Road Race World Championships

You might have spotted my deliberate mistake. Of course only the women’s world championship road race was on Saturday and the men’s race was on Sunday.

In the women’s race there was an uninspiring performance from GB that left them well out of it and unable to mark the move by Marianne Vos that won her the title for the Dutch on home soil.

The men’s event was far more interesting as the biggest names in world cycling battled for the title in Limburg. While Cav, Wiggins and Froome were involved early on in the race and then dropped out before the end, clearly with the fatigue of tough seasons in their legs, and with perhaps very little chance of a pure sprint finish. This left Steve Cummings in the major break, who was joined at about 100KM to go by Jon Tiernan-Locke proving he’s ready for the big time and marking the wheel of Contador as he bridged to the group.

Sagan looked strong at just over 70ish to go as he covered attacks out of the peloton, but Spain made their intentions very clear as they dominated the main break. Back in the peloton Degenkolb and Boassen-Hagen also stayed alert and looked like challengers for what would be a power-sprinter’s finish.

The race hotted up with a crash at 220km split the peloton leaving teams like the Dutch split off and struggling. The commentary from David Millar on the BBC added something to the race, both hearing comments on the tactics from last year’s road captain of the winning team, and insights to the sport as a whole.

GB still kept going with the moves at a lap and a half to go as Talansky for USA went ahead, followed by British champion Ian Stannard, who then dropped the American with a lap left while the British team controlled the front of the chase group and then when the attack came back Tiernan-Locke was in the mix behind Nibali. The racing hotted up again with attacks coming all over the road with Voekler, Nibali, Sagan and Gilbert showing their class.

The final lap was run by Spain and Belgium with names such as Contador and Sanchez working for Valverde and it all coming down to the last climb for moves. Gilbert jumped on that climb with under 2km to go and held everyone off for a fantastic gold medal and the world championships with Boassen-Hagen in second and Tiernen Locke hanging onto the head group in his first senior World Championships.

Otherwise I’m still not over the awesome Where the Trail Ends film and feel like bringing you another taste:



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