World Cycling Championships 2018 Innsbruck, Austria: Valverde World Champion!

The road race at the Worlds in Innsbruck is a climber's dream. At 259.4 kilometres, the route features 4,670 vertical metres and nine climbs. Alejandro Valverde, Romain Bardet and Michael Woods are the first riders over the final climb. Dumoulin tracks them down in the descent before Valverde sprints to victory. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results men’s road race 2018 World Championships

1. Alejandro Valverde (spa)
2. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
3. Michael Woods (can) s.t.
4. Tom Dumoulin (nld) s.t.
5. Gianni Moscon (ita) + 0.13
6. Roman Kreuziger (cze) + 0.43
7. Michael Valgren (den) s.t.
8. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) s.t.
9. Thibaut Pinot (fra) s.t.
10. Rui Costa (por) s.t.

Race report
Kasper Asgreen, Rob Britton, Tobias Ludvigsson and Stylianos Farantakis open up a gap at km 5. The Greek rider can’t follow the pace, while Vegard Stake Laengen, Ryan Mullen and Daniil Fominykh are the first group to bridge across. Conor Dunne, Karel Hník, Laurent Didier, Jacques Janse van Rensburg and Ilia Koshevoy make it eleven at the front. The leaders widen the gap to 19 minutes before the peloton takes control just before the first passage on the line.

Peter Sagan can’t follow the pace in the peloton with 93 kms to go.

A move by Vincenzo Nibali and Michal Kwiatkowski is neutralised 62 kms before the line. Almost at the same time, just when the race breaks open, Primoz Roglic hits the deck.

Greg Van Avermaet attacks with 55 kms remaining. Omar Fraile and Damiano Caruso go with him, but they are brought back on the next climb.

On the penultimate circuit-climb the peloton is considerably reduced. Miguel Ángel López, Wout Poels, Simon Yates, Michal Kwiatkowski and Dan Martin are no longer aboard, while Roglic has made it back.

The front group is down to Asgreen and Stake Laengen when the bells rings for the last lap. The main group is 2 minutes in arrears.

Italy sets the pace on the Igls-climb and Tim Wellens loses contact. When Steven Kruijswijk attacks and the bunch reacts Vicenzo Nibali can’t follow. Sam Oomen is next to accelerate. Greg Van Avermaet cracks.

Peter Kennaugh attacks and Michael Valgren tracks him down. The Dane is the first rider over the summit. A group with Rui Costa, Thibaut Pinot and Gianni Moscon is chasing. In the descent, Roglic restores contact and brings the other riders back in contention.

Valgren tackles the Höttinger Höll 32 seconds ahead of the peloton. Michael Woods, Julian Alaphilippe, Gianni Moscon, Romain Bardet, Thibaut Pinot and Alejandro Valverde catch him on the climb. Alaphilippe is dropped and Dumoulin rejoins the pre-race favourite.

Woods, Valverde and Bardet are the first riders over the crest. Dumoulin tracks them down with 1.5 kms to go before the race comes down to a four-up sprint. The Spaniard leads it out, only to power to a commanding victory. Bardet takes silver, Woods bronze.