Men's U-23 Road Race about to start streaming - 10:00 - live on the UCI YouTube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezjwmDsk2Cs

Anthony McCrossan & Rob Hayles in the commentary chair. Very lively in the online chat threat as well

2 crashes already, I think they have too much adrenalin

There's no neutralised zone, so no time to sort out those who are interested in early breaks and those who aren't. Usually it is the weak nations who go out for a few glory laps in the first couple of hours.

Yes probably wasnt a good idea not to have a neutralized section at the start, seems to have settled down now and just after I typed that another accident, lol.

The field seems to be reducing significantly now with 23Km to go

Pre-race favourite Kristoffer Halvorsen (NOR) wins the men's U23 road race ahead of Pascal Ackermann (GER) and Jakub Mareczko (ITA); Jon Dibben finishes in ninth place.

The competitors are probably glad that Gaviria and Ewan had chosen to contest the elite variant instead.

If yesterday was about a binge of championship awards, today is about various disciplines being subject to regulation changes.

None more so than track, with some of the changes to events in the WCh and WC listed below:
* The women's madison is added to the WCh
* The points race and madison award double points in the final sprint
* The madison adopts the points race rules for lap gains/losses (+/- 20 points instead of +/- 1 lap) and sprint frequency (every 10 laps instead of 20)
* The omnium format changes again - it has become a pure endurance event that consists of four bunch events (scratch, tempo^, elimination and points races)
* The omnium will be held over 1 day instead of 2
* In the keirin, the pacer will leave the track half a lap earlier than previously (3 laps to go instead of 2.5)

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They always used to have that, I think.

They didn't - see corresponding results from the 2002 WCh and 2016 WCh.

Full details of track amendments now available on the UCI website (including a detailed explanation of the tempo race).

The parcours for various events in Bergen 2017 has been published.

It is still subject to change, but it appears the elite men's ITT suits the likes of Froome at least as well as (if not more than) the recent Olympic ITT - the last few km are quite tough.

Back in Doha, the junior women's road race was won by Elisa Balsamo (ITA) ahead of Skylar Schneider (USA) and Susanne Andersen (NOR).

Junior men's stream comes up at 11:05

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5xxvz2trZE

lots more crashes in the junior men's race

haven't seen or heard any mention of Brits........I wonder if we sent a team ?

BC chose not to send any juniors to Doha. Why that is, I have no idea.

Not wanting to kill them, probably.

Jakob Egholm (DEN) wins the junior men's road race by 7 seconds!

Minor medals go to Niklas Markl (GER) and Reto Muller (SUI).

Here's the start list for the elite women's road race on Saturday.

146 competitors from 46 nations will take to the start line. As ever, it appears the Netherlands boasts the strongest team.

The temperature for both weekend races is in the range of 32-37 degC so unlikely to be shortened: http://qweather.gov.qa/Index.aspx

Wiggins has offended the organisers of the Abu Dhabi tour by apparently belatedly pulling out of next week's race.

The 2017 Abu Dhabi tour is only 18 weeks away. It has moved to the same weekend as the European season gets underway at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Rolling out for the women's elite road race........it's on Red Button and switching to BBC1 this afternoon for the finish

Simon Brotherton, Rachel Gilmore and David Miller on duty

The commentators are already writing off Lizzie saying it's not her kind of course so she's probably just out for the ride.........difficult to know then what the British team will try and do, who they'll adopt as team leader if Lizzie isn't up for it

Dutch as usual have the strongest team

still rolling out........

Flag drops.......they're off !

Japanese rider sprints off on her own

First crash........first broken collarbone

girl from Kuwait about 4 minutes into the race

132K to go

Hannah Barnes in a sprint would be the best bet, probably, but there are a few better in the other teams.

Japanese girl still out there on her own with a half minute lead

kamikaze........

Don't think any single rider managed to pick up a bottle that time, shocking display!

And now the German rider takes the p*ss by pouring her bottle all over her head.

Kicking off now, the big teams are putting attacks in, trying to slim the peleton down a bit.