Mathieu van der Poel’s solo victory in the elite men’s road race at the Glasgow World Championships will longer long in the memory, but the event cannot be distilled solely to the Dutchman’s virtuoso display in the finale.
From start to finish, this was an event of rare attrition, with contenders and challengers falling by the wayside even before the peloton hit the technical finishing circuit in Glasgow, with the intermittent rain only adding to the drama.
Some lofty names dropped out of contention relatively early, with Jasper Philipsen and two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe among those to lose their chances long before the finish. As anticipated, the star-studded Belgian squad of defending champion Remco Evenepoel dictated much of the terms of engagement, but not even they could bend this unruly race to their will.
Alberto Bettiol’s long-range effort helped to create what proved to be the winning break, with Van der Poel joined by eternal rival Wout van Aert, Tadej Pogačar and Mads Pedersen in a group of remarkable depth.
With two laps to go, the race seemed too close to call, only for Van der Poel to go into overdrive. Not even a crash and a broken shoe could deny the Dutchman as he soloed to a remarkable victory while Van Aert, Pogačar and Pedersen did battle behind.
Chris Auld was on hand to capture the day’s action, and this is the pick of his photography from a most dramatic elite men’s road race.
With expectations high for a Belgian win, fans were out in force across Glasgow
The early breakaway established itself after 20km of racing
Defending Champion Remco Evenepoel's racing machine in Glasgow
Great Britain leads the breakaway over a climb in front of local crowds
Fans line the road race circuit and cheer for contenders as Julian Alaphilippe surges on course
A group forms in the elite men's road race
Riders out on course along the Glasgow circuit
New Zealand's Laurence Pithie makes a mark on the elite men's race
As the rain begins to pour down, fans get a close glimpse of John Degenkolb in action
The USA is among the day's moves as Neilson Powless finishes 11th
Rivals keep a close eye on Evenepoel as the rain begins to come down on the field
Evenepoel grits his teeth as he pushes the pace
The powerful Belgium team leads the select group during the men's race
Fans cheer for Belgium as a rider begins a long climb on the circuit
Rain causes havoc on the local circuit as a rider goes down in the men's road race
Riders tackle one of the many hills on the Glasgow city circuit
The intermittent rain only added to the difficulties on a brutal day of racing
A Belgian fan gets into the local Scottish spirit
Reigning champion Remco Evenepoel battles to stay in contention
Out front, Mathieu van der Poel put on a stunning display of power
Fans cheer on Van der Poel as he soloes to his first road Worlds title
Van der Poel was peerless over the final 22km after attacking an elite lead group
He had time to savour his win, beating Wout van Aert by 1:37
It was an emotional win for Van der Poel and the Netherlands, who hadn't won the men's race since 1985
The spoils of victory – the famous rainbow bands and a big gold medal
A rainbow-clad Van der Poel takes it in on the podium
He was joined by runner-up Van Aert and bronze medallist Tadej Pogačar on the podium
Love from the fans on a momentous day of racing in Glasgow
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