The final event of this year's World Championships is also the most coveted, the Road Race. The winner will wear the rainbow jersey next season. The B event saw a sprinter winning by attacking. The U23 event saw an attacker winning by attacking. How the race will play out today, no clue. Reigning champion Ponzi chose not to defend his title.
194 riders take to start line and wait for the starter to fire his gun. The punchy sprinters, like Demare, Kump and Van Stayen, are favorites but everything is possible. Bewley and Ewan know how to handle a hill as well. Coquard, Degenkolb and Swift are the more pure sprinters, and need an easy ride over the hills. B race-winner Ahlstrand could take the double and create MG history by being the first to do so. As for the attackers, names like Hagen, Bakelants, P. Sagan and Van Garderen should be the onces to watch, but many options are available and it requires the right strength, timing and a bit of luck to be in the right escape. Let's go!
Reichenbach attacks directly off the start, followed by Wetterhall and Costa.
Unlike the previous races, the first attempt was immediately the right attempt and there would be no counter-attempt. They lead with four minutes at the end of the first lap. Costa and Reichenbach are good puncheurs who definitely shouldn't get too much space in the final laps. Wetterhall's inclusion is a bit harder to explain, but at least Sweden doesn't have to chase which leaves more riders for Ahlstrand in the final part.
The riders quickly reach the ten-minute lead, by then Norway starts chasing. Poland, Italy and Belgium also place some riders at the front.
Chasing might not be the correct word to use here, as the gap increases to twelve minutes. 180 kilometer to go, which is eleven laps around Geelong. Some teams must take control of the peloton quickly, else the breakaway survives.
Puncture for Laengen, but he could safely return to the peloton. Belgium, France and New Zealand have taken control, bringing the gap down to eight minutes with 150 kilometer to go. We're only at the halfway mark.
Four laps to go, 70 kilometer. The gap is four minutes. Germany joins the chase, with Bakelants, Bennett, Coppel and Stauff being the main chasers.
Three laps to go and the gap is 2'30, at this rate the breakaway won't survive. The long coastline stretch is the difference. New Zealand at the front in full force, Bennett, David, Davison and Bauer.
Hansen attacks on the hill in the hope to bridge the gap, but would be caught just over the hill. As a result, Castaneda and Keough are amongst the first riders dropped though. 48 kilometer to go.
More trouble on the next climb, the presence of Greek riders signals Tzortzakis has been dropped. We can also spot riders like C. Meyer and Moser. At the back of the peloton we spot Lo Cicero, Maksimov and Nelson.
Two laps to go, two minutes the gap. The breakaway is not giving up without a fight. The peloton needs too claw back a minute per lap, then they're caught on the line. Lo Cicero, Maksimov and Nelson eventually let go, reducing the number of sprinters even further.
Bakelants sets the pace up the first climb, but the gap isn't coming down by much. 1'45 with 26 kilometer to go.
The increase did mean more riders dropped. Zabel one of the notable victims. Avelino and Te Brake are also behind.
Final lap! The gap is measured at 56 seconds, just under the minute. 154 riders still remaining in the peloton. Belgium, New Zealand and now also the British team leading.
Wisniowski attacks along the coastal stretch! Belgium with four riders at the front but they have done so much today already, hence they might want some other team to take over this chase.
Almost simultaneously, Costa and Reichenbach attack from the breakaway, dropping Wetterhall but also extending the gap a bit.
Wisniowski would be caught before the climb, but immediately teammate Bernas attacks. Maybe they consider him less of a threat. Thirty seconds to the lead of the race.
A quick view of the back. A group with Clarke, Guerao, Haller and Matthews is dropped. A bit furhter up the road we have a group with Degenkolb, Guardini, Mohs and Porsev! Germany still has Ciolek left in the front group, but otherwise all strong sprinters on that squad are gone.
Ten kilometer to go. Costa went solo and leads by twenty seconds over the peloton. Bernas, Reichenbach and Wetterhall caught. Belgium still at the front: Bakelants, De Bie, Van Stayen and Boeckmans. Which of the two will Belgium play out today?
The race is seven kilometers too long for Costa, as he is caught at the foot of the final hill. However, we can see a minor split at around 25th position, and another one around 50th. The peloton is in pieces, here are the riders at the front: Bakelants, Boeckmans, De Bie, Van Stayen Bernas, Gradek, Wisniowski Boswell, Van Garderen, E. Weiss Hansen, Juul-Jensen Gallopin, Koretzky Trentin, Ulissi Dzamastagic, Kump T. Meyer Tennant Stoltz Gerts Bewley Hagen Costa Ignatiev
In the second group: Galta, Laengen, Stenersen Mezgec, Polanc, Spilak Van Avermaet, Van der Sande Michely, Pons Kelderman, W. Kreder Atkins, Gough Kwiatkowski, Stachowiak Chernetskiy, Trofimov Boroš Lander Alaphilippe Swift Guarnieri Silvestre Reichenbach Warbasse
Enger and Demare between groups two and three.
