BikeRaceInfo: Current and historical race results, plus interviews, bikes, travel, and cycling history

find us on Facebook Find us on Twitter See our youtube channel Melanoma: It started with a freckle Schwab Cycles South Salem Cycleworks frames Neugent Cycling Wheels Peaks Coaching: work with a coach! Shade Vise sunglass holder Advertise with us!

Search our site:
Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Sign up for our Email Newsletter

Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Monday, September 27, 2021

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2020 Tour de France | 2021 Giro d'Italia

The audiobook version of The Story of the Tour de France, Volume 1 is available.

Man is the most intelligent of the animals - and the most silly. - Diogenes


Cycling's 50 Triumphs and Tragedies

Upcoming racing:

Latest completed racing:


Men's World Road Championships reports

We posted the report from winner Julian Alaphilippe's Deceuninck-Quick Step team with the results.

Here's the report from the race organizer:

Julian Alaphilippe can add another chapter to his story of the rainbow jersey. After a strong final in which the Frenchman attacked multiple times, he won his second consecutive world title solo. Silver went to the Dutchman Van Baarle. The Dane Valgren took third place on the podium.

Julian Alaphilippe

Julian Alaphilippe gets his second rainbow jersey. Sirotti photo

To round off the 100th anniversary of the UCI Road World Championships, the elite men set off from Grote Markt in Antwerp on a circuit spanning 268.3 km, incorporating 42 climbs. Eight riders joined forces for an early breakaway that would endure around 100 km. The peloton let them go, allowing the lead group to build up a 6-minute lead.

After a brief introduction to the local circuit in Leuven, the riders headed to the Flandrien Loop for the first time. Cosnefroy, Evenepoel and Cort Nielsen were able to break free from the peloton during the first passage on Smeysberg, 180 km from the finish line. On the S-bend in Overijse - Taymansstraat, a small group, including Asgreen and Roglic, managed to make the crossing. A group of 15 riders formed behind them. Italy did not have a man in the group, so the squadra had to work hard.

With differences of less than 30 seconds, the groups started four loops of the city circuit in Leuven. The short, arduous climbs followed in quick succession. The peloton automatically thinned out. With 92 kilometres to go, Evenepoel once again made himself heard. The young Belgian slipped through with a small group that included the German Politt, the Spaniard Garcia Cortina and the Dutchman Van Baarle. This time, Italy also had a representative at the front, Bagioli. With a lead of about half a minute, the men headed once more towards the Flandrien Loop.

It wasn’t until Bekestraat that the favourites burst into action. Title defender Alaphilippe accelerated with Van Aert and Stuyven. They were joined by European champion Colbrelli, Van der Poel and Pidcock. They soon reached Evenepoel’s group. The fourth and final passage on Smeysberg provided another spectacle. Again it was Alaphilippe who supplied the fireworks. Only Colbrelli could follow. This time it was up to the Belgians to rectify the situation, which they did. The group of favourites raced towards the final 2.5 laps on the city loop in Leuven where ecstatic fans awaited the finale.

At the penultimate passage on Keizersberg, Evenepoel, who had delivered an impressive performance, pulled over. A little later it was the French who accelerated again. Alaphilippe was handed the red carpet by Madouas and launched on to Wijnpers. For the first time, Van Aert had to do the hard work himself, but was not able to catch Alaphilippe. When compatriot Stuyven went on the attack, the Belgian leading man closed the gap. Stuyven, Pidcock and Colbrelli were on the heels of Alaphilippe. On the ascending stretches towards the penultimate passage on Sint-Antoniusberg it was again Alaphilippe who saw his chance. He put the entire group under pressure.

This time with success. In the chase it was Stuyven, Van Baarle, Valgren and Powless who slipped away from the Van Aert – Van der Poel group and went after Alaphilippe, starting the final lap 10 seconds behind him. Now, it was all down to who would take second place. Alaphilippe held up well on the climbs during the last round and rode solo towards the finish on Geldenaaksevest.

In the sprint for second place it was the Dutchman Van Baarle who won. The Dane Valgren took bronze, which meant Stuyven just missed a place on the podium. But it was Alaphilippe who triumphed in Leuven. He picked up gold for the second year in a row and can call himself world champion for another year.

Here's the report from second-place Dylan van Baarle's INEOS Grenadiers team:

Dylan van Baarle put in a superb ride to take second place in a memorable edition of the World Championships road race in Flanders.

The race played out at a relentless pace in front of a packed Belgian crowd, with Van Baarle twice forcing his way into key moves to put himself into medal position.

The Grenadier still had enough strength in his legs after 268 kilometres to out-sprint his rivals for second place, and a richly deserved silver medal for the Netherlands.

Tom Pidcock had joined Van Baarle in a star-studded 17-rider move with 60km to go and set about biding his time on the run-in.

Tom Pidcock

Tom Pidcock finishing sixth. Sirotti photo

With Julian Alaphilippe launching a solo bid out front, and a second counter-attack going away, the Brit took it upon himself to set off in pursuit on the final lap in Leuven, coming tantalisingly close to the podium battle on the finishing straight, taking an eventual sixth place.

Up ahead there had been no stopping Alaphilippe, with the Frenchman launching multiple attacks en route to a classy solo victory, taking back to back rainbow jerseys.

10 Grenadiers representing six nations began the race, with Pidcock’s GB teammates Luke Rowe and Ben Swift getting through a lot of work on the front. Eddie Dunbar (Ireland) was in the mix for the early break, while Michal Kwiatkowski put in a strong acceleration with 60km to go. He was assisted by Polish teammate Michal Golas in his final worlds appearance.

Ethan Hayter (Great Britain) bounced back from an early crash and launched an acceleration as an extremely attacking race began to intensify. Gianni Moscon suffered an early puncture but got through a lot of work for his Italian teammates. Carlos Rodriguez was representing Spain and gained invaluable experience in his first senior road race.

Reaction - Tom Pidcock:
"It was cat and mouse. I had a feeling it would be coming into the race on this circuit. There’s no climb that’s hard enough just to ride off – well apart from if you're Alaphilippe! I was just saving it for one attack and I waited too long and missed the race to be honest. I missed the train. Alaphilippe did an unreal ride. Fair play to him.

"It was unreal. We weren’t riding on roads today, we were riding in a stadium. My ears were ringing – it was incredible."

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary