World Cycling Championships 2017 Bergen, Norway: Chantal Blaak solos to rainbow bands

Chances before the start were that a lady in orange would cross the line first. Everybody thought it would be Van der Breggen or Van Vleuten, but no, Chantal Blaak attacks with 8 kilometres left to solo to victory. Katrin Garfoot comes in second, Amalie Dideriksen in third. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2017 Worlds Road Race for women

1. Chantal Blaak (nld)
2. Katrin Garfoot (aus) + 0.28
3. Amalie Dideriksen (den) s.t.
4. Annemiek van Vleuten (nld) s.t.
5. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (pol) s.t.
6. Christine Majerus (lux) s.t.
7. Susanne Andersen (nor) s.t.
8. Anna van der Breggen (nld) s.t.
9. Emilia Fahlin (swe) s.t.
10. Elena Cecchini (ita) s.t.

Race report
At km 16 Sara Penton, a 28-year old Swedish time trialist, is the first attacker. She races to a lead of 1 minute over the peloton when British U23 champion Melissa Lowther rejoins her at km 40. A little later Lowther drops her companion on a short uphill stretch before Salmon Hill.

With 100 kms remaining the leader is almost caught when Lucinda Brand bridges across, yet they are brought back.

Susanne Andersen heads out alone with four laps to go before Amy Pieters goes on the counter-attack. Hannah Barnes and Rachel Neylan cross over. Elisa Longo Borghini is struggling and drops on Salmon Hill and a group with Chantal Blaak and Megan Guarnier crashes on descent.

The leaders are more than half a minute adrift with three laps to go, while Lucinda Brand and Gracie Elvin bridge across on Salmon Hill and Neylan is dropped. Yet, the pack is once again bunched with two laps left. With a strong effort Blaak did come back, too.

Dani King leaves and Janneke Ensing, Amanda Spratt and Elise Delzenne chase her down, while Ashleigh Moolman hits the deck. Hanna Nilsson chases the front group down and in the peloton Anna van der Breggen speeds up on the penultimate climb up Salmon Hill. On the top the front group consists of eleven women with Van Vleuten, Niewiadoma, Garfoot, Ludwig, Guderzo and Ferrand-Provot. Deignan crosses over on descent, as does a group of twenty riders on the cobbles before the last passage. Chantal Blaak, Audrey Cordon-Ragot and Hannah Barnes push on with three.

Van der Breggen accelerates on a small climb with 14 kms to go, while Niewiadoma speeds up on the lower slopes of Salmon Hill with Van Vleuten, Van der Breggen and Garfoot on her wheel. They chase the leaders down and when cresting they are 40 seconds ahead of the first chasers.

Blaak attacks with 8 kms remaining and she swiftly takes 25 seconds. Her team mates Van der Breggen and Van Vleuten control the race. Niewiadoma and Barnes try to chase Blaak down, but to no avail.

While Blaak solos to victory, the chasers are caught and the battle for silver and bronze comes down to a bunch sprint. Garfoot comes in second, while former World Champion Dideriksen sprints to third place.