Several smaller Nations will fight for the last spot in the World Championship Road Race. The startlist has a good number of very popular riders such as top10 GT riders.
Clear favourite is Guldhammer. The Dane has proven his value in the PT already and is supposed to be the strongest climber here while most opponents are from PCT teams.
Berhane and Samwel keep up the African flag, while Ji, Solis, Shikai or Bennett are other riders from outside Europe.
Other favoured Nations are Sweden, Croatia and the Czech Republic as also Poland or Kazakhstan.
Let`s have a closer look. 7 climbs up the first climb, while the final ascent gets a bit higher even with some steep slopes. So who will be first today?
First to attack is Godoy. He is a decent stage racer and actually team mate of last years winner Richeze. He quickly has a 3min gap with Eritrea, New Zealand or Belarus working behind. As solo rider the danger surely is smaller.
Despite the gap another rider successfully joins him though one lap later. It`s Öste Macdonald. A pure climber but very equal on the uphill sections.
The maximum gap was at almost 8min but it`s down to 6'45 again at the 100km mark. It`s Eritrea, Kenya, Denmark and New Zealand working the most so far with Bolivia and Croatia supporting a bit here and there. Also the first team leader is dropped surprisingly. It`s Tvetcov with a very bad form it seems. Just a bit later the next is hit. Martinez as next 2nd tier rider has lost contact while the peloton is still at 106 riders.
Last short climb with 45km to go. The gap is down to 2'30 and also the moment of the first favourite attack. It`s Kwiatkowski, who had a huge PCT season and must be taken serious. He is followed by veteran Siutsou.
Next to Denmark and Eritrea also China and Czech Republic were chasing hard now. Siutsou is caught and Kwiatkowski`s gap is at 23s only, while also the breakaway duo is at ~1min only.
All favourites are in the first half of the peloton but another leader is dropped from the 71 rider peloton: Boily.
China with an interesting move. Instead of giving Shikai all the work, Ji is going to the front himself and immediately gaps the others. His acceleration is not the best though his diesel engine has some huge power.
Behind him Lövkvist immediate comes to the front chasing hard but in the end together with Teklehaimanot they catch both Ji and Kwiatkowski.
16km left and as the breakaway is almost caught those two attack again. This time followed by: Kiserlovski Nepomnyachsniy Berhane Samwel Bennett Gilanipoor
Solis though chases them down and with 10,5km a 63 rider peloton is back together in the front.
Being on the last climb the question is, who has remained the most energy. Top favourite Guldhammer so far was calm and surely should be more fresh inside the group.
7km and the next row of attacks.
In the front: Ji Berhane Solis Kiserlovski Siutsou Kwiatkowski
Then with a 28s gap: Nepomnyachsniy Lövkvist Guldhammer Samwel
König
Scarponi Majka Hacecky Shikai
While Norway, Iran and New Zealand are working in the peloton with their leaders itself, the front group is up to 11 riders as the first 3 groups have fusioned. They are 48s ahead of the Scarponi group, that is 21s ahead of the peloton.
Is Guldhammer just playing or is he having a weak day? He always is at the back of the group while in the front Ji, Samwel or Kwiatkowski are the most active always trying to create a gap.
Also König seems exhausted as he drops and rejoins a couple of times.
2,3km and the next attack. This time by Lövkvist.
Ji, Kwiatkowski, Samwel, Siutshou, Solis and Berhane look strong and also accelerate.
Guldhammer once more just tries to hang on while Kiserlovski and Nepomnyachsniy are dropped!
Under the Flamme Rouge Lövkist is still in the lead. And his gap to Ji/Kwiatkowski is pretty good. All others further behind need to do something quickly.
Solis and Samwel look strong but have done too much already. They really lack the usual power of Guldhammer, Kiserlovski. These two with a horrible day though it seems. Berhane and Siutsou also at their limit now.
And so it`s Lövkvist celebrating a big win. In the end he was the smartest by not joining the early attacks and instead just taking care of them to be caught.
His late move then was strong enough to win. Well done and congrats to the key to the A Worlds!
Ji and Kwiatkowski possibly were the strongest today. But all their attacks only deliver them the next podium spots as they couldn`t counter Lövkvists acceleration. Surely a bit disappointing for them but still a nice result nevertheless.
Solis as 4th ahead of Samwel. Siutsou as 6th also with a huge performance ahead of disappointed Berhane and Guldhammer, who surely had hoped for the win as well.
Kiserlovski in 9th and Nepo 10th just as disappointing.
Godoy. He is a decent stage racer and actually team mate of last years winner Richeze. He quickly has a 3min gap with Eritrea, New Zealand or Belarus working behind. As solo rider the danger surely is smaller.
Öste Macdonald. A pure climber but very equal on the uphill sections.
Tvetcov with a very bad form it seems. Just a bit later the next is hit. 
Martinez as next 2nd tier rider has lost contact while the peloton is still at 106 riders.
Kwiatkowski, who had a huge PCT season and must be taken serious. He is followed by veteran 
Siutsou. 
Boily. 
Ji is going to the front himself and immediately gaps the others. His acceleration is not the best though his diesel engine has some huge power.
Kiserlovski
Nepomnyachsniy
Berhane
Samwel
Bennett
Gilanipoor
Solis
Guldhammer
König
Scarponi
