Mohoric wins U23 men's road race world championship

A year after he took silver and gold at Valkenburg in the junior men's time trial and road race world championships, Slovenian Matej Mohoric claimed gold again, but this time with a solo win in the U23 men's road race.

Due to turn pro with Cannondale next year, the 18-year-old Slovenian proved that he is more than ready for the step up into cycling's top league as he rode a near-faultless race at Florence.

Saving his energy through the first five of seven laps of the circuit, Mohoric bridged across to France's Tour de L'Avenir stage winner Julian Alaphilippe on the second last lap then dropped the Frenchman on the last ascent of the Fiesole climb for a solo challenge.

Riding to his considerable strengths as a descender, the lankily built Mohoric opened up the throttle on the technical, fast drop off the Fiesole back down into Florence, creating a gap of 28 seconds by the time the road flattened out.

Behind the chase, initially led by the Italians, spluttered and fizzled fitfully into some sort of life as Mohoric, often in view ahead on the longer straights, continued to plough onwards regardless, only for the pursuit to die away again as riders took their own chances here and there.

The only one that succeeded in actually going clear was South African Louis Meintjes, and on the second, shorter, punchier climb of the Via Salvati, Mohoric came painfully close to being caught by his nearest pursuer.

But the summit of the 600-metre ascent came too soon for Meintjes to close the gap definitively, and Mohoric's ultra-fast descending - clipping the corners perfectly and wrapped around the top tube - helped the gap widen again.

With 400 metres of the 172.3-kilometre course left to race, the penny dropped with Mohoric that barring divine intervention with a capital "D", the victory was in the bag, and he slowed slightly to allow himself to savour the moment. After raising his arm skywards one last time, the Slovenian crossed the line with three seconds on Meintjes, whilst Norway's Sonder Enger led in the tiny front bunch of 17 chasers 13 seconds later for bronze.

Full Results

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U23 men
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Matej Mohoric (Slovenia)4:20:18
2Louis Meintjes (South Africa)0:00:03
3Sondre H Enger (Norway)0:00:13
4Caleb Ewan (Australia)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Toms Skujins (Latvia)Row 4 - Cell 2
6Davide Villella (Italy)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Dylan Van Baarle (Netherlands)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Silvio Herklotz (Germany)Row 7 - Cell 2
9Julian Alaphilippe (France)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Patrick Konrad (Austria)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Clement Chevrier (France)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Jan Hirt (Czech Republic)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Nathan Brown (United States Of America)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Frederico Figueiredo (Portugal)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Merhawi Kudus Ghebremedhin (Eritrea)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Odd Christian Eiking (Norway)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Simon Yates (Great Britain)Row 16 - Cell 2
18Sebastian Henao Gomez (Colombia)Row 17 - Cell 2
19Adam Yates (Great Britain)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Ilia Koshevoy (Belarus)0:00:16
21Flavien Dassonville (France)0:00:45
22Ildar Arslanov (Russian Federation)0:00:52
23Felix Grossschartner (Austria)0:00:53
24Stefan Rabitsch (Austria)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Jasper Stuyven (Belgium)0:01:14
26Jasha Sutterlin (Germany)0:01:25
27Stefan Kueng (Switzerland)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Karel Hnik (Czech Republic)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Adrien Chenaux (Switzerland)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kazakhstan)0:01:27
31Adam Phelan (Australia)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Zico Waeytens (Belgium)0:01:30
33Tanner Putt (United States Of America)0:01:39
34Andrea Zordan (Italy)0:01:45
35Daniel Alexander Jaramillo Diez (Colombia)0:02:27
36Magnus Cort Nielsen (Denmark)0:02:33
37Mike Teunissen (Netherlands)Row 36 - Cell 2
38Sjors Roosen (Netherlands)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Gregor Muhlberger (Austria)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Emanuel Piaskowy (Poland)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Daniil Fominykh (Kazakhstan)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Louis Vervaeke (Belgium)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Derk Abel Beckeringh (Netherlands)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Frayre Moctezuma Eder (Mexico)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Lukasz Wisniowski (Poland)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Antoine Duchesne (Canada)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Tilegen Maidos (Kazakhstan)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Luis Enrique Davila (Mexico)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Cristian Raileanu (Republic of Moldova)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Damien Howson (Australia)0:02:42
51Bjørn Tore Nilsen Hoem (Norway)0:03:18
52James Oram (New Zealand)0:04:14
53Fredrik S Galta (Norway)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Tiesj Benoot (Belgium)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Facundo Lezica (Argentina)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Fredrik Ludvigsson (Sweden)0:05:27
57Alexis Gougeard (France)0:06:36
58Alberto Bettiol (Italy)Row 57 - Cell 2
59Davide Formolo (Italy)Row 58 - Cell 2
60Michael Valgren Andersen (Denmark)Row 59 - Cell 2
61Roman Katyrin (Russian Federation)0:06:52
62Juan Ernesto Chamorro Chitan (Colombia)Row 61 - Cell 2
63Natnael Berhane (Eritrea)Row 62 - Cell 2
64Johann Van Zyl (South Africa)0:07:07
65Ruben Fernandez Andujar (Spain)0:08:06
66Mikhail Akimov (Russian Federation)0:08:40
67Gennady Tatarinov (Russian Federation)Row 66 - Cell 2
68Emanuel Buchmann (Germany)Row 67 - Cell 2
69Nicolae Tanovitchii (Republic of Moldova)Row 68 - Cell 2
70Emiel Dolfsma (Netherlands)0:10:49
71Simon Pellaud (Switzerland)0:11:10
72Heiner Rodrigo Parra Bustamente (Colombia)Row 71 - Cell 2
73Kristian Haugaard Jensen (Denmark)Row 72 - Cell 2
74Patryk Stosz (Poland)0:11:40
75Issak Tesfom Okubamariam (Eritrea)0:14:45
76Rick Zabel (Germany)0:15:24
77Dion Smith (New Zealand)Row 76 - Cell 2
