World Cycling Championships 2014 Ponferrada: Kwiatkowski World Champion!

With a powerful jump Michal Kwiatkowski escapes with 5 kilomettres left. He eats the break alive, whilst Gilbert is leading the chase with Gerrans and Valverde. But the 24-year old Pole is too strong and heads for the rainbow jersey. Gerrans takes silver, Valverde is once again on the podium, and once again not on the upper shelf... (Slideshow route/profile)

World Cycling Championships 2014: Results Road race men

1. Michal Kwiatkowski (pol)
2. Simon Gerrans (aus) + 0.01
3. Alejandro Valverde (spa) s.t.
4. Matti Breschel (den) s.t.
5. Greg van Avermaet (bel) s.t.
6. Tony Gallopin (fra) s.t.
7. Philippe Gilbert (bel) + 0.04
8. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) + 0.07
9. John Degenkolb (Ger) s.t.
10. Nacer Bouhanni (fra) s.t.

Race report
Misty and cold, that’s Ponferrada at the start of the race. The riders don’t mind and go for it. Colombian Rubiano is the first one to break, but he does not get clear. Next is a group of seven with Julián Arredondo, the mountain king in recent Giro. But eventually it’s Polivoda, Saviskas, Kvasina and Quintero forming the first serious break. They ride to a maximum gain of a little under sixteen minutes. With the Polish squad taking the lead in the pack the gap steadily goes down.

At 60 kilometres a new break of twelve takes shape. Tony Martin is amongst them and in the descent to the finish line he gets clear. Wellens, Visconti, Juul Jensen, Kennaugh, Boasson Hagen, Albasini, Caruso, Navarro, Geschke, Trofimov en Vanmarcke are chasing, whilst the pack is at 1 minute.

With 40 kilometres left Martin is brought back and it’s eleven upfront now, since Wellens was dropped. The pack is at 40 seconds, but in the penultimate lap the break is reeled in.

Next it’s De Marchi, Andersen and Gautier taking their chances. Kiryienka bridges the gap. With the bell ringing the bunch is at 0’44”, but the gain goes down. At the bottom of the closing climb the gap is 7 seconds and Kwiatkowski bridges the gap with one powerful jump. The Pole eats the break alive and when cresting Gilbert, Valverde, Van Avermaet, Gallopin, Breschel and Gerrans are very close.

In the descent Kwiatkowski manages to escape the grasp of the big names and powers to victory. In the final metres he raises his hands whilst winning the race with a 1 second gain. Gerrans is second, Valverde is on the podium and once again it’s not in the rainbow jersey.