Slovakian star Peter Sagan attacked with a mile left in the road world championships on Sunday, then grit his teeth and powered down Broad Street to capture the gold medal in a thrilling finish. This seemed to favour the bigger, more powerful riders and sprinters, with the likes of Sagan, John Degenkolb and Alexander Kristoff seen as favourites.
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Unbelievable for Sagan, painful for Matthews and the rest of the contenders. It was worth the six-and-a-quarter hour wait…
With the exception of the final half lap, Sagan was essentially anonymous throughout the race.
“We had kind of a wild-card team”, Phinney said.
Matthews charged but came up just short in trying to become the first Aussie to win the road race since Cadel Evans in 2009. The Netherlands are tapping tempo on the front to stop the gap getting out of hand – five minutes is as far as it will go. “But the sprint teams really wanted it as well”. The Netherlands still tap it out – Terpstra has to be their man. Vuelta a Espana hero Tom Dumoulin launched a big attack, but Boonen and Gilbert reacted immediately, with the latter now liking his chances of stealing the win on the final climb. I was a little bit also in the insane. I think this competition and all the sport is very nice for the people.
Ben Swift finished as the leading British rider, coming in 22nd.
Norway, Poland, Italia all showing face up front now with the Belgian’s keeping well out of trouble on the cobbled ramps.
The bunch eases, the mad charges into the ramps are simply to avoid that inevitable moment when someone drops a chain or touches a wheel causing mayhem.
The bunch continued to chase and with 90 kilometres left it was all one big group again.
The three leaders were caught just before Libby Hill, and during the climb, a number of top riders escaped.
Various attacks were fired off, with Taylor Phinney (USA) inspired on home soil and pushing ahead with Guillaume Boivin (Canada), Jarlinson Pantano (Colombia) and Kanstantsin Siutsou (Belarus). The move stalled when others also bridged, though, and while Van Avermaet attacked hard on 23rd Street Sagan was able to contain him.
“The team rode pretty well together I just wasted a lot of energy”. But who’s going to take Viviani to the line?
“I want also to say I am very happy for this”. They opened a seven second advantage, with Farrar appearing the strongest.
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Sagan may have been the only one who refused to anoint himself the favorite.
