Sicard wins world Under 23 road title
Frenchman solos to claim espoir road race in Mendrisio
It is one thing to start a road race as favourite and quite another to overcome the attendant pressure and back it up with a win as convincing as the one that Romain Sicard (France) pulled off in the Under 23 World Championship road race on Saturday.
Supported by a strong French team, Sicard, the recent winner of the Tour de L'Avenir, played a patient game, waiting until the penultimate lap to make his move, and taking a win he described as a "dream" and "unbelievable".
"It's unbelievable to be sitting here with the rainbow jersey," said Sicard. "It's not often you get the chance to win it in your career. I played a little bit of a bluff. There were still a lot of riders in the final (lap), and I could tell people were really suffering.
"I made a big attack on the last lap and just poured it on all the way to the finish," said the new world champion. "I felt strong at the key moments in the race, and now I am very happy."
Sicard had appeared at the front earlier in the race, but only briefly. That was in stark contrast to his teammates, who were tasked with marking the most dangerous moves. They proved France a constant presence at the front, whether chasing down attacks or infiltrating them.
The Italians and Australians - with time trial World Champion Jack Bobridge particularly active - were also key animators throughout, though both nations left empty-handed. The first Italian - and one of the pre-race favourites, Damiano Caruso - only managed 10th, while the top Australian, Mark O'Brien, was 25th.
The French strategy was clearly designed to ensure that Sicard arrived at the decisive point as fresh and ready as possible, and it was obvious, when that moment came late in the race, that his team's confidence was entirely justified.
Joining Holland's Michel Kreder, who jumped clear early on the penultimate lap, Sicard's timing was also impeccable. The only brief dilemma for him and the French came over the next two kilometres, when a teammate, Nicolas Edet, escaped the chase group to launch his own pursuit of the leading duo. On the one hand, Sicard could wait for Edet and, with two men in the front three, dramatically increase the odds of a French win.
On the other, with a still-large group behind - 50-strong as they started that penultimate lap, but virtually halved by the pressure caused by a string of attacks, including Sicard and Kreder's - that would be a gamble. Sicard, in any case, didn't seem to need extra assistance.
With Kreder, he pressed on as his teammate Edet faded, until, on the same climb that started the final lap, the pre-race favourite dropped his Dutch companion, riding alone for the final 10km to win by 27 seconds ahead of two riders who'd escaped on the final climb to the finish.
It seemed that Sicard's winning move, on the steepest part of of Acqua Fresca, climbing out of the town of Mendrisio, was more a case of Kreder being dropped than the Frenchman attacking, though Sicard suggested not. "I could see Kreder was suffering a bit," he said, "so I decided to attack."
Kreder bravely held on to second place for most of the final lap, but the Duthcman paid for his efforts on Novazzano, the second of the two climbs on the 13.8km circuit, where he was caught and dropped. He eventually finished 33rd.
Behind the triumphant Sicard, one of the chasing pair that formed on that final climb was, inevitably, a Colombian, Carlos Alberto Betancur, who out-sprinted Egor Silin (Russia) for silver. It was inevitable because the Colombians had been even more visible than the French throughout the race - "adding the salt to the soup" as one observer put it later.
Rather than play the patient game, the South Americans were on the attack all day, in what proved to be a more than respectable defence of Fabio Andrés Duarte's world title, achieved with his victory in Varese 12 months ago.
"We came here very prepared," said Betancur. "We wanted to play an important role, and to defend the gold medal won by Duarte. During the whole race, our strategy was to be very proactive."
There was also a courageous late-race effort behind Betancur and Silin by Peter Kennaugh of Great Britain, who launched a one-man counter-attack on the final climb, holding on for fourth to emulate his countryman Ben Swift's performance in Varese, Italy, last year. It completes a trio of strong British performances in the Under 23 race, after Jonny Bellis's bronze medal in Stuttgart in 2007.
"I stuck to the plan," said Kennaugh, a lively presence on the final lap. "Being young, it's sometimes quite hard to hold back in races. You just want to attack all the time, so we've been working on staying patient. It's all about discipline. That's what I did today. [But] I lost a lot of energy on the first climb on the last lap to get across."
Sicard, a 21-year old from the Basque village of Hasparren in the southwest of France, will turn professional with Euskaltel-Euskadi in 2010, doing so on the back of victories in arguably the two biggest races for Under 23 riders: the Tour de L'Avenir and now the world title race.
"It was a very difficult race," said Sicard. "But it's the racer that makes the race, not the course. The real race started in the second half, and the last lap was very tough. But I want to thank my teammates, who helped me a lot." It was a performance - both individually and collectively - that suggests a bright future for French cycling.
Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Romain Sicard (France) | 4:41:54 |
2 | Betancur Gomez Carlos Alberto (Colombia) | 0:00:27 |
3 | Egor Silin (Russian Federation) | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Peter Kennaugh (Great Britain) | 0:00:49 |
5 | Jérôme Baugnies (Belgium) | 0:00:54 |
6 | Marko Kump (Slovenia) | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
7 | Yevgeniy Nepomnyachshiy (Kazakhstan) | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | Sarmiento Tunarrosa Jose Cayetano (Colombia) | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Matthias Brandle (Austria) | 0:01:00 |
10 | Damiano Caruso (Italy) | 0:01:33 |
11 | Alexandre Geniez (France) | 0:01:38 |
12 | Christer Rake (Norway) | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Castroviejo Nicolas Jonathan (Spain) | 0:01:40 |
14 | Sander Maasing (Estonia) | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Nicolas Schnyder (Switzerland) | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Arnaud Courteille (France) | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Nicolas Edet (France) | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Adrian Honkisz (Poland) | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Peter Stetina (United States Of America) | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Dominik Nerz (Germany) | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Anatoliy Kashtan (Ukraine) | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Kanstantsin Klimiankou (Belarus) | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Ben Gastauer (Luxembourg) | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Sep Vanmarcke (Belgium) | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Mark O`Brien (Australia) | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Colombia) | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Mirco Saggiorato (Switzerland) | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | José Alarcon (Venezuela) | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (South Africa) | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Mathias Lisson (Denmark) | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
31 | Gianluca Brambilla (Italy) | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Colombia) | 0:01:44 |
33 | Michel Kreder (Netherlands) | 0:01:49 |
34 | Romain Zingle (Belgium) | 0:02:15 |
35 | Joel Zangerle (Luxembourg) | 0:02:22 |
36 | Arthur Vichot (France) | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Alex Meenhorst (New Zealand) | 0:05:21 |
38 | Leopold Konig (Czech Republic) | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Daniele Ratto (Italy) | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Thibaut Pinot (France) | 0:07:23 |
41 | Alexandre Shushemoin (Kazakhstan) | 0:08:06 |
42 | Blaz Furdi (Slovenia) | 0:08:31 |
43 | Artem Topchanyuk (Ukraine) | 0:08:48 |
44 | Oleksandr Polivoda (Ukraine) | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Martin Mahdar (Slovakia) | 0:09:00 |
46 | Nazar Jumabekov (Kazakhstan) | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spain) | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Silver Ao (Estonia) | 0:09:04 |
49 | Rafael Andriato (Brazil) | 0:09:08 |
50 | Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eritrea) | 0:09:29 |
51 | Carlos Alexandre Manarelli (Brazil) | 0:09:32 |
52 | Andrei Krasilnikau (Belarus) | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
52 | Siarhei Papok (Belarus) | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Viesturs Luksevics (Latvia) | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Siarhei Novikau (Belarus) | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Stefan Denifl (Austria) | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Alexander Prishpetniy (Russian Federation) | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
57 | Pit Schlechter (Luxembourg) | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Sondre Gjerdevik Sörtveit (Norway) | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Jan Tratnik (Slovenia) | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Jahn Frederik Grue (Norway) | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
62 | David Veilleux (Canada) | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Andrey Solomennikov (Russian Federation) | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
64 | Luke Rowe (Great Britain) | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Vojtech Hacecky (Czech Republic) | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Romain Beney (Switzerland) | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
67 | Oleg Berdos (Republic of Moldova) | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | John Degenkolb (Germany) | 0:09:37 |
69 | Petr Ignatenko (Russian Federation) | 0:16:48 |
70 | Egidijus Juodvalkis (Lithuania) | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
71 | Ryohei Komori (Japan) | 0:18:14 |
72 | Pedro Merino Criado (Spain) | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Dennis Van Winden (Netherlands) | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Leigh Howard (Australia) | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Steven Kruijswijk (Netherlands) | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jens Keukeleire (Belgium) | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Angelo Pagani (Italy) | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Diego Ulissi (Italy) | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jelle Wallays (Belgium) | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jack Bobridge (Australia) | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Michael Matthews (Australia) | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Juan Villegas (Colombia) | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Thimothy Roe (Australia) | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Niki Ostergaard (Denmark) | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Higinio Fernandez Suarez (Spain) | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Blaz Jarc (Slovenia) | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jakub Novak (Slovakia) | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Kamil Zielinski (Poland) | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Kenji Itami (Japan) | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Sylwester Janiszewski (Poland) | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Nik Burjek (Slovenia) | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Yoshimitsu Hiratsuka (Japan) | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Martin Reimer (Germany) | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Gregory Obando Brenes (Costa Rica) | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Nelson Oliveira (Portugal) | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Alex Howes (United States Of America) | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Colombia) | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Martijn Keizer (Netherlands) | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Tejay Van Garderen (United States Of America) | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Nico Keinath (Germany) | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Sergej Fuchs (Germany) | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Kris Boeckmans (Belgium) | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Troels Ronning Vinther (Denmark) | Row 102 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Peter Sagan (Slovakia) | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Martin Schöffmann (Austria) | Row 104 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Daniel Schorn (Austria) | Row 105 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Fabricio Quiros (Costa Rica) | Row 106 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Andrey Klyuev (Russian Federation) | Row 107 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Mcevoy Jonathan (Great Britain) | Row 108 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Rafael Valls Ferri (Spain) | Row 109 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) | Row 110 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Vegard Stake Laengen (Norway) | Row 111 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jure Zagar (Slovenia) | Row 112 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Rasmus Guldhammer (Denmark) | Row 113 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Chris Barton (United States Of America) | Row 114 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Ramon Sinkeldam (Netherlands) | Row 115 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Ablay Shugaipov (Kazakhstan) | Row 116 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Alfredo Cruz Bernaldez (Mexico) | Row 117 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Guillaume Boivin (Canada) | Row 118 - Cell 2 |
DNF | David Boily (Canada) | Row 119 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Patrick Gretsch (Germany) | Row 120 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Dementev Yehor (Ukraine) | Row 121 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Clinton Robert Avery (New Zealand) | Row 122 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Christian Schneeberger (Switzerland) | Row 123 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Alexander Kristoff (Norway) | Row 124 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jacobus Venter (South Africa) | Row 125 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Gabor Kasa (Serbia) | Row 126 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Mark Christian (Great Britain) | Row 127 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Phuchong Sai-Udomsin (Thailand) | Row 128 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Mustafa Sayar (Turkey) | Row 129 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Niv Libner (Israel) | Row 130 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Armando Aguilar (Mexico) | Row 131 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Ugur Marmara (Turkey) | Row 132 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Ran Margaliot (Israel) | Row 133 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Olamaei Mahdi (Islamic Republic of Iran) | Row 134 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Erick Rowsell (Great Britain) | Row 135 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Gideoni Monteiro (Brazil) | Row 136 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Eyup Karagobek (Turkey) | Row 137 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Silver Schultz (Estonia) | Row 138 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Sam Bewley (New Zealand) | Row 139 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Patrik Tybor (Slovakia) | Row 140 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Christopher Juul Jensen (Denmark) | Row 141 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Ricky Eno Jorgensen (Denmark) | Row 142 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Edgaras Kovaliovas (Lithuania) | Row 143 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Kirk Carlsen (United States Of America) | Row 144 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Riccardo Zoidl (Austria) | Row 145 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jonathan Fumeaux (Switzerland) | Row 146 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Patrik Stenberg (Sweden) | Row 147 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Ryan Anderson (Canada) | Row 148 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Juraj Sagan (Slovakia) | Row 149 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Evaldas Siskevicius (Lithuania) | Row 150 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jakub Novak (Czech Republic) | Row 151 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Sebastian Balck (Sweden) | Row 152 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jonathan Monsalve (Venezuela) | Row 153 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Balazs Simon (Hungary) | Row 154 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Burry Stander (South Africa) | Row 155 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Gert Joeaar (Estonia) | Row 156 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jaroslaw Marycz (Poland) | Row 157 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Allan Morales (Costa Rica) | Row 158 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Mirac Kal (Turkey) | Row 159 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jakub Kratochvila (Czech Republic) | Row 160 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Natthapon Jeebthaworn (Thailand) | Row 161 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Zoltan Vigh (Hungary) | Row 162 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Khakharman Merey (Kazakhstan) | Row 163 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Turakit Boonratanathanakorn (Thailand) | Row 164 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Krisztian Lovassy (Hungary) | Row 165 - Cell 2 |
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Richard Moore is a freelance journalist and author. His first book, In Search of Robert Millar (HarperSport), won Best Biography at the 2008 British Sports Book Awards. His second book, Heroes, Villains & Velodromes (HarperSport), was long-listed for the 2008 William Hill Sports Book of the Year. He writes on sport, specialising in cycling, and is a regular contributor to Cyclingnews, the Guardian, skyports.com, the Scotsman and Procycling magazine.
He is also a former racing cyclist who represented Scotland at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and Great Britain at the 1998 Tour de Langkawi
His next book, Slaying the Badger: LeMond, Hinault and the Greatest Ever Tour de France, will be published by Yellow Jersey in May 2011.
Another book, Sky’s the Limit: British Cycling’s Quest to Conquer the Tour de France, will also be published by HarperSport in June 2011.
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