From father to son. The World Championship once again tells stories of generational succession, of a legacy not easy to carry when your parent has won the Tour de France itself. The men's under-23 time trial will see Ben Wiggins as England's sole representative: the twenty-one-year-old from Hagens Berman Jayco has already managed to step out (thanks to excellent results and displays of character) from the reflected light of dad Bradley, who entered history as the first Briton to win the Grande Boucle, Olympic medalist in the time trial at the London 2012 Games, World Champion in the time trial at Ponferrada 2014, not to mention his six gold medals on the track at the Olympics.

The other Wiggins, who turned 21 last March, looks with justified ambitions toward Los Angeles 2028, but in the meantime Montreal is calling, offering him a double commitment in the time trial (a specialty that gave him the silver medal among juniors at Glasgow 2023) and in the road race.

Perhaps it's no coincidence that Ben has joined the team directed by Axel Merckx, someone who more than any other cyclist knows the weight of expectations placed on the son of a champion. We ask Giovanni Visconti what he thinks of Wiggins junior: "I should say upfront that I haven't yet had the chance to observe him consistently, I've watched him in Greece and then at the Peace Race, finding a rider who is mentally strong, very confident in his abilities. It's somewhat heavy to carry that surname, because for every legacy rider it's never easy to handle the natural comparison: he, however, is driven by a clear desire to emerge, you can see it in everything he does".

Visconti, sports director of Hagens Berman Jayco, reviews Ben Wiggins' recent top-ten finish at the Tour of Britain, where he defended his national colors: "at the beginning of September he made the most of a sixth place in the final stage, after being part of a breakaway composed of men of great experience (Nils Politt's victory, ed.). As for the Montreal time trial, I think the type of linear course and the not excessive altitude difficulties could suit our rider, who became British champion in the under-23 time trial with a one-minute advantage over the second-placed rider".

Postscript: the young Wiggins in this 2026 has refined his precious qualities as an escape artist, as demonstrated on two occasions at the Tour de l'Avenir. Also from an Italian perspective, the Canadian world championship event sees legacy riders racing. It will happen already on Tuesday the 22nd during the men's junior time trial which sees Patrik Pezzo Rosola competing, who grew up with the example of mom Paola and dad Paolo, brother of amateur Kevin. A second family chapter, made up of illustrious parents and anxious for their daughters, scheduled for Friday the 25th, when Azzurra Ballan and Giorgia Pellizzotti will defend the national colors. Because, if anyone still hadn't figured it out, cycling is an intergenerational wheel that keeps turning.