World Cycling Championships 2021 Flanders: Alaphilippe solos to new rainbow jersey

image: Cor VosWith a series of attacks in the penultimate lap Julian Alaphilippe drops his fellow attackers and he solos to a second world title in a row. Dylan van Baarle and Michael Valgren round out the podium. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2021 World Cycling Championships

1. Julian Alaphilippe (fra)
2. Dylan van Baarle (nld) + 0.32
3. Michael Valgren (den) s.t.
4. Jasper Stuyven (bel) s.t.
5. Neilson Powless (usa) s.t.
6. Tom Pidcock (gbr) + 0.49
7. Zdenek Stybar (cze) + 1.06
8. Mathieu van der Poel (nld) + 1.18
9. Florian Sénéchal (fra) s.t.
10. Sonny Colbrelli (ita) s.t.

Race report
The breakaway takes shape at kilometre 10. Gamper, Townsend, Burbano, Hernández, Kochetkov, Nisu, Magnusson and Sainbayar open up a gap of 6 minutes.

With roughly 100 kilometres remaining Cosnefroy, Cort and Evenepoel attack from the peloton. Roglic, Declercq, Tratnik, Démare, Bissegger, Asgreen, Haas, Hoelgaard, McNulty, Hoelgaard, Swift (Ben) and Eenkhoorn bridge across 10 kilometres later.

The three groups come together on the Leuven circuit.

Politt jumps clear with 91 kilometres remaining. Evenepoel, García, Van Baarle, Tratnik, Stannard, Madouas, Tiller, Bagioli, Powless and Würtz Schmidt bridge across. The eleven put almost 1 minute into the peloton.

In the second run on the Flandrien circuit only Evenepoel, Van Baarle, Madouas, Bagioli and Powless remain at the front, while Alaphilippe attacks on the Bekestraat climb. Van Aert, Stuyven, Stybar, Colbrelli and Mohoric go with him before others bridge across.

Alaphilippe strikes on the Smeysberg with Colbrelli in his wheel. Stuyven, Van Aert, Mohoric, Colbrelli, Bagioli, Nizzolo, Pidcock, Van Baarle, Van der Poel, Hoelgaard, Powless, Stybar, Valgren, Madouas, Sénéchal and Evenepoel track them down after the top.

Back on the Leuven circuit, Sénéchal launches Alaphilippe on the Wijnpers climb. He goes again once he is caught. And again on the Sint-Antoniusberg. This time with success.

Van Baarle, Stuyven, Powless and Valgren go after him and and they cross the line 10 seconds later. The other chasers are 15 seconds further behind.

The Frenchman extends his lead in the last lap and he takes his second world title in a row at Geldenaaksevest in Leuven.

Powless opens the sprint for silver before Stuyven takes over. Yet, Van Baarle crosses the line in second position, Valgren in third.

Another interesting read: route road race at the 2021 Worlds.