Julian Alaphilippe has soloed to victory in the men's road race at the road cycling world championships, becoming France's first holder of the rainbow jersey since 1997.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Alaphilippe had time to punch the air before raising his arms above his head as he crossed the finish line on Imola's auto racing circuit.
Belgian rider Wout van Aert won a sprint for second, 24 seconds behind Alaphilippe, with Marc Hirschi of Switzerland third at the end of the tough course.
The final race of the championships featured a total of 5,000 meters climbing in 258.2km.
Nine laps of a circuit started and finished on the city's auto racing track.
There were two brutal climbs on each lap - the Mazzolano and the Cima Gallisterna - and Alaphilippe attacked on the final ascent of the Gallisterna, with 12km remaining.
He swiftly established a slim advantage over a world-class chase group and held them off to secure victory.
The race took place exactly a week after the Tour de France ended with Tadej Pogacar becoming the youngest winner in the event's 116-year history.
The 22-year-old Slovenian led Sunday's race into the final lap, with an advantage of about 20 seconds, after attacking with just over 40 km remaining.
However, Pogacar was caught by the peloton on the Mazzolano.
The worlds were moved to Imola after Swiss host Aigle-Martigny backed out because of a government ruling limiting mass gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Australian Associated Press
