Wollongong, Australia, Sept 25 (AFP\/APP):Belgium ace Remco Evenepoel backed up victory at the Vuelta a Espana by storming to the world road race title on Sunday with a spectacular solo ride to claim a first rainbow jersey, vowing “a big party” to celebrate.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old finished 2min 21sec ahead of Frenchman Christophe Laporte after an epic 266.9-kilometre (165.4 miles) slog around the coastal city of Wollongong south of Sydney.<\/p>\n
Australia’s Michael Matthews was third after a last-gasp sprint ahead of Belgium pre-race favourite Wout van Aert.<\/p>\n
Another favourite, Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel, abandoned the race early after he was charged with common assault late Saturday following an alleged altercation with two teenage girls.<\/p>\n
French two-time defending champion Julian Alaphilippe, who had a chaotic build-up, missing much of the year with injuries, was 51st while Slovenian two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar came 19th.<\/p>\n
“After a long season it’s amazing to finish like this,” said Evenepoel, who pumped his fists and put his head in his hands in disbelief after the 6hrs 16min endurance test.<\/p>\n
“I’m super happy I had the legs today, it’s something I’ve been dreaming of.”<\/p>\n
Evenepoel launched a massive attack with 35 kilometres left and only Alexey Lutsenko stayed with him, then he went off again on a climb nine kilometres later to leave the Kazakh in his wake.<\/p>\n
He entered the final 17.2-kilometre lap with a 1min 10secs lead and put his head down for the solo ride to the finish, becoming the first Belgium winner since Philippe Gilbert in 2012.<\/p>\n
Already the winner of the Vuelta a Espana World Tour event in September, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege earlier in the year, victory capped a massively successful season for Evenepoel.<\/p>\n
“After a big classic grand tour, and a world championship, I think I won everything I could have won this year,” he said. “I think I will never have another season like this.<\/p>\n
“It will be a big party, I’m not going to see my bed I guess.”<\/p>\n
The pack headed south with a sweeping coastal traverse from the start at Helensburgh towards the heart of the championships in Wollongong.<\/p>\n
Once there, they tackled a steep climbing circuit over Mount Keira, peaking at a 473-metre elevation, before heading back to a technical Wollongong city route which they lapped 12 times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wollongong, Australia, Sept 25 (AFP\/APP):Belgium ace Remco Evenepoel backed up victory at the Vuelta a Espana by storming to the world road race title on Sunday with a spectacular solo ride to claim a first rainbow jersey, vowing “a big party” to celebrate. The 22-year-old […]<\/p>\n
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