U19
Julius Birkedal: Building up to his first World Championships
Julius Birkedal is competing in his very first World Championships in Montréal. The young Dane from grenke – Auto Eder is taking part in the junior individual time trial and road race. A portrait.
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By the time Julius Birkedal arrives in Montréal, he has already spent several days travelling. The journey to his first World Championships did not take him straight to Canada, but first to the USA. Together with his team-mate Enzo Hincapie, he flew across the Atlantic in advance to acclimatise to the time difference and prepare specifically for the championships. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision: “Enzo and I are really good friends. We’d been talking about it for a while and, ahead of the World Championships, it just fell into place,” says Birkedal.
I have no doubt that I’ve done everything I could to be ready for Canada.
Birkedal’s final fitness test ahead of the World Championships showed that the plan had paid off: together with Hincapie, he competed in the Green Mountain Stage Race in the US state of Vermont – one of the most important stage races on North American soil. It was a success: Birkedal won two stages and finished fifth overall. “I feel really good,” confirms the Dane. “I have no doubt that I’ve done everything I can to be ready for Canada.”
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Competing for Denmark at the World Championships
Montréal is hosting the Road World Championships from 20 to 27 September, marking the second time the city has hosted the event, 52 years after 1974. For Birkedal, the programme begins on Tuesday 22 September with the junior individual time trial over 20.3 kilometres. Two days later comes the road race: 134 kilometres, spread over ten laps of the 13.4-kilometre circuit around Mount Royal. Each lap features a total of 269 metres of climbing, including sections on the Voie Camillien-Houde (2.3 kilometres with an average gradient of 6.2 per cent) and the Chemin de la Polytechnique, with gradients exceeding 11 per cent.
For Birkedal, this is his first World Championships ever.
© Maximilian Fries
For Birkedal, the World Championships mark a special milestone. “It means a lot to me to represent Denmark,” he says. “It’s my first time ever competing in a World Championship, and straight away on another continent – that’s a really big deal for me. It’s really lovely to be here with the national team.”
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Winner of the 2025 Tour of Flanders
Birkedal’s World Championships debut is long overdue. After all, he first made a name for himself back in 2025: as a 16-year-old, he won the U19 edition of the Tour of Flanders with a solo breakaway. He also picked up a bronze medal at the European Time Trial Championships last autumn. Now, in his second and final year as a junior, the 17-year-old is set to make his first appearance on the World Championships stage.
I think I’ve got a really good chance of finishing in the top three.
His priorities are clear. “The time trial is my main goal,” says Birkedal. “I think I have a really good chance of finishing in the top three.” He has tailored his preparation accordingly – including plenty of training on the time trial bike and specific time trial training sessions.
Ronde van Vlaanderen 2025: Birkedal wins solo
© Flavio Moretti Photography
In Thursday’s road race, Birkedal faces a very different challenge. “I’m expecting it to be really tough,” he says. “We’ll be riding the same course as the men – though only the local laps. It’s constantly up and down. It’s going to be a really tough race.” He sets out his expectations accordingly: “If I can play a part in the final, I’d be very happy. But my main goal remains the time trial.”
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The benchmark: his own performance
When would the World Championships be a success for him? “I know this sounds boring: if I put in a performance I can be satisfied with, because I’ve given it my all,” says Birkedal. “If that’s enough to win, I’ll naturally be really happy. But if I give it my all and end up fourth or fifth, then I’ll know I’ve prepared as well as I possibly could.” And he adds: “I’d certainly be grateful for a place in the top three.”
Birkedal is hoping to win a medal in Montreal.
© Maximilian Fries
The trip across the US, the time spent with Enzo, the many training sessions on the time trial bike – Julius Birkedal has done everything possible to prepare. On Tuesday, over 20.3 kilometres, it will be decided how it all turns out. He himself is taking a relaxed approach: “I’ll do my best – and then we’ll see what the result is.”
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