Live coverage

UCI Road World Championships 2018: Men's Elite Road Race

By DanielBenson
published

January 1 - September 30, Kufstein, Innsbruck, Road - CDM

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Hello and welcome to our live coverage from the Men's Elite Road Race at the 2018 UCI Road World Championships.


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It's a crisp morning here in Innsbruck as we wait for the start of the final event at this year's UCI Road World Championships - the men's elite road race. Ahead of the riders chasing the rainbow jersey, 258km and over 4,000 of climbing. This is without doubt one of the hardest Worlds courses we've had in the last three decades and it's one that could tip the balance towards the pure climbers. Whatever happens we should be in for an exciting last day at this year's Worlds. 

As one would expect we have an incredible start list gathered here in Austria. The official start is around 30 minutes away but already most of the riders have signed on and headed back to their respective team buses. There's a real sense of purpose and tension in the air - a genuine sense that this is one of the final major events before the season ends. At stake - perhaps the most coveted jersey in the sport outside of the maillot jaune. Here's our official start list. 

If like me you're wolfing down your breakfast - Kellogg's Ricicles, thanks for asking - now's a great time to check out our top 10 video of riders to watch in the race. If you're wondering to yourself - why haven't they mentioned Rui Costa - don't worry because someone has probably already posted that comment just below the video. As with every video we've ever created, that's usually the first comment.

For all Rui Costa fans out there, he is indeed starting the race. Number 128 if you're interested.

Around 20 minutes until the start of the race. A few riders have braved the crisp conditions and wheeled towards the startline. No sign of the defending champion Peter Sagan, who is probably still on the team bus and soaking it all up before his final day as the world champion. Probably.

On Friday, by the way, we ran a poll on the best national kits of all time. You can still pick yours, just here. 

Eh, anyway, just over 15 minutes now until the riders start the race. Uran in his Colombia kit has wheeled towards the start. He and the rest of his team are in gloves and arm warmers this morning ahead of the roll out. They have a really strong team - on paper - and the Olympic silver medalist could be a surprise package for the finale. Plus, Buckingham Palace isn't on the route so if it comes to a sprint he won't be distracted and turn away just as his only rival left can open a sprint. Ahem.

Final plug: You can listen to our podcasts from the Worlds just here. They're sponsored by the lovely folk at Prendas Ciclismo, Pinarello and Floyds of Leadville.

So who is your complete dark horse today? Forget Alaphilippe, Nibali, Valverde and of course Rui Costa... who is your realistic outsider and why? You can let me know on Twitter at DnlBenson

It's getting pretty busy on the startline as riders from Belgium and Holland arrive for the start of the race. Sagan, of course, is right at the front and with his teammates. Surely he can't win for a fourth straight time?

10 seconds until the race starts and we begin the neutralized portion of the course. Here we go. 188 riders off the startline. 

We're rolling behind the main race car. The Belgians and Germans have moved up and are near the front. Both teams have strong squads but perhaps lack a genuine race contender, so they'll have to play a smart strategy if they're to medal today. Perhaps Tim Wellens could be a contender?

Here's Sagan's support crew for the afternoon. He'll be hoping for a conservative race and that he can match the best climbers before a re-grouping and a sprint from a small group. He wrote his chances off earlier in the week but you can never really rule out Sagan. 

I really like the look of this French team. They're bossed by Guimard and have a stack of potential winners in Bardet, Alaphilippe, Barguil and Pinot. We've not had a French winner since 1997 and Laurent Brochard. Who is the Laurent Brochard in this French team? Alaphilippe is probably the team's best chance of winning today and his form has been nothing short of exceptional in the last few months.

258km remaining from 258km

Adam Yates still at the back of the bunch and just feeling his way into the race as the bunch begins to line out as we see a few more riders try and clip off the front. 255km to go. 

Near perfect conditions out on the road as we see a flurry of attacks from the front of the peloton. Nothing has stuck, however, as the bunch make the catch, sit up, and then we see another set of attacks. 253km to go. Croatia and Norway are two of the most aggressive teams in the early stages as we hit an unclassified climb. This could be a good launchpad for an attack.

And that little climb is indeed used and we see four riders ping off the front. Sweden are there, Canada as well. Plenty of intent still in the main field but there's also a lot of hesitation as the leading four riders work well together. Two more riders attack in tandem from the front of the field. The leading four riders have 14 seconds on the peloton. 251km to go.

If the leading four and the chasing two can link up then we'll have a decent little break on hour hands. As you would expect, none of the big favourites have shown their faces anywhere near the front of the peloton. 

The break are attacking each other because they're not working. The Danish rider wasn't happy that the rider from Greece was just sitting on. The gap is at 13 seconds as we see a few more riders try and make contact with the leaders. We'll bring you the names as soon as the situation settles down. 

Ryan Mullen from Ireland is one of the riders who has attacked. That's an interesting move because he'd be a great breakaway partner for the first few hours of racing, until we hit the major climbs. We still have the leading four riders but several others are still trying to make contact. 247km to go.

