We're back at the Nurgburgring racetrack for the penultimate event of the World Championships, the U23 Road Race! A star studded and very close field have turned up today to try and claim the mantle of the best young of the world. Let us take a closer look at the top contenders.
Favourites
Name
Country
MON
HIL
STA
RES
ACC
Ivan Sosa
Colombia
73
73
73
77
70
Sergio Higuita
Colombia
73
72
74
76
71
Egan Bernal
Colombia
75
70
76
76
67
Daniel Habtemichael
Africa B
74
71
71
70
65
Tadej Pogacar
Slovenia
73
71
74
74
68
Nicola Conci
Italy
73
71
73
72
67
Michael Storer
Oceania
70
73
70
71
70
Jhonatan Narvaez
America A
70
73
68
69
71
Pavel Sivakov
Russia
75
69
75
74
68
Marc Hirschi
Switzerland
70
72
75
74
69
Georg Zimmermann
Germany
73
70
75
75
68
Pascal Eenkhoorn
Netherlands
73
70
72
74
70
Kevin Inkelaar
Netherlands
76
68
72
73
73
Tobias Foss
Norway
74
69
74
76
68
Petr Rikunov
Russia
72
70
69
68
65
Attila Valter
Europe C
70
71
71
70
71
Looks like it's going to be Colombia versus the rest as the former brings three genuine contenders to this race! Below is the full startlist.
Otruba and Mestric are the first riders to get away today but their attack lasts only a couple of kilometers before being shut down.
It takes 30 kilometers for the break of the day to form, with the pack not allowing any attacks in the opening stages.
Verwilst and Wildauer form the break of the day.
Another 30 odd kilometers later, we see the first signs of organization in the pack as Colombia, Denmark and Germany put riders at the front. They trail by around 6 minutes currently.
With 180 kilometers to go, the break have increased their lead to 6'58".
100 kilometers left now. Slovenia have joined Colombia in the chase. The gap has has halved to 3'48".
The break is caught with 60 kilometers to go.
The increase in the pace has also resulted in a split in the peloton.
Primozic, Lopez, Ponce and Kanter are in the first chase group.
In the next group, Sosa is the biggest name dropped and so it looks like one of the Colombian favourites is on a bad day. Giirdlestone and RIkunov are among the bigger names in this group.
The Sosa group make it back to the pack with 38 kilometers to go. 69 riders remain in the peloton.
It is short-lived however as the pack splits again just 4 kiloneters later. Sosa, who's struggling now, Stannard, Abdurrahaman and TT champ Mano are among those dropped.
Foss leads them on with 20 kilometers remaining. Higuita and Pogacar are in the next positions.
The Sosa group is nearly 3 minutes down now!
10 kilometers to go. The peloton has 33 riders and we're 1 kilometer away from the summit of the final ascent.
Inkelaar accelerates a couple of kilometers later as the first real attack among the favourites. Immediately it splits the pack as 15 riders are able to follow while 17 are not.
Conci, Geniets, Girdlestone, Mano, Rikunov, Mader and eleven are others are in the chasing group.
5 kilometers left for the leading group of 16. They are:
A kilometer later, 13 of the 17 dropped riders make it back to the front group to make it a 29 rider peloton.
2 kilometers remain. They go five wide as we near the finish. From left to right it is Zimmermann, Higuita, Pogacar, Foss and Bernal. Sivavok and Narvaez are in the row just behind.
Zimmermann drops back under the Flamme Rouge as Sivavok makes up ground. Garcia has been dropped from this group at the back.
No moves yet we enter the final 600 meters.
400 meters. The front four make a strong push for the finish. Sivavok has lost ground again.
It's a four way drag race for the line as Colombia moves into the top two spots with Pogacar and Foss trying to close them down.
Higuita leads with 200 meters left. Pogacar back into 2nd. FOss is losing ground.
Bernal is going again on the near side with 100 meters to go.
Bernal is up into 2nd and closing Higuita down!
Bernal takes it on the line! That's as close as it gets! Higuita finishes 2nd for a Colombia 1-2. They live up to their billing.
Pogacar is 3rd with Foss in 4th.
Zimmermann is 5th, with Sivakov, Narvaez and Hirschi coming through next.
Conci and Majoral round out the Top 10.
Today's winner - Egan Bernal.
Perhaps an expected winner today, but Bernal had to fight hard to take the U23 crown. He is joined by compatriot Higuita and Pogacar on the podium.
