Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) accelerates(Image credit: Hilton Meyer)
Lukas Flückiger (Switzerland) en route to second place(Image credit: Hilton Meyer)
Lukas Flückiger (Switzerland) leads a small group(Image credit: Hilton Meyer)
Rudi Van Houts (Netherlands)(Image credit: Hilton Meyer)
Martin Gujan (Switzerland)(Image credit: Hilton Meyer)
Johnny Cattaneo (Italy) leads a group of riders.(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spain) before the start.(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Dror Pekatch (Israel)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) passes through the trees.(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Fabian Giger (Switzerland)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Bas Peters (Netherlands)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Passing through the trees with style(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Moritz Milatz (Germany)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
The Swiss were flying as usual(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Spain) leads compatriot Jose Antonio Hermida(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
An Italian rider(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Rotem Ishai (Israel)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) leads on his way to a win(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Evgeny Nikolaev (Russian Federation)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Rotem Ishai (Israel)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Rotem Ishai (Israel) pushes uphill(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
The start of the men's race(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Christoph Sauser (Switzerland)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Marco Fontana (Italy) leads Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) on his way to victory(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Christoph Sauser (Switzerland) races toward fourth place(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spain) races to an eventual fifth place(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Ralph Naef (Switzerland) on his way to 10th(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Andrea Tiberi (Italy)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Fabian Giger (Switzerland)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) chases Marco Fontana (Italy)(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
Lukas Flückiger (Switzerland) concentrates prior to the start(Image credit: Ilan Shacham)
After watching the women tear around the track, it was time for the big names in the men's race to be cheered by the large crowd. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech) took the win with a 40-second margin ahead of Lukas Flückiger (Switzerland) and 1:37 on Marco Aurelio Fontana (Italy).
Kulhavy left no doubt about who deserved the championship. His win was convincing.
The Flückiger brothers continued their brilliant weekend and this time, it was older brother Lukas who showed what he had. Always in the mix during the race, he finished second.
Also at the front of the race, Italians were ecstatic to see Fontana show his technical aptitude that has helped him shine this season. He was taking lines that the others were not even aware of and led for most of the race before tiring near the end and fading to a third place.
Fontana was clearly happy with this result as he came shouting in typical Italian fashion across the line with flag in hand.
Two other top 10 riders that made late race charges were Liam Killeen (Great Britain) and Jose Antonio Hermida (Spain). Hermida had a slow start after he went the long way around a roundabout on the opening loop while many others cut the short way, but the tenacious Spaniard hung in there and worked his way back to fifth from the rear of the peloton.
Killeen also suffered some technical problems, but managed to work his way up much to the delight of his team members.
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Local favorite Rotem Ishai (Israel) was plagued throughout the whole race with technical problems, and he finally pulled out with two laps to go.
Favorite Ralph Naef (Switzerland) was stung by a hornet the evening before the race. He still managed a start and put in a brave effort to finish 10th.
In Luke Tuckwell's latest column for Cyclingnews, he recalls his memorable week in France, and how he went from tears in training to his first yellow jersey