The rider from Greece isn't strong enough for the break and has been pushed out. The group with Mullen go right by him. We could have six riders in the break, or seven, depending on what happens.

245km remaining from 258km

243km remaining from 258km

219km remaining from 258km

The six leaders have 2:00 on the peloton, with the chase group just 22 seconds away.

Back in the peloton there's no real control but the pace is fairly relaxed. Tom Dumoulin is looking for a team car, Greg Van Avermaet is chasing kit and a few more riders are stopping for breaks. Meanwhile, the two lead groups are about to merge. Dumoulin has actually stopped and gets a new rear wheel. 

235km remaining from 258km

Dumoulin is coming back through the cars after his mechanical. No trouble for the former world time trial champion. 

Dumoulin still isn't happy. He's at the back of the bunch and with the cars as he looks back for further assistance. Perhaps something isn't quite right with his set-up. 

230km remaining from 258km

The team from the United States come here looking for a decent ride, and they have an outside chance of a medal. Here's their team for the race. Knight has had a really good season, hasn't he? I think that the course really suits him. Does he have the right stuff? He'll be hangin' tough on those climbs, for sure.

Carthy has dropped back to the GB team car and picks up a fresh set of bottles for his teammates, while the break's advantage moves out to almost six minutes. 5'46 to be exact.

France have posted a single rider on the front of the main field but there's no real organisation from the peloton at the moment. They're happy to just tap out a nice and steady pace before the real racing starts. They can't underestimate the lead group though, because there are some strong riders up the road with WorldTour experience. Not sure who the best climber is, perhaps Didier.

Seven minutes for the break now. They're 5km ahead of the main field as we see Mullen take a long pull on the front. 

A rider from Latvia hits the front of the peloton but he looks like he's out for a quiet Sunday spin as he free wheels. The gap to the break has moved out to over 8 minutes as we head closer towards the finishing circuit around Innsbruck.

Lets take a look at Roglic and his team. This is the first time that Slovenia have qualified with a full quota of riders. In Roglic they have a real contender, and although his one-day results aren't incredible, he has the power to go the distance. He also skipped the TT, in order to focus on the road race. 

The team from Luxembourg hit the front now, along with the French because the lead has moved out to 11'23 with 213km to go. The Luxembourg team don't want to chase as they have a rider up the road. The French don't really want to chase either but probably need to show some intent. Here's the Luxembourg team:

12 minutes for the 11 leaders with 214km to go. There's no real danger in the break, so we could see the lead move out to around 15 minutes before a chase comes. 

12 minutes for the 11 leaders with 214km to go. There's no real danger in the break, so we could see the lead move out to around 15 minutes before a chase comes. 

The British team have massed at the back of the field - not sure why - but they're working for the Yates brothers today. A few more riders have stopped for nature breaks as the lead moves out to 13 minutes. 

Could this finally be Valverde's day. He's been close so many times before but has never made the top step at the World Championships. Here's what he said yesterday in his team's press conference. 

Not sure why but Norman Vahtra (Estonia) has attacked from the peloton and gone solo. As you would expect the peloton have waved him away and wished him luck. Looking for some TV time, I think.

207km remaining from 258km

207km remaining from 258km

The injection of pace from the French as lined the peloton out as we see Dumoulin and Dennis chatting near the back of the field. They went head to head in the TT earlier in the week with the Australia coming out on top thanks to a dominant ride. 

I'm not sure if Rob Britton has a team for next year but the 34-year-old is certainly putting himself in the shop window with this ride. He took the first two wins of his career back in 2017 and recently raced the Canadian WorldTour races in Quebec and Montreal. He takes a turn on the front of the break, while France leave themselves with one rider on the front of the peloton. The gap is holding at 14'45 with 200km to go.

200km remaining from 258km

The break will be content with their advantage at this stage. We mentioned 15 minutes as the tipping point and we're almost there with the gap at 14'55. Not sure if we'll see a race into the climb from the peloton but a number of real contenders will almost certainly want to move up, despite the efforts of the French to set the tempo. It's steady rather than rapid.

@KeikoKFlores
58m58 minutes ago

The leaders are on the lower slopes of the first climb with the Irish pair setting the pace at the moment. The gap has moved out to 15'27. 

The road rises and the break rise in unison as they move out of the saddle. A few more arm warmers are tossed to the side of the road as we dip into the final 200km of racing. 

Peter Sagan joins the arm warmers off club and drops back to the team car too. A teammate has dropped back with him too, while the defending champion takes on a fresh set of bottles. He's not going to give that jersey away for free, that's for sure.

And the lead extends to 17'33 as the bunch approach the climb. 194km to go.

A reminder of the 11 riders in the break. They were part of two groups that merged during the first 20km of action:

Bardet near the front of the peloton. He's on Pinot's wheel, with Alaphilippe close by as well as the French continue to set the pace at the front of the bunch. 

7.4km separate the peloton and the break, as the lead pushes out to 18'01.

The break have crested the top of the climb and begin the descent. The lead is at 18'47 with 191km to go.

19 whole earth minutes for the break  as the bunch hit the lower slopes of the climb. France still lead with Austria neatly tucked in. 186km to go.

