The World Championships 2014 in Hamilton, Canada, conclude with the Elite Road Race: 248km in total, we've seen a bunch sprint in the B Worlds (Richeze) and an early break winning the U23 RR (Frison). So what to expect today? A solo effort?
We surely need to consider the sprinters as the top-favorites anyway: Swift, Bewley, Boonen, Guarnieri as the PT's most consistent. Impey, Vantomme, Goss, Holloway, Mohs/Ciolek, Guerao and a few more possible threats will all be dangerous, too.
Of course we have those beasts like Trofimov, Ponzi, Ignatiev or Pozzato as well. Several more roleurs or allrounders, who may aim for a late move in particular. It may be a mostly flat parcours, but we've seen any possible scenario in several flat classics this season!
So let's bring it on: who will follow on Boasson Hagen's footsteps to slip into the rainbow jersey next year? Will Hagen himself be a threat here, too?
The race kicks off with an immediate attack and the spectators in Hamilton will love this move:
Boily goes first!
The Canadian is soon joined by 4 more riders:
Moyano
F Schleck
Breen
Furdi
Buts
Bernatonis
Martin
Gaimon
make for another group just a few seconds in arrears and about a minute ahead of the bunch..
The peloton doesn't look like it will allow this 9 riders to stay clear though, as teams like Italy, Belgium or Australia keep the gap at under a minutes with still 211km to go!
Thomson tries to attack the bunch now, but it may not be the best moment with the pace up..
Yap, indeed an empty-handed attempt from Thomson and also the early breakaway is pulled back by the peloton about 60km into the race.
Moyano though ain't giving up, launching another attack 187km before finish!
He's accompanied by two more riders and this time, it seems like we've found the break of the day:
Machado
Moyano
Rollin
establish a 3-minutes-gap quickly! With the B-Worlds wildcard Argentinia and local team Canada featured, it's surely an interesting breakaway.
The race settles down and we're going for the usual business. The break's gap peaks at 7 minutes and with now 125km remaining, the peloton starts chasing.
Australia, Belgium, New Zealand and also Italy share the work at the front of the bunch. A sign of which sprinters to expect aiming high today?
Those teams narrow the gap down to 2'30" with now 45km to go, where we see the first roleur going for a solo-attempt:
Kolesnikov attacks!
The Russian struggles to establish a notable gap though and the peloton still looks in control of the race.
The 3-men-break goes into pieces as they feel the pressure and their advantage going down to a minute with now 26km to go:
Machado with a strong looking acceleration, dropping Moyano/Rollin easily..
15km remaining and both Moyano/Rollin as well as Kolesnikov are reeled in by the peloton, where Australia and New Zealand pull the strings hard.
Kneisky is the next roleur trying to bridge across solo-leader Machado!
He catches up to Machado quickly and the duo leads by 30" with 11km to go..
..back in the peloton we see 6 riders going down in a crash, unfortunatelly a promising sprinter involved:
Avelino and Day as the biggest names losing all hopes for a good result!
At the very front of the race, Kneisky dropped Machado and now leads solo:
10km to go and he's 33 seconds ahead of the field..
It's still a brutal pace and we see another crash with 4 riders going down:
Forero and Polivoda as the most notable names!
Teams like Switzerland, Spain, USA, Great Britain and Italy all with riders at the front of the bunch now, supporting heavy working teams like Australia and New Zealand..
Kneisky still leading, but the gap is getting smaller..
Third crash in those final 10km! And this time it's 12 riders involved:
Sieberg, Hoffman and Richeze went down. Mauro Richeze, to be precisive..
Many other top-sprinters though avoided any drama and are to be found right at the front of the bunch, which now prepares for the sprint. Kneisky still holding on to a small gap. But he's already fighting hard to keep up with the bunch's pace. An overview:
Matthews
Howard
Goss
Valverde
Trofimov
Holloway
Guarnieri
Swift
Vantomme
Gilbert
Cancellara
Boonen
Ulissi
Guerao
Ponzi
Torckler
Bibby
Bewley
Impey
Mohs
Most notable facts: Ciolek nowhere to be seen, so Germany goes for Mohs. Also Pozzato is missing at the front, but Italy with three possible threats anyway.
Australia with the only real train so far, while New Zealand couldn't yet bring Bewley to the front..
..which changes just a few moments later though: Torckler pulling Bewley towards the front, while the Aussies still go strong to finally catch up to Kneisky!
Some more movements behind the Aussie-train, but Trofimov is right behind, with also Ulissi/Boonen at his wheel..
Kneisky looks done just close to the kite..
Torckler with an impressive leadout for Bewley now, with Holloway and Swift catching the latter's wheel!
Howard now leading Goss/Trofimov/Ulissi, but in danger to lose ground on those Kiwis now!
It's all about those riders now, as Kneisky drops far back quickly:
Torckler releasing Bewley with a few hundred metres to go, Swift and Holloway still behind.
Goss accelerating out of Howard's slipstream, with also Trofimov now kicking full speed!
Ulissi/Boonen trying to hang on.. Impey, Mohs/Degenkolb finally popping up, but probably too far behind already..
We're going to witness a tight decision, it seems!
Howard releasing Goss quite late, but with some good speed - so Goss is back at the very front now!
Trofimov and Bewley almost head-to-head with Ulissi, Boonen and Swift in the mix as well. Holloway struggling though..
A thrilling sprint that is: Goss/Trofimov head-to-head with the line approaching!
Bewley in trouble now, while Swift, Boonen and Impey/Mohs make up some ground to join the mix for the podium at least!
We couldn't have asked for a more thrilling finish today:
Trofimov with a small advantage over Goss, while also Bewley finds back to his full speed with just two bike lengths to go!
Swift, Boonen and Impey may just fight for the final podium spot..
Goss or Trofimov?
The Russian looked slightly better close to the finish, but Goss lunged in for a photo! (We're sorry to miss out on the perfect moment)
One thing is fore sure though:
Bewley held off Swift and Boonen to complete the podium.. but who took the win?
Goss? The Aussie at least raises his arms...
..and he's still celebrating on the podium! Yap, Matthew Goss indeed lunged in for the biggest win in his career! The Aussies worked pretty hard today and it paid off eventually. What a tight sprint, what a thrill at the line.
So the former U23 World Champion (2009) becomes the second rider in the ManGame-history to win both the U23 and Elite Road Race (Boasson Hagen was the first to achieve that - 2008/2013). Special congrats on this!
Trofimov couldn't crown his stellar season with Gold, but Silver ain't bad at all.
Impey, Holloway, Ulissi, Mohs and Howard complete the Top-10. Defending champion Hagen wasn't a factor today. Same goes for B-Worlds winner Maxi Richeze (132nd), by the way. Those late crashes might have caused some trouble, to be fair.
So goodbye to all followers, hope you enjoyed those days in Hamilton.