- Frenchman wins his second successive world road race title
- Alaphilippe: ‘Belgian fans made me angry, that pushed me on’
Julian Alaphilippe overcame 60 Flandrian hills and the ire of Flemish fans to join the rare group of male cyclists who have successfully defended the world championship road race title, winning solo in Leuven after riding the final 17 kilometres on his own to make a little piece of personal history. France may be one of cycling’s foremost nations, but even champions such as Bernard Hinault and Louison Bobet never won the world title twice.
Dylan van Baarle of the Netherlands won the sprint for second place, with Michael Valgren of Denmark coming third, as the Belgian rider Jasper Stuyven agonisingly missed out on the podium. The 22-year-old British rider and Olympic gold medallist Tom Pidcock was sixth.