Cycling Road World Championships 2014: Daily Results, Times and Updated Schedule
The 2014 Cycling Road World Championships will take place from September 21 to 28 in Ponferrada, Spain, as the top cyclists from 69 nations will make their bids for the right to wear the rainbow-coloured jersey in the 2015 season.
A total of 12 races across seven events will take place, culminating in the Elite Men's race on Sunday, where Portugal's Rui Costa will defend his 2013 title.
The first days of competition will focus on the time-trial events and serve as the biggest stage for the sport's specialists before the road races kick off on Friday.
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Sunday Update
Poland's Michal Kwiatkowski stunned the peloton with an early jump on the final climb to win the Men's Elite World Championship, beating out favourites Simon Gerrans and Alejandro Valverde for the gold.
| Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) | Simon Gerrans (AUS) | Alejandro Valverde (ESP) |
The Elite Men's race was ridden in difficult conditions, with occasional showers making an already difficult course even more treacherous. The 2014 Road Cycling World Championships has seen countless heavy crashes throughout the week, and Sunday's race was no different.
Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali suffered a heavy crash early in the race, although he was able to continue, according to British Cycling:
The peloton was remarkably nervous in the early stages, and when time trialist Tony Martin launched an attack with more than 55 kilometers left to go, the race exploded. As shared by OPQS Cycling Team, he quickly took a significant lead:
The Belgian and Polish teams made the pace in the pack and quickly gained on the German star, but as soon as he was caught, it started raining attacks. Great Britain's Peter Kennaugh and Giovanni Visconti tried their luck, but their lead was short-lived.
Cyril Gautier and Alessandro De Marchi were next, and the constant chasing started taking its toll on the peloton. Chasing a leading group by 40 seconds with 16 kilometers to go, the sprinters started taking positions.
With two climbs left, however, late fireworks were guaranteed. Kwiatkowski surprised the peloton with an early jump and raced to an 18-second lead in no time. The favourites responded on the final climb, and a strong group with Gerrans and Valverde formed inside the final three kilometers.
As shared by OPQS, Kwiatkowski didn't hold back in the descent:
Belgium's Philippe Gilbert was forced to set the pace chasing the Pole, but with the favourites staring down each other, he never received the help he needed. Kwiatkowski started his celebrations early, as the 24-year-old crossed the line on his own.
He becomes the first Polish rider to wear the rainbow jersey, a deserved reward for all of the hard work his team put in on Sunday.
As shared by Eurosport's Jose Been, he dedicated his win to his girlfriend and the nation of Poland:
Ponferrada 2014 was a tremendous success, but questions will be asked regarding the course and the many crashes the event witnessed.
Next year's race in Richmond, Virginia, looks very similar as far as the layout of the course goes, and the cobbles could make for another gruesome challenge if the weather takes a turn for the worse, as it did this year.
Saturday Update
Crashes continue to overshadow the 2014 World Road Cycling championships, as Saturday's Elite Women's race finished with less than half of its starters following a horrific the second lap.
The favourites failed to deliver in both categories, as unheralded riders took the gold in both the Junior Men and Elite Women races.
Saturday's results:
| Elite Women | Pauline Ferrand Prevot | Lisa Brennauer | Emma Johansson |
| Junior Men | Jonas Bokeloh | Alexandr Kulikovskiy | Peter Lenderink |
Elite Women
France's Pauline Ferrand Prevot stunned the favourites on Saturday by sprinting her way to the gold medal, after a lead group including Marianne Vos failed to work in the final kilometers and was caught by the peloton.
A massive crash in the second lap threw a wrench in the plans of several teams, as over a dozen riders were transported to the hospital and several more were forced to exit the race:
CBBS' Greg Jenner described the painful images:
Several teams were effectively knocked out of the race, losing either their top riders or most of their lieutenants. Team USA and the Netherlands emerged relatively unscathed, and both would take charge in the final laps.