We can see Peter Stetina (United States Of America) near the back of the main field and we can see Pieter Weening too. He's 37 and still in the pro peloton. Former stage winner at the Tour and wearer of the maglia rosa. 

Austria have taken over at the front of the peloton, giving the home fans something to cheer about as France take a short break from their pace setting duties.

Meanwhile Omar Fraile, a stage winner in the Tour and Romandie this year, drops back to the team car to drop some clothing off and pick up some fuel for himself and his teammates. 

The riders from Slovenia move up to the front for the first time in the race. The gap has slowly started to drop and is down to 17'38 as we see Kennaugh drop back to the GB car.

Austria are still setting the pace at the moment. They have a solid squad, to be honest, but it's a bit of a surprise to see them miss out on the break. They're showing themselves on the front now, however.

The main field have just gone over the top of the first climb of the day, with the advantage at 17'37, so they've shaved roughly a minute off the break's advantage in the last few kilometres. 

The break have reached the finishing circuit and have gone through the finishline for the first time. They'll descend soon and then start their first ascent of Igls, the long 8km climb on the circuit. 

Ian Stannard has moved into third wheel and will no doubt start to work on the opening laps of the circuit. The gap has held at 17'36 for almost 5km but the race could change on the first ascent as the break begins to split up. 172km to go.

Stannard does indeed move to the front on the descent with 169km to go. The faster pace has caused a few splits in the peloton but the lead is hold at 17'30.

Way, way up the road and Didier sets the pace for the break as they start to climb. We're almost 100km into the race. 

Leaders

A second GB rider has moved up to joined Stannard. The rider just gives Stannard and message and then drops back through the pack. Up ahead and Ludvigsson set a steady pace for the break as Mullen drops to the back of the 11-man move.

Slovenia return to the action with a lone rider posted at the front of the peloton but as the peloton pass the finish line for the first time the gap is still over 17 minutes. 17'10 to exact. 

153km remaining from 258km

Stannard is still on the front at the head of the peloton but the pace is still steady with the bunch nice and compact. There's no rush from the bunch as we see a few riders abandon and head for the finish.

Stannard took a win at the Tour of Britain earlier in the month. He's slipped down the pecking order at Team Sky somewhat in recent years and hasn't raced the Tour since 2016. He rode the Vuelta a Espana last year but didn't race a Grand Tour this season. 

Through the feedzone for the peloton with Adam Yates still content to sit near the back of the field. Roux then takes over at the front with Stannard willing to sit on his wheel as he takes on some fuel. The gap to the break creeps down to 17'07.

The break are once again climbing Igls with Mullen on the front taking his turn. The 11-man break have worked well together throughout the morning and although their advantage is starting to slip it's still more than healthy. 

Kwiatkowski has decided to move his team towards the front and just make their presence felt. The Polish rider won in 2014 and has established himself as one of the best all-round riders in the modern peloton. He can win stages races and one day Classics, as well as play an important role in GC bids for his teammates. Today he has a real chance of reclaiming the rainbow jersey, even though he's had a long, long season.

Adam Yates still at the back of the bunch, alongside Martinez from Colombia as we head towards the final 140km of racing. 

Mullen continues to set his pace at the front of the break. He wants to keep things nice and steady and without any viscous accelerations. The break are on Igls, with the sun and the crowd out in full force. There's no wind either, so almost perfect conditions for a Worlds race. The gap is still at 16'35.

Didier unzips his jersey at the back of the break as he continues up the long climb as Mullen drifts back with him. The break duly line out as Fominykh takes his turn. At the back of the bunch we once again see Dumoulin coming back through the team cars.

The bunch have started the Igls climb with the gap down to 15'59 and 140km to go. Dumoulin is in a group that contains Oomen and i think the Tour runner up his pacing back his Sunweb teammate, and not the other way around.

Kwiatkowski is also with the Dumoulin group but there's no sense of panic as they chase back to the peloton. 

Roux once again takes over for the peloton. No action from the Italian or the Spanish at this stage in the race. The Belgians have also remained quiet up until now as we see the Dumoulin group come back to the peloton.

Pellizotti drops back to the Italian team car. This is one his last races before he retires and moves into the Bahrain Merida team car for 2019.

Mohammad Esmaeil Chaichi Raghimi, the only rider from Iran, is at the back of the bunch. He's been hanging on there for most of the race but he's still there. 

The break have lost about 25 seconds in the last few kilometres as we see a bit more activity in the main field with more and more riders going back to the cars and then hitting the front of the bunch.

The break head through the old town of Innsbruck with all 11 riders still there. The gap drops to 15'08 with 129km to go.

We see Rohan Dennis move up and take a look at the front of the bunch as we reach the  half-way point in the race. The Australian team don't have a favourite for today having lost Porte to illness and not selected Matthews. Haig is here and can climb, so can Dennis on his day.

Maximilian Schachmann takes a bit of a tumble but he's back on his bike and chasing. There seemed to be a coming together of wheels at the back of the bunch but everyone is A okay.

