He doesn’t expect to be able to ride the course before race day, but has watched “loads of videos” and said: “I’ve got a good idea of what to expect.”

The Assos rider added: “It looks like I am really going to have to pace the lower sections. There’s a danger I will go fast early on, but I will have to be steady so that I don’t suffer at the top or when it gets steep.”