Meet The Man On The Mic At The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships

by | Aug 8, 2023 | Events, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, Bike, Bike Events & Racing, Featured

Meet The Man On The Mic At The 2023 Uci Cycling World Championships
Max Cluer

We chat exclusively with Max Cluer, a live show caller, commentator and host at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

Max Cluer Max began his journey in commentary around 15 years back, filling the need for a voice at his own Max Cluer Sports Marketing events. Starting with his expertise in mountain biking, triathlon and multisport, he gradually expanded into commentating for various events. Over the past two decades Max’s voice could be heard in iconic events like Red Bull X-Fighters, Box Cart, Wings for Life World Run, over 120 UCI World Cup and World Championship events in different disciplines and locations, as well as the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

Currently, Max is on the ground and involved in the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. We caught up with him to chat about what is, what was and what might still be at the event.

You’ve been a part of various World Championships, but is this the most important one so far? How does it feel to be involved in such a huge event?

Indeed it is … I’ve been working with the UCI since 2009 on their off-road disciplines like mountain biking (downhill, cross country, cross country eliminator, cross country short track, cross country marathon) BMX Racing, Trails, Urban Cycling and Pumptrack.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championship stands out because it’s the first time that multiple disciplines are coming together. This format will be repeated every four years before the Summer Olympics. Glasgow is hosting the event this year, showcasing 13 cycling disciplines over 11 days at various venues across Scotland. This event is a monumental effort, akin to an ‘Olympic Games for cycling,’ providing a platform for the global cycling community to unite.

Meet The Man On The Mic At The 2023 Uci Cycling World Championships
Max Cluer
Could you tell us about your role and the events you’re involved in?

I work as a live show caller and host, working together with the UCI and the Sports Presentation Teams. Our focus is on the live component and experience for the fans, media general public at the event. This includes the start and finish, race commentary, pre and post-race interviews, venue info, partners and sponsors activations and the prize-giving and protocol ceremonies. I collaborate with local hosts or specialists to ensure a seamless experience for the live audience.
I assist the UCI as a consultant, handling various crucial tasks that contribute to the successful execution of these types of events.

It’s a big undertaking, make no mistake about it, with heaps of variables. Obviously, we were up in the north at Fort William for the downhill and then had to travel all the way pretty much across Scotland down to Glentress where the cross country marathon, the mountain bike cross country Olympic, the cross country short track, as well as the e-mountain bike races take place. So there is a lot happening here in the space where I am at the moment until the end of the week. I then move back into Glasgow, on Thursday and I go in for the BMX Racing.

Max Cluer At The 2023 Uci Cycling World Championships
The Max Factor
Aside from the travel, what many people might not realise is that there’s also substantial preparation involved for something like the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships?

Absolutely. Preparation is crucial for accurate and engaging commentary. We gather extensive information about athletes, their achievements, partnerships, and more. Understanding event dynamics, qualification processes and trends is essential. It’s a year-round effort, considering the various events and their significance. Our goal is to provide the audience with a top-notch experience.

When it comes to interviews, for example, it’s important to be focused on emotions and celebrations—these interactions delve deeper, revealing golden nuggets of insight. The key to this level of intimacy lies in years of immersion in the sport, cultivating a relationship of trust and friendship with the athletes.

Now, let’s talk about South African performances over the first weekend of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

Certainly, it was an intriguing race weekend at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, where we saw some exciting racing and impressive results especially in the women’s race where Candice Lill secured second place, Vera Looser (Namibia) finished seventh and Kim Le Court (Mauritius) 10th. Regarding Matt (Beers) and Alan Hatherly, their relationship is strong, and they’re good friends. Matt has been focusing on gravel races, but this particular course had a lot of long, challenging singletrack sections. The pace set by riders like Andreas Seewald and eventually winner Henrique Avancini at the start of the race was brutal and may have caught Matt off guard. Alan’s quick start was his strength, and his ability to handle the initial pace worked to his advantage.

2023 Uci Cycling World Championships
SA’s first medal at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships
Who are notable South Africans to watch in the coming week at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and in which disciplines?

This week, Alan Hatherly is the rider to watch for sure. He’s been performing consistently well throughout the World Cup circuit and could make a strong impact. I’m optimistic about his condition and mental state. Hopefully, he’ll manage to conjure something truly magical over the next few days. What’s intriguing about this event is its distinction as a World Championship rather than a World Cup. Notably, the cross-country short track isn’t a mandatory qualifier for the cross-country Olympic event just two days later.

Consequently, many cross-country specialists might opt out of the short track (XCC) for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, given their automatic seeding for the XCO race based on their current world rankings. Alan is seeded first and has secured his spot in the top eight on the start grid for the short track.

While a World Championship jersey is at stake, it’s probable that the short track field will be somewhat diminished with some of the top-ranked riders deciding not to take part. This might be an opportune moment for him to vie for a jersey, but I do think the weather might also play a big role in many riders’ decisions. Watch out for Tom Pidcock (GBR), Mathieu van der Poel (NED) and Peter Sagan (SLO) who will also be on the start line.

Mountain Bike World Cup Lenzerheide
Alan Hatherly has secured almost enough points to have two riders at the Olympics (c) UCI MTB World Series

An interesting tidbit, perhaps lesser-known, is that Alan, much like Burry Stander ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, has accumulated enough points for South Africa to rank ninth in the overall Olympic qualification standings. Just ahead of South Africa is Great Britain. There’s a possibility that if Alan delivers a strong performance here and another rider like current South African XCO Champion and Olympian, Philip Buys, manages to earn some valuable points alongside Hatherly that they could possibly surpass Great Britain into the top 8 in the rankings and qualify two South Africans for the Olympics in Paris, France next year.

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio Prepares For The 2023 Uci Cycling World Championships Road Race
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio has some great support around her this year.

Moving on, Candice Lill (who won Silver in the Cross Country Marathon discipline) is also part of the mix. Knowing Candice’s passion for racing, it’s likely she’ll compete in both the short-track and cross-country events. In the Cross-Country I think a top 20 finish is conceivable, bolstered by her confidence following the marathon event.

Then, of course, we have the women’s road race. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio is so experienced and is in great form, as seen in her performance at the Tour de Femme aced Zwift. However, the tight and technical nature of this circuit might not be entirely suited to her strengths. Riders like Mathieu van der Poel excelled due to their explosive pace and power and sublime technical skills. Ashleigh has some strong support riders in Hayley Preen and Tiffany Keep around her this year so it’s going to be interesting to watch.

Get the full schedule of the final week of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, here.

Event Coverage