Through the feedzone and Dumoulin is still at the back of the peloton as he takes on some added fuel. We can see Sagan there too as the defending champion takes on a bottle. 

The peloton hit around 100km an hour as they take on the sweeping descent back into Innsbruck but with 125km to go the gap his holding at around 15 minutes. 

It's the same teams doing all the work on the front: GB, Slovenia, Austria and France. The Spanish, Italians, Belgians and Dutch are sitting back and waiting for the final third of the race. 

By the way you can catch up with yesterday's women's race with our race highlights, right here. While all our women's coverage from Worlds is just here. 

The Italians are riding together, in the middle of the  pack, and just behind the French squad. There are a few conversations going on with regards to the tactics out there, but the next lap should see the pace increase as the gap heads towards 14 minutes. 

And a bit more organisation as we see the Spanish, French, and Polish teams group together and start to bring their leaders closer to the action. It's still Roux who is doing the majority of the work on the front of the peloton.

In the build up to Worlds we ran a series of retro features. Here's one of them. It's about Frank Vandenbroucke and it comes from Philippe Maertens, who covered the Worlds in 1999 for Belgian TV and brought Vandenbroucke to hospital after the rider crashed. 

As we see a shot of Quintana moving up towards the front. No one has really talked about the Colombian in the build up to the race. He's a dark horse, for sure but the terrain today certainly suits him. He'd have to win alone though, couldn't beat the likes of Alaphilippe in a sprint.

Conor Dunne, who is riding for a contract for next year, takes a long pull on the front of the break as the 11 leaders try and manage the decline of their advantage. It's at 13'27 at the moment as Stannard continues his pace setting duties for the bunch.

Didier is the first rider from the break to lose contact, so we're down to 10 riders up front with 115km to go. 

A few more riders have been dropped by the main field as the distance starts to kick in. It's a real war of attrition out there for the remaining riders but still with over 110km to go. 

Yates has started to move up towards the front of the bunch. I think that's Simon and a couple of the Spanish riders do quick double takes as he does so. At the back Barguil is starting to slip backwards as the bunch take on the main climb.

The GB team have posted three men just behind the front of the bunch, as they look to keep their leaders in contention, even from this far out from the finish. Kennaugh, Carthy are both there are Barguil takes a front wheel change. Now he's taking a new bike but keeping his front wheel. 

Roux still on the front of the bunch though and tapping out a steady pace that sees another minute drop from the main break. The leaders are heading through the old town with the gap at 11'22. 

Barguil is cursing either the support cars or a moto bike, I'm not sure. He's not happy though as he chases back towards the race after that recent mechanical. He's still shaking his head even now. I think he's looking for his team car again.

Barguil, now being paced back by the French team car, as we head towards the final 100km and Barguil has crashed.

What happened there?

Front wheel slip as he followed the French car around a corner. He slowly pick himself up after landing on his right side. That could be it for the former Tour KOM winner.

101km remaining from 258km

Stephen Farrand has written this preview about today's final climb. It didn't feature in the women's race but the men will climb it today, just before the finish. It could be the most important part of the course. Read the full preview, right here.

And we're into the final 100km of racing. 99km to go in fact. Here's our startlist for the race. 

98km remaining from 258km

Austria are pushing the pace now and it has an immediate impact with the break's lead down to 9'05. This is the first time we've seen some real intent from the peloton. 96k to go and more riders are dropped from the bunch almost right away.

Swift takes over on the front of the peloton and then it's Slovenia's turn. 30 seconds lost from the break in less than 1km of climbing the race is on as we see Barguil pull out of the race.

Colombian bring Quintana up, and Dan Martin is there too as we see Dennis slip back on the climb. Slovenia start to put the hammer down with two men setting the pace, Bole is one of them. 

A few gaps are starting to appear in the break but the gap is down to 8 minutes. They had close to 20 minutes earlier as Mullen and Dunne drop back and Mullen has popped. He's gone with 94km to go. 

So the remaining riders in the break:

And now Dunne is done. He's slipping back as well. 

Interesting: Sagan is at the back of the bunch and has lost some ground. He's not dropped yet as he starts to come back. 

92km remaining from 258km

Sagan gives the TV bike a nod and a smile.

He's done. Sagan gets out of the saddle but there's nothing in the legs and he's not going to fight a completely lost cause. Austria, meanwhile set the pace at the front of the peloton, with the gap to the break down to 7'18. 

We have eight riders left in the break:

The main field is down to around 60 riders as Swift sets the pace for GB. Spain, Poland and Italy are watching the action play out from near the front of the pack as we Dumoulin near the front for the first time. Stybar is second wheel. 

Nibali, we've not seen him all race but there he is, just at the back of the Italian train with his gold helmet on. He's coming into the race and starting to find his legs. 

Pinot has turned worker and started to set the pace on the front of the bunch as they crest the climb. It's all for Alaphilippe in the French camp, but Pinot is perhaps working earlier than expected with the crash for Barguil. 

Sagan has gone over the top of the climb and takes on a feed as he heads towards the finishing line. He'll no doubt pull out of the race once he reaches the line. 

