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The moment Peter Sagan's Worlds almost went up in smoke

Photo sequence of Tinkoff-Saxo team time trial crash in Richmond

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The moment before Michael Valgren and Michael Rogers went down and Peter Sagan's Worlds almost went up in smoke

The moment before Michael Valgren and Michael Rogers went down and Peter Sagan's Worlds almost went up in smoke
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Valgren clips the wheel in front of him

Michael Valgren clips the wheel in front of him
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Valgren hits the ground as Michael Rogers tries to stay upright

Michael Valgren hits the ground as Michael Rogers tries to stay upright
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren crashing

Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren crashing
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren mid-crash

Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren mid-crash
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren roll off the road after crashing as Peter Sagan looks back

Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren roll off the road after crashing as Peter Sagan looks back
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Peter Sagan looks back to see his teammates hit the deck

Peter Sagan looks back to see his teammates hit the deck
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Chris Juul Jensen and Peter Sagan were on the front of the train when the crash happened

Chris Juul Jensen and Peter Sagan were on the front of the train when the crash happened
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Chris Juul Jensen and Peter Sagan on the brakes after their teammates hit the deck behind

Chris Juul Jensen and Peter Sagan on the brakes after their teammates hit the deck behind
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren immediately post crash

Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren immediately post crash
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren in the grass after crashing as a Tinkoff-Saxo mechanic grabs a bike off the road

Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren in the grass after crashing as a Tinkoff-Saxo mechanic grabs a bike off the road
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Rogers emerges from the ditch he fell into

Michael Rogers emerges from the ditch he fell into
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren attended to after the crash

Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren attended to after the crash
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Rogers gets going again

Rogers gets going again
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Rogers grimaces as he starts pedalling again after the crash

Michael Rogers grimaces as he starts pedalling again after the crash
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Rogers clips in and starts to ride away from site of the crash

Michael Rogers clips in and starts to ride away from site of the crash
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Valgren throwing his leg over the saddle

Michael Valgren throwing his leg over the saddle
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Valgren gets a helping hand

Michael Valgren gets a helping hand
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)
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Michael Valgren back on his bike after the crash

Michael Valgren back on his bike after the crash
(Image credit: Stirling Martin)

It was almost all over before it began for Peter Sagan at the UCI Road World Championships when Tinkoff-Saxo crashed at high speed in the team time trial.

The rider who would go on to become world road race champion a week later had a lucky escape as teammates Michael Rogers and Michael Valgren hit the deck after touching wheels on a long, flat, straight section of the course.

"I think it was a simple touch of wheels. I don't know what happened, there was nothing I could do, I just went straight over the top," Rogers told Cyclingnews at the finish line.

In a photo sequence of the crash, Cyclingnews can show the moment that Sagan's Worlds almost went up in smoke. Luckily for the 25-year-old, he and Chris Juul Jensen had been at the front taking a pull for Tinkoff-Saxo at the time of the crash.

Sagan proved to be the strongest rider in the road race on Sunday, powering away from Greg Van Avermaet up the 23rd Street climb and holding off the chasers in the final three kilometres to arrive solo at the finish line and celebrate a maiden rainbow jersey on the road.

You can the design of Sagan's world champion's jersey right here.