78Jaka Bostner (Slovenia)Row 77 - Cell 2
79Emils Liepins (Latvia)0:15:54
80Erik Baska (Slovakia)0:16:08
81Marlen Zmorka (Ukraine)Row 80 - Cell 2
82Ihar Mytsko (Belarus)Row 81 - Cell 2
83Carlos Barbero Cuesta (Spain)0:16:10
84Mario Gonzalez Salas (Spain)Row 83 - Cell 2
DNFRoy Goldstein (Israel)Row 84 - Cell 2
DNFYoav Bear (Israel)Row 85 - Cell 2
DNFRene Corella (Mexico)Row 86 - Cell 2
DNFHenry Velasco (Ecuador)Row 87 - Cell 2
DNFPeeter Tarvis (Estonia)Row 88 - Cell 2
DNFEmil Vinjebo (Denmark)Row 89 - Cell 2
DNFKolya Shumov (Belarus)Row 90 - Cell 2
DNFAit El Abdia Anass (Morocco)Row 91 - Cell 2
DNFMaxat Ayazbayev (Kazakhstan)Row 92 - Cell 2
DNFAwet Ghebremedhin (Eritrea)Row 93 - Cell 2
DNFMeron Teshome Hagos (Eritrea)Row 94 - Cell 2
DNFUladzislau Dubovski (Belarus)Row 95 - Cell 2
DNFOskar Svendsen (Norway)Row 96 - Cell 2
DNFOlivier Le Gac (France)Row 97 - Cell 2
DNFNick Van Der Lijke (Netherlands)Row 98 - Cell 2
DNFJulio Marcelo Paspuezan Carlozama (Ecuador)Row 99 - Cell 2
DNFMikel Iturria Segurola (Spain)Row 100 - Cell 2
DNFLawson Craddock (United States Of America)Row 101 - Cell 2
DNFSven Erik Bystrøm (Norway)Row 102 - Cell 2
DNFEdward Theuns (Belgium)Row 103 - Cell 2
DNFNathan Wilson (United States Of America)Row 104 - Cell 2
DNFHaritz Orbe Urrutia (Spain)Row 105 - Cell 2
DNFAlistair Slater (Great Britain)Row 106 - Cell 2
DNFCampbell Flakemore (Australia)Row 107 - Cell 2
DNFBradley Linfield (Australia)Row 108 - Cell 2
DNFZhandos Bizhigitov (Kazakhstan)Row 109 - Cell 2
DNFAriel Sivori (Argentina)Row 110 - Cell 2
DNFTsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay (Ethiopia)Row 111 - Cell 2
DNFTim Mikelj (Slovenia)Row 112 - Cell 2
DNFSamuel Spokes (Australia)Row 113 - Cell 2
DNFRichard Carapaz (Ecuador)Row 114 - Cell 2
DNFAndzs Flaksis (Latvia)Row 115 - Cell 2
DNFPierre-Henri Lecuisinier (France)Row 116 - Cell 2
DNFJoseph Perret (Great Britain)Row 117 - Cell 2
DNFOwain Doull (Great Britain)Row 118 - Cell 2
DNFMark Dzamastagic (Slovenia)Row 119 - Cell 2
DNFBrayan Stiven Ramirez Chacon (Colombia)Row 120 - Cell 2
DNFEduardo Sepulveda (Argentina)Row 121 - Cell 2
DNFMichele Scartezzini (Italy)Row 122 - Cell 2
DNFJovan Zekavica (Serbia)Row 123 - Cell 2
DNFMilos Borisavljevic (Serbia)Row 124 - Cell 2
DNFJohannes Weber (Germany)Row 125 - Cell 2
DNFEduard Michael Grosu (Romania)Row 126 - Cell 2
DNFBurr Ho (Hong Kong, China)Row 127 - Cell 2
DNFPedro Rodriguez (Ecuador)Row 128 - Cell 2
DNFFeritcan Samli (Turkey)Row 129 - Cell 2
DNFSamir Jabrayilov (Azerbaijan)Row 130 - Cell 2
DNFAdil Barbari (Algeria)Row 131 - Cell 2
DNFKim Magnusson (Sweden)Row 132 - Cell 2
DNFMaxim Rusnac (Republic of Moldova)Row 133 - Cell 2
DNFMarcus Faglum-Karlsson (Sweden)Row 134 - Cell 2
DNFGavin Mannion (United States Of America)Row 135 - Cell 2
DNFHaddi Soufiane (Morocco)Row 136 - Cell 2
DNFJosef Cerny (Czech Republic)Row 137 - Cell 2
DNFJosef Hosek (Czech Republic)Row 138 - Cell 2
DNFLukas Postlberger (Austria)Row 139 - Cell 2
DNFDieter Bouvry (Belgium)Row 140 - Cell 2
DNFMraouni Salah (Morocco)Row 141 - Cell 2
DNFAlexander Foliforov (Russian Federation)Row 142 - Cell 2
DNFHichem Kab (Algeria)Row 143 - Cell 2
DNFBen Einhorn (Israel)Row 144 - Cell 2
DNFMekseb Debesay (Eritrea)Row 145 - Cell 2
DNFZoltan Sipos (Romania)Row 146 - Cell 2
DNFDavid Dvorsky (Czech Republic)Row 147 - Cell 2
DNFLubos Malovec (Slovakia)Row 148 - Cell 2
DNFNassim Saidi (Algeria)Row 149 - Cell 2
DNFCarlos Eduardo Quisphe-Quishpe (Ecuador)Row 150 - Cell 2
DNFIdo Zilberstien (Israel)Row 151 - Cell 2
DNFKrists Neilands (Latvia)Row 152 - Cell 2
DNFAlex Frame (New Zealand)Row 153 - Cell 2
DNFChristopher Jennings (South Africa)Row 154 - Cell 2
DNFJonathan Dibben (Great Britain)Row 155 - Cell 2
DNFMichael Kolar (Slovakia)Row 156 - Cell 2
DNFJuraj Lajcha (Slovakia)Row 157 - Cell 2
DNFAsbjørn Kragh Andersen (Denmark)Row 158 - Cell 2
DNFAndris Vosekalns (Latvia)Row 159 - Cell 2
DNFHarrouch Tourki Youssef (Morocco)Row 160 - Cell 2
DNFKristian Neemela (Estonia)Row 161 - Cell 2
DNFMohd Adiq Husaini Othman (Malaysia)Row 162 - Cell 2
DNFJulio Cesar Benitez Rubio (Mexico)Row 163 - Cell 2
DNFMihkel Raim (Estonia)Row 164 - Cell 2
DNFAbdallah Elar (Lebanon)Row 165 - Cell 2
DNFAndrei Voicu (Romania)Row 166 - Cell 2
DNFMarko Danilovic (Serbia)Row 167 - Cell 2
DNFIlhan Celik (Turkey)Row 168 - Cell 2
DNFLuka Pibernik (Slovenia)Row 169 - Cell 2

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Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.

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