80km remaining from 258km

Burghardt has a bike change, which seems to take an age. That's going to be a long and solo chase for the former Tour de France stage winner. 

Rob Britton, who has ridden well today, takes a turn on the front of the break. They're down to eight riders but holding their own despite the increased pressure from the peloton. 3 laps to go for the break. 

Just seen Alaphilippe in view. The Frenchman looks so, so comfortable. There's been a crash though!

Ruben Guerreiro (Portugal) hits the deck but he's back on his feet within a matter of seconds. 

75km to go and the break start the climb of Igls once more. The pace has slowed in the bunch and there's an attack from Switzerland. Italy attack too, and this is the next phase of racing as we see the peloton put under more strain. 

That's the first move we've seen from Italy all day and it's caused a reaction from the bunch with a chase from Poland. I think that's Brambilla. 

And the attack has indeed been caught.

Adam Yates right at the back of the bunch but Spain have started to set the pace on the front with France in contention too. They've strung the peloton out as they head through the feedzone. 73km to go.

Dan Martin is also near the back of the peloton as well, with Roche alongside him. 

Geniez is second wheel at the moment as we see Yates A still at the back of the bunch. Around 60 riders left in the race as the bunch start to climb once more. 

James Knox (Great Britain) has taken over the pace setting duties on the front of the peloton. He's had a good first year at Quick-Step since moving up from the U23 ranks. His first senior elite Worlds and he's leading the race on the main climb as we see Hnik dropped from the break. 71km to go.

Two more riders are losing contact with the break but they should be able to come back on the descent. Right now we have four riders left in the leading break. Britton is there for Canada.

Jonathan Castroviejo continues to lead the way for the main field as we continue up the climb as we see more and more from the stronger nations in the race. Bardet is third wheel and I think he might make a move later in the race to try and break up the remnants of the bunch.

69km remaining from 258km

Knox has been dropped and now Tao Geoghegan Hart takes up the pace setting duties. GB are using one rider at a time and keeping the Yates protected inside the peloton.

Further down and we can see Nibali sitting on Pinot's wheel as Knox slips right out the back of the peloton. His day is over.

67km remaining from 258km

It's still Tao Geoghegan Hart on the front as we see more and more riders slip from the back of the peloton. The pressure and the pace is slowly taking its toll on the main field as we continue to climb towards the top of the main ascent. Kuss from the US is the next rider to struggle and lose contact. 

We see patches of team mates through the field but the Dutch are really well organised and lined out as see attacks over the top of the climb from Italy and Spain. A really good attack from Dario Cataldo and a rider from Spain goes with him. 

65km remaining from 258km

No help from Spain or Germany and Cataldo is forced to set the pace on his own. It's going to come back together if they don't work together. 5'15 for the leaders. 

Now they work but another group is coming over and I think Kwiatkowski is there with another rider from Italy. 62km to go.

Still at least five Dutch rider in the main field as the Brits chase down the Kwiatowski group. 61km to go.

Crash!

A rider from the US, and two from Slovenia have fallen. 

Roglic is one of the riders down. He needs a new bike. 60km to go.

That's a huge blow for Roglic, to crash just as the break goes. Italy really forcing the pace in the mini break. We're hearing that Nibali and Cataldo were there with Kwiatowski. A big move with still a long way to go but that move has been caught. 

The bunch are on the descent and hurtling towards the town centre again to start the last two laps. The race is really starting to kick on as we head towards the final 50km of racing. We're hearing that Lopez was dropped on that last ascent. 

Italy go again and once again Spain mark the move. 

Italy and Spain are going toe to toe with 57km to go. 

GB hit the front again and they want to keep the race together at this point and just grind down the opposition. Belgium start to move up now as well. 

Spain join the British in just setting the tempo on the front of the peloton. 56km to go and the gap to the break is down to 4'59. 

Kennaugh is there too as a number of riders ease up and Greg Van Avermaet has a little attack. 

54km remaining from 258km

Caruso, Fraile are with Van Avermaet but there's hesitation because they dont know whether to work with the Belgian. They decide that they should and that's a decent little break at 4'31. Hnik is there too from the earlier break. The GVA group have around 45 seconds on the main field.

Both Yates are right at the back of the bunch. They have a teammate with them as the survivors from the early break start to climb Igls once more. Four left from the morning break with 51km to go. We're hearing that Roglic still hasn't made contact with the peloton after his crash. 

The GVA group are putting the hammer down. Italy and Spain want to draw out the French and the Dutch and allow Van Avermaet to tire himself out on the climb. There's a gamble in that but we'll see what the Olympic champion has in his legs and whether he's just acting as a foil for Wellens later in the race. 

26 seconds for GVA's group on the peloton. 50km to go as Britton starts to struggle at the back of the early break. 

Britton digs deep but he simply doesn't have the power after so many hours in the saddle. Fraile is working with GVA, along with Caruso, as we now see Jacques Janse Van Rensburg slip back.

Van Avermaet looks back and sees that the bunch can still see him. Caruso and Fraile comes through and takes a turn but they're not entirely committed. 