Lizzie Armitstead launched her attack on the final climb with less than 5 miles to go, and only a small group of favourites could follow. Everyone assumed the gold medal would go to one of four riders, but following the final descent, the group stalled completely.
Germany organised the chase, and as the peloton came racing past the favourites, Ferrand Prevot proved fastest, beating Lisa Brennauer and Emma Johansson.
Vos finished a disappointing 10th, while England's Armitstead finished 7th.
Junior Men
Germany's Jonas Bokeloh won the gold in a mass sprint on Saturday after an entertaining race. The final two laps saw countless attacks go to waste, and the peloton took control inside the final mile to see the Junior Men's race end in a sprint.
Bokeloh was faster than Russia's Alexandr Kulikovskiy and the Netherlands' Peter Lenderink, staying ahead by two wheels' length after taking the lead from 60 meters out.
Cycling Feed shared this image of the finish:
"German Jonas Bokeloh wins junior men’s race at UCI road worlds http://t.co/bDBgzzPRRs | https://t.co/r4oDdA6oHD pic.twitter.com/mcABbbwiTf
— CyclingFeed (@Cycling_Feed) September 27, 2014"
As shared by Cycling insider Mikkel Conde, the 18-year-old far exceeded his own expectations:
The race saw plenty of fireworks inside the final seven miles, with Gino Maider and Stepan Kurianov finding the most success. The duo launched their attack in the descent and looked like they might be able to last to the finish line, but the pack reorganised and found its rhythm in time.
The Belgian train organised itself well in the sprint but the team launched their rider too soon, opening the door for a wild finish. Bokeloh pushed forward on power and didn't need to jump, comfortably taking the gold.
Sunday's Elite Men's race is the main event of the week, and as shared by the UCI's Youtube channel, Australia's Cadel Evans added some extra intrigue by announcing his retirement:
The former world champion isn't expected to contend for the gold on Sunday, but teammate Simon Gerrans has emerged as the early favourite to emerge victorious in Ponferrada.
Friday Update
Sven Erik Bystrom won the Under-23 men's road race at the 2014 Cycling Road World Championships. The Norwegian successfully navigated the tough climbs on the 182 km course and eventually managed to escape a heavily populated pack.
The ten-lap ride was dominated by clutches of riders straining to reach the breakaway. Such congestion in the peloton led to some notable collisions. One such crash was captured by the Ponferrada 2014 Twitter feed:
Naturally, it was difficult for any rider to gain a comfortable distance between himself and the competition. A gap of just 13 seconds heading into the final lap was ample evidence of how close things remained.
Frenchman Kevin Ledanois had the lead at that stage. But he couldn't maintain it as the crowded and nervy Pelotan closed in.
It needed a bold rider to attack the difficult course. Bystrom noted how he'd planned to do just that to the flat and final straits, per Peloton Magazine:
For some, a collective approach mattered more. Australia epitomised that team ethic. Their riders stayed in contention in preparation for a late sprints at Ponferrada.
That's where eventual second-placed rider Caleb Ewan made his move. However, his late spurt wasn't enough to chase down Bystrom's solo breakaway.
The soon-to-be Katusha rider was congratulated by his future team:
Bystrom's countryman Kristoffer Skjerping came in third. Here's the day's full results and times:
| Race | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Under-23 Men's Road Race | Sven Erik Bystrom (Norway): 4:32:39 | Caleb Ewan (Australia): +7 | Kristoffer Skjerping (Norway): Same Time |
| Junior Women's Road Race | Amalie Dideriksen (Denmark): 2:02:59 | Sofia Beggin (Italy) | Agnieszka Skalniak (Poland) |
Earlier in the day, Amalie Dideriksen claimed the Junior Women's world title. In the process, she joined some illustrious company, as Cycling Weekly writer Gregor Brown noted:
"Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen sprinted to the junior women’s road title at the World Championships today in Ponferrada, Spain, becoming the only third person to repeat after Brits Nicole Cooke and Lucy Garner.
