UCI Road World Championships 2018

The road

At the start

Innsbruck, and the Höttinger Höll

The hardest Worlds course in a generation: 261 kilometres and 5,000 metres of climbing around Innsbruck, lap after lap over the climb at Igls, and then on the final circuit only the Höttinger Höll, whose ramps touch twenty-five per cent and whose summit comes thirteen kilometres from the line. Peter Sagan is here for a fourth rainbow jersey in a row, and almost nobody believes the Höll will let him have it.

How it was won

1. 190 km to go

   Sagan is dropped

   With 90km to race the defining image arrives at the back of the bunch: reigning champion Peter Sagan slips away on the climbing, nodding and smiling to the camera. The Innsbruck course is too much for the sprinters.

2. 265 km to go

   The race ignites past Igls

   The action kicks off with 65km to go as Roglič crashes at the top of the climb and Italy throw Nibali and Cataldo forward. Nothing is allowed to escape yet, but the attrition is relentless.

3. 355 km to go

   Van Avermaet on the offensive

   Fifty-five kilometres out Greg Van Avermaet goes clear with Omar Fraile and Damiano Caruso. The move is reeled in, but the pace has stripped the peloton to the strongest few.

4. 435 km to go

   The selection on Igls

   On the penultimate ascent of Igls the favourites' group is torn apart — Dan Martin, Kwiatkowski and Vuelta winner Simon Yates are all shelled out the back before the finale even begins.

5. 513 km to go

   Decided on the Höttinger Höll

   On the vicious final climb, ramps of up to 25 per cent, Valverde, Bardet and Woods force the winning gap. The Höll cracks everyone else, and 13km from the line the medals are set.

6. 67 km to go

   Dumoulin bridges on the descent

   On the fast run down off the Höll, Tom Dumoulin flies across to make the leaders four. The rainbow jersey will be settled in a sprint.

7. 7At the line

   Valverde is finally world champion

   In a surprisingly cagey finale Alejandro Valverde judges the sprint perfectly, beating Bardet and Woods to the line to claim the rainbow jersey at the age of 38.

The result