The second and third group reunite, Trentin couldn't follow the pace in the front group and drops back to there. The 25 leaders have an advantage of 50 seconds going into the final six kilometer. The peloton has to count on some bad cooperation at the front to get back in contention, or a strong rider to bridge the gap.
De Bie leads the riders over the top of the final hill onto the downhill, Van Stayen right on his wheel. Costa has been dropped as well, but he gave everything to stay ahead. Together with Gradek he's between the first and second group, who now clocks over a minute behind.
It looks set to be a three-way battle between Van Stayen, Kump and Bewley, as all three of them are currently on De Bie's wheel, who acts as Van Stayen's leadout. Hagen the next rider in line followed by Bernas, Ulissi, Stoltz and Hansen. Boeckmans in the back of the group, leaving the sprint for Van Stayen, but why not sacrifice himself as leadout?
Such a strong leadout from De Bie that Hagen and co have to leave a gap at 1800 meters. Van Stayen, Kump, Bewley, one of these will be the new champion of the world.
De Bie moves aside at 1400, perhaps a bit too early for Van Stayen. He's now in the wind with Kump and Bewley eager to benefit off his slipstream.
Under the flag for the final kilometer and the three are virtually side-by-side. Van Stayen obviously having less speed, so Bewley versus Kump for the rainbow jersey most likely.
500 meters, Kump ever so slightly in the lead but Bewley appears to have more speed. Van Stayen has been passed and has to settle for bronze, as the rest of the group is far behind. Hagen still leading the sprint there, battling with Ulissi and T. Meyer for fourth as De Bie has been passed as well.
Bewley indeed passes Kump at 300 meters and leads by half-a-bike.
100 meters, Kump is coming back! Whoever has the best bike throw will win! And it's...
TOO CLOSE TO CALL! Bewley and Kump look at each other, Bewley had been leading but Kump had the better push, and it's unclear who crosses the line first. If there is a difference it will be measured in centimeters if not millimeters. We have to wait for the replays and the finish photo.
We do know for sure that Michael Van Stayen will take the bronze medal. He had the benefit of the leadout but De Bie could only do so much. Ulissi takes fourth place ahead of Ignatiev. Travis Meyer the best Australian in sixth, Hagen dropping to seventh. Van Garderen, Wisniowski and Juul-Jensen complete the top ten.
Costa crosses the line in 24th place, between the groups. The Portuguese put up the show but did not get the intended result. Still, kudos for trying.
Demare wins the peloton sprint for 26th place ahead of McEvoy, Docker, Trentin, Silvestre and Wesley Kreder. A couple more sprinters who were on the wrong side of the split and thus saw their chances ending early. The group finishes at 2'26 and consists of more than 100 riders, so not as scattered as the B Race.
Inconclusive. I'm inclined to say Bewley but we can't get a shot of the exact moment they crossed the line. We have to wait for the actual finish photo. I've received confirmation that we will see it on screen right now!
Marko Kump wins the World Championship by a matter of millimeters over Sam Bewley. What a turnaround from the Slovenian. He only led the final meters of the race, but those meters matter the most. Bewley with a silver medal, adding to his collection of gold in 2016 and bronze in 2014. Surely he must be disappointed to be this close.
We welcome to the podium the 2018 World Champion and the new owner of the rainbow jersey: Marko Kump!
Demare, 
Kump and 
Van Stayen, are favorites but everything is possible. 
Bewley and 
Ewan know how to handle a hill as well. 
Degenkolb and 
Swift are the more pure sprinters, and need an easy ride over the hills. B race-winner 
Ahlstrand could take the double and create MG history by being the first to do so. As for the attackers, names like 
Hagen, 
P. Sagan and 
Van Garderen should be the onces to watch, but many options are available and it requires the right strength, timing and a bit of luck to be in the right escape. Let's go!
Reichenbach attacks directly off the start, followed by 
Costa.
Hansen attacks on the hill in the hope to bridge the gap, but would be caught just over the hill. As a result, 
Castaneda and 
Tzortzakis has been dropped. We can also spot riders like 
Moser. At the back of the peloton we spot 
Maksimov and 
Te Brake are also behind.
Wisniowski attacks along the coastal stretch! Belgium with four riders at the front but they have done so much today already, hence they might want some other team to take over this chase.
Guerao, 
Haller and 
Stoltz
Boroš