49km to go and Roglic has made it back to the bunch. How much has that chase taken out of him?

Still 30 seconds for the GVA group as we continue the climb and we start to see the Yates brothers move up. 49km to go.

Caruso rises from the saddle and takes a long pull on the second group on the road. He's such a strong and respected rider, both at BMC and Bahrain Merida, where he will ride next year. Fraile then comes through and does his work but the gap is coming down to around 22 seconds. The bunch are not letting the Olympic champion out of their sight. 

Back out to 30 seconds as Van Avermaet takes his turn on the second group. Another attack from the bunch and it's from Germany. It's chased by a batch of five riders, two of them Dutch. 35 seconds now for the GVA group. 

Another attack from Italy. They have a man up the road but they want to keep the pace high. And I think Caruso has said he's not going to work anymore. 

And Italy are chasing at the front, just just as the Dutch attack. The move is marked by the Belgians but here come more and more attacks on the climb. 

Germany are the next nation to send a rider up the road. The Dutch need to chase this, but so do the French. 

It's coming back together. The Dutch are leading the chase and the bunch are strung out, and the GVA group are about to be caught. The Oomen is the one doing the work.

De Marchi stamps on the pedals. Jungles has been dropped and so to Daniel Martin. Pop.

De Marchi leads Oomen, and GVA as we see Martin totally crack on the climb. They're all looking at each other. 

Simon Yates. Dropped. 

46km remaining from 258km

For our US readers, sorry but Ben King was also dropped on the climb. He came down in the fall with Roglic.

And Caruso goes again. Spain and the Dutch counter with 45km to go.

Bang! Kwiatkowski has cracked. Too much racing for the Pole, clearly. 

Spain try and post a man near the front as Britton is swept up from the early break. The break still have three minutes by the way. 45km to go.

It's Brambilla, de la Cruz and Tolhoek who are trying to go clear. Mollard and two other riders are trying to go clear as well as we crest the top of the climb.

A re-group and now Australia attack over the top of the climb. That's a huge move. Tolhoek, de la Cruz, Bennett, Mollard, Brambilla are in the counter and there's another attack and this time from Kennaugh. H's made contact with the ride from Australia and the Mollard group. The gap is just a few seconds though.

De Marchi then powers into the break but it's all coming back together in the main field. For now... because there's another attack from Italy. They're really stretching the race.

41km remaining from 258km

What's left of the main field comes back together on the descent. We see a few attacks but the speed is already so high that it's going to be hard to generate a real gap. A reminder but we still have Kasper Asgreen (Denmark) and 
Vegard Stake Laengen (Norway) up the road with a 2'45 gap.

We've still not seen much from the French who have marked just one move. Alaphilippe and Valverde have kept their powder dry as a couple of rider jump on the descent. Marked by Italy this time. 

Dutch, Italians, Spanish and the French. They still have numbers in the bunch but it's about how they commit their teammates at this stage. A reminder, Simon Yates, Dan Martin, Kwiatkowski and Sagan have all been dropped. 

And it's Spain who hit the front and start to set the pace. The two leaders have 2'45 with 34km to go. 

Adam Yates is still there. He's right at the back of the main field but the Dutch look super strong, with at least five riders in contention in the peloton. 32km to go and the gap to the break is at 2'25.

Spain want to bring this break back now and then set something up for the main climb for Valverde. One lap to go for the early break but the gap is less than 2'30. 

We still have the Holl climb, 3km in length, and patches over 28 per cent. We climb that before the finish and that could be where the winning move goes clear. 

And Italy have committed to the chase. The gap is still at 2'27 but Nibali has all of his team on the front of the peloton. They line out what's left of the field as the French start to join the chase as well. 

France have added one rider to the front of the peloton as we see the leaders start the climb of Igls one last time. They have 2'11 on the bunch with 28km to go.

Through the feedzone but no time for Gallopin to take on a bidon as we works himself into the ground for his leader's chances. 27km to go.

Caruso is second wheel as we see Adam Yates still right at the back of the peloton. Is he bluffing? 

It's all Italy on the front now as they stretch the field. Nibali has Moscon on his wheel. The gap to the break is 1'40.

And Pellizotti takes over for Nibali as Caruso and Brambilla sit up after working for their teammates. Just 1'30 for the leaders. 

Carthy now slips back from the peloton as the Dutch and Spanish line out behind the Italian train on the final ascent of Igls.

25km remaining from 258km

Cataldo has also been dropped. Still four Italians on the front of the race. 

Valverde. Just seen him for the first time today. He looks good as he just motors through the gears and follows the wheels on the final climb. 

Just a minute for the leaders on the climb. They'll be caught before the top at this rate.

Steven Kruijswijk has attacked with 24km to go.

First big attack we've seen on the climb and that's going to be chased down. Belgian react first and it's Van Avermaet!

He brings back a lot of riders into contention though as the bunch line out on the climb.

Sorry it's Hermans not GVA.

Now we see the favouritres react and number of riders are dropped in no time at all.

Steven Kruijswijk just settles on the front and sets the pace. We're down to around 40 riders left in contention. 

