Leuven, Belgium, Sept 26 (AFP/APP):Title holder Julian Alaphilippe won cycling’s world championships road race on Sunday, after dropping all of his rivals following a series of solo attacks on Flanders’ cobbled hills.
The Frenchman attacked from 50km out to create an elite group of 17 riders, then again from 15km to edge away to a solo victory in an epic 268km struggle through cycling’s heartland.
As road race world champion, Alaphilippe will race the next year wearing the fabled rainbow jersey another year after winning in similar fashion at the 2020 event in Italy.
A four-way scrap for second place was clinched on the line by Dylan van Baarle of the Netherlands with Denmark’s Michael Valgren coming third.
Highly tipped newcome Britain’s Tom Pidcock was just off the money in sixth at 49sec.
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