Equal first on medal count
On Sunday, Californian Fred Rodriguez was the U.S. team's best finisher in the men's road race, finishing 11th in the bunch sprint to earn 15th place. The United States closed out the six-event world championships tied with Germany for the most medals with three medals each.
Rodriguez's result came despite a lingering knee injury that hampered him throughout the day. "My knee was pretty bad out there," he said after the finish. "I was pretty much riding with one leg."
On the penultimate lap, Chris Horner got himself in a move that included favourites Paolo Bettini, Alexander Vinokourov, Michael Boogerd and Alejandro Valverde, which unfortunately came to nought. "With one [lap] to go, on the first climb, that move of six or seven attacked, so I went across," explained Horner.
"It looked like a good move, but we hesitated too much and it was brought back. That's one of the problems I have right now coming of the Vuelta (a España). I have the form to go with moves like that, but I just couldn't help drive it. I'm just missing that spark.
"After that, you could tell it was going to be a sprint, so I just looked after Freddie from there and made sure he was in the front group going up the last climb."
"We had Freddie in good position going into the finish," said Horner. "After working with him all year, I knew what he needed, but those four just opened up a gap and whoever was on the front, I think [Australian Stuart] O'Grady, should have closed it for [his team-mate Robbie] McEwen."
Highlights for the U.S. team throughout the week include Kristin Armstrong's world title in the elite women's time trial on Wednesday, Thorburn's medal in the same event, and Zabriskie's silver medal in the elite men's time trial.
Armstrong became the third American woman to accomplish that feat, joining Karren Kurreck in 1994 and Mari Holden in 2000. Zabriskie's silver was the first medal for the U.S. in the elite men's time trial since the discipline was added to the world championship program in 1994.