Bardet, and Pinot are there. 

Nibali has been dropped. It's all on Moscon now for Italy.

Moscon looks around for his captain but he's not there. The race is falling apart on the climb. 20 seconds  for the two leaders. 

De Marchi looks to almost slow things down and there's another attack and it's the Oomen! 

He stretches the group but can't get a gap.

22km remaining from 258km

Van Avermaet now dropped. Pop goes another contender.

And it's still the Oomen on the front setting the pace. Roman K is second wheel and Pinot is third. They're all struggling on the climb. This is relentless. 

Quintana is there still and the pace has dropped. Oomen sits up but remains on the front. No one can attack but here it goes and it's Kennaugh.

He's class on a bike to be fair and he opens up a gap before the summit. They can't let him go, they really can't.

Denmark are chasing Kennaugh and we're about to have two riders on the front of the race. It's Valgren. 

This could be huge. We just need a Swiss rider and it'll be like Atlanta 96 all over again.

21km remaining from 258km

And Moscon has attacked on the summit of the climb.

Valgren looks so smooth and steady as he climbs to the summit of the  ascent. Kennaugh is about to be caught but who will chase? Italy are chasing now.

There are now six riders at the front of the race. Valgren is there out front as the Moscon group picks up Kennaugh. There's a counter attack but Valgren leads the Worlds race by just a few seconds. 

i think Rui Costa is in the chase, along with Kennaugh, Pinot, Moscon and two other riders. Rui Costa though is clear and is closing on Valgren. Can the former winner do it again?

We have Valgren, Rui Costa, then five riders. No sign of Valverde though.

Pinot, Moscon, Izagirre, Rui Costa, Kennuagh and two more riders are in the chase group. No time checks though for Valgren, who is racing away for the win.

15km remaining from 258km

Who is going to chase this one rider down? The Dutch, the Spanish, maybe the French...

Valgren has 15 seconds on the bunch. 

Valgren hits the flat section of the course. He has to pull out the TT of his life here just to get to the foot of the final climb. It's 3km in length and it will decide the winner of this race for sure.

13km for Valgren. He has to commit, there's no choice. The bunch ease up as we see Adam Yates come back. Haig is there as well. 

Moscon has shown his strength already but nothing from Valverde or Alaphilippe.

And Valgren has 30 seconds. The Danish rider has 30 seconds with 12km to go.

Valverde, Moscon, Alaphilippe. They're all still there and they're all in contention for the rainbow jersey but they need to catch Valgren first. France lead the chase, and it's at 27 seconds.

23 seconds as Valgren moves ever closer to the final Holl climb.

Now Italy and the Dutch take up the chase. 

32 seconds for Valgren as he starts to climb. Can he do this? 10km to go.

The French put the hammer down and the road rises to 10 per cent with just 25 riders left in the race. Attack from Italy.

That's De Marchi and Pinot is on his wheel.

31 seconds for Valgren!

We're about to hit 28 per cent.

28 seconds for Valgren. Still!

And now the French line it out for their leader. The race is in pieces. 24 seconds for Valgren.

Three French riders and then Moscon. Valverde is there as well. 

9.9km to go and the gap is at 21 seconds, so it's coming down.

I think Woods is there. 

Valgren in the saddle and powering up the climb but the lead is at 12 seconds. France leading the chase, Pinot, Bardet and Alaphilippe. 

They can see Valgren. Moscon is marking Alaphilippe

Woods is indeed there .Can he do it for Canada?

Alaphilippe pushes a little bit and Valgren is caught with 9.5km to go. Less than 7 riders left.

And Bardet puts the hammer down with Woods on his wheel.

Woods has accelerated! 

Only Bardet and Valverde can follow.

Moscon comes back.

Alaphilippe has been dropped!

Woods, Bardet, Moscon and Valverde. That's all we've got!

Dumoulin is next on the road.

Moscon is attacking!

No, he just moves over and it's Woods that increases the pressure. Moscon is in trouble. Big trouble.

300m to go and Valverde, Bardet and Woods are alone. 

Dont rule out Dumoulin, he's coming back!

Woods, Valverde and Bardet. The final three as things stand. Incredible scenes at the men's road race.

They go over the top but they can't afford to mess around and Valverde hits the front. What will Bardet do? He attacks and Valverde chases. Bardet's actions will decide if this group stay away. 

6km until the finish. Can Dumounlin or Moscon come back and challenge?

Dumoulin has apparently dropped Moscon!

The three leaders have to work. They have 13 seconds on Dumoulin. Can Woods do this? It would be a real shock but he's ridden the perfect race so far.

Valverde again sets the pace on the front of the group. Alaphilippe has gone over the top but he's way down at the moment.

Woods takes a turn and he and Valverde don't have excuses not to work. Dumoulin is closing as we hit the descent. 

Valverde... can he finally deliver at the Worlds after so many near misses. Don't rule out Moscon or Dumoulin. Both can descend.

We have no distance markers or time gaps but it's around 4km to go now. Bardet pushes on the descent. Valverde and Woods hang in. I really think that Woods could be a dark horse for the sprint.

