Alaphilippe (of the Deceuninck-Quick Step team) is the new rainbow jersey.
Julian Alaphilippe graduated World Cycling Champion at the end of the road race reserved for professionals, with a triumphant arrival at the Imola circuit. Hard race: 28.8 km circuit with two climbs repeated nine times (Mazzolano, 2.7 km, at 6.1% and peaks at 13%; Gallisterna, 2.7 km, at 6.4% and peaks at 15%). There is an initial escape that reaches a margin of 7'. The big ones remain calm and then enter the scene in the last three laps. Belgium controls the race, France chases and relaunches. Two laps from the end, Pogacar, due to a technical problem, changes bikes, recovers uphill and hears the bell of the last lap with 25'' on the group, but is restarted. Last ascent: he tries Nibali, but he almost immediately drops down on a Kwiatkowski's lunge. One breathes the atmosphere of the moment of truth. The Frenchman Alaphilippe, with an action of his own, sprints on the Gallisterna) starts at about ten km from the finish line, when the slopes of Cima Gallisterna are worse and doesn't leave any escape to the pursuers: rule Wout Van Aert (a great favourite of the eve) and arrives alone under the finishing line of the Imola circuit. A splendid sprint, but no one was able to stick to the wheel, so Julian Alaphilippe won the Imola World Championship, to the detriment of Belgian Wout Van Aert (a handful of seconds and a few metres behind) who lost the momentum and Swiss Marc Hirschi (bronze medalist).
If the Belgian battleship disappoints, Italy is worse: a couple of extensions by Damiano Caruso (the best of the Italians who closed in tenth place) and Vincenzo Nibali are not enough to worry the most eagerly awaited men, like Alaphilippe.
Summing up
Triumph France, according to Belgium, beautiful bronze of Switzerland and total disappointment from Italy.
by kork75!