Race radio says Dumoulin has a mechanical!

Valverde leads on the descent with Bardet and Woods on his wheel. If Woods attacks before the sprint... I think that's his best chance because I don't think Bardet will chase.

No time gaps to Moscon or Dumoulin at this stage. 

The three leaders are almost done with the descent. Dumounlin is at 10 seconds. Moscon a little further back.

No mechanical for Dumoulin. He's closing. Rapidly. 

3km remaining from 258km

Dumoulin can see the three leaders up ahead. If they ease up then he's back in the game.

He's messing with his rear wheel but is around 50m back. Woods has attacked!

Bardet does indeed chase 1.9km to go and Dumoulin is about to make contact.

Can Moscon make it back?

1.5km and Dumoulin makes contact. Woods again but Valverde closes this one down. We now have four leaders. Moscon isn't that far back!

1km to go and Moscon has a chance!

Dumoulin looks to attack but pauses and now they ease up and this is going to help Moscon.

Valverde leads with Woods second.

Where is Moscon?

Valverde leads, Bardet at the back. Here we go!

Valverde leads out.

It's a huge sprint from the Spaniard. He grinds his way out of the saddle, grits his teeth. Can Woods come back? No.. What of Bardet? No..

Bardet takes second. Woods is third.

Here's our brief report

Valverde was forced to lead it out, he had no choice but in the end he had too much for the other riders in the break.

Here are your top ten:

Incredible scenes at the finish with Valverde lifted on the shoulders of the Spanish staff. Bardet wheels to a standstill by the side of the road and is swamped by his teammates but the mood is totally different. Woods takes a well-deserved bronze in the sprint but Dumoulin is left with nothing. 

Here's our brief report, images and results from today. 

And a reminder of the top ten at the finish:

Three years of dominance from Peter Sagan has been ended by a 38-year-old who shows no sign of slowing up. The former banned rider has been consistently strong, if not stronger since his doping ban and he comes out on top today. Valverde is heading to the podium to pick up the rainbow jersey from UCI President David Lappartient. 

 

Sagan has come on stage and presented Valverde with his medal. That's nice touch from the former world champion. 

Woods and Bardet have joined Valverde on the podium. To be fair they gave it everything as they tried to distance Valverde but the veteran Movistar rider didn't put a foot wrong in the closing stages. He closed the right moves, clung to Woods and Bardet and then bossed the sprint at the end.

Results outside the top 10:

That's seven times on the podium for Valverde, who took  a medal way back in 2003 in Hamilton. Since he's been a pro he's been second twice, third four times, and now he's the winner at the age of 38. Bardet, second today was 12 when Valverde won his first Worlds medal, just to put that into some context. 

Bardet has come through the mix zone and admitted that Valverde was the strongest rider. It's hard to argue with that verdict from the Frenchman, given what we saw in the finale. 

As for Woods, that was a really impressive ride. He came into the race under the radar but showed that you don't need the strongest team in the race in order to compete. And spare a thought for Rob Britton who was in the break for most of the day. Woods though climbed well and at one point it looked as though he could drop the rest of the field. He didn't quite have enough and had to settle for a bronze medal. 

And fourth for Dumoulin, who fought back over the top of the final climb but had nothing left in the sprint. The Dutch were decent today, and rode an aggressive race with several riders attacking at key points. They didn't have an outright favourite for the race but will be gutted to miss out on a medal. 

Was Moscon overconfident and/or did he make a mistake in personally chasing down  the Valgren move with the likes of Pinot. Surely that cost him on the final climb when the climbers kicked for the summit. Fifth for the Italian. 

6 Romain Kreuziger (Czech Republic) 0:00:43
7 Michael Valgren (Denmark)
8 Julian Alaphilippe (France)
9 Thibaut Pinot (France)
10 Rui Costa (Portugal)

Shall we hear from the new world champion:

Conor Dunne, who was in the early break has shared his thoughts on Twitter:

While we wait for more quotes and reactions from the finish, here's our story on the end of Peter Sagan's reign. As of tomorrow he'll be racing and riding in the national champs kit.

Just watching through the highlights and there were some really important moments in the finale that were missed. The first came when the French had three riders on the front, with Bardet, Pinot and Alaphiilippe but the latter couldn't hold the pace and Valverde had to come around him. Then, later on the climb Moscon tried to up the pace but immediately sat back down and lost ground, again Valverde had to come around a rider and fight back to Bardet and Woods. The moment when Valverde came around Alaphilippe though, that was effectively when the Spaniard took control. 

We now have the official race video highlights. You can find them, right here.

Bardet cut a disconsolate figure at the finish. He, Pinot and Alaphilippe gave it everything but once the Quick-Step rider was dropped they were out of options when it came to a sprint against Valverde. 

Shall we hear from Michael Woods? 

Here's what Tom Domoulin had to say. The Dutchman just missed out on the podium, despite a valiant chase on the descent to the line:

That's just about all we've got time for today. Thanks for joining us today, and throughout the World Championships. We'll be back with Lombardia in around a week. 

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