Dideriksen followed the attacks on the last lap led by the Italian team, but saved enough strength for a bunch kick of 18 riders. Behind for the silver and bronze medals were Italy’s Sofia Beggin and Poland’s Agnieszka Skalniak, respectively.
"
Thoughts will now turn to the Elite races. Riders such as Peter Sagan, Fabian Cancellara and Lizzie Armistead will all be in action.
Wednesday Update
It was a banner day for Bradley Wiggins and England at the 2014 Cycling Road World Championships. Wiggins became the first British man to win a gold medal in this event since 1994, according to The Telegraph, and he did it in dominant fashion with a 25-second margin of victory.
Here's a look at the top three finishers from the Men's Time Trial at the Road World Championships:
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Men's Time Trial | Bradley Wiggins (56:25) | Tony Martin (56:50) | Tom Dumoulin (57:06) |
Men's Time-Trial
Wiggins' victory was made all the more sweet in that it came against Tony Martin, who won this event the last three years. These two have developed a nice rivalry over the years, with Wiggins getting the better of Germany's star at the 2012 Tour de France.
This was one of those performances that will go down in history. Wiggins was dominant from start to finish, with cycling magazine Rouleur noting on Twitter how easy he made the ride look:
Wiggins was in a celebratory mood after the win, though he also kept things light with his comments, via Renaat Schotte for Sporza:
Even though this kind of dominance tends to be an aberration instead of a sign that Wiggins is that much better than the field, it's still impressive to see him essentially lap the field based on this margin of victory. The more exciting battle was for second place, which Martin still won by 15 seconds.
Tuesday Update
Tuesday at the Cycling Road World Championships was all about the present and the future, as we caught a glimpse of some of the elite women on the planet, as well as a crop of prodigious talent that'll be set to make an impression in the men's discipline down the line too.
Here's a look at how things panned out on what was a gripping day at the championships in Spain, starting with the race to be crowned as the best young men's time-trialer in the world.
| Junior Men's Time-Trial | Lennard Kamna (36:13.49) | Adrien Costa (+44.66 secs) | Michael Storer (+58.11 secs) |
| Elite Women's Time-Trial | Lisa Brennauer (38:48.16) | Anna Solovey (+18.66 secs) | Evelyn Stevens (+21.25 secs) |
Junior Men's Time-Trial
Leonnard Kamna dominated the rest of the field to take an emphatic gold medal in the junior men's time trial in Ponferrada, Spain. The result was confirmed by the event's official Twitter account:
The German finished a whopping 44 seconds clear of the silver medalist Adrien Costa and just shy of one minute in front of Michael Storer who took the bronze.
Here's Kamna discussing his fantastic victory:
Ahead of the time trial, Sticky Bottle twitter account paid tribute to the youngster's potential:
Ireland's Michael O’Loughlin looked as though he might spring a surprise win at one point, as he set the second fastest split at the halfway stage behind Kamna. But he faded badly in the second half of the trial, allowing Kamna to assert his authority; the Irishman eventually finished back in eighth place.
Kamna is clearly an enormous talent, and having dominated the what was a high-class field here, all eyes will be on him to see just how quickly he can progress toward elite level.
Elite Women's Time-Trial
Lisa Brennauer made it two wins from two for Germany on Tuesday, as she triumphed in the Elite Women's time-trial.
The 26-year-old romped clear in the latter stages, beating Anna Solovey and Evelyn Stevens who finished in second and third respectively. Brennauer was 18 seconds clear of the Ukrainian.
The results were confirmed here by the Ponferrada Twitter account:
It was a magnificent day for the German team, who were able to celebrate two very comfortable victories. After Australia dominated the first day of the individual events, it's vital that the Germans continue the stellar form they showcased here if they're to finish top of the medal table come the end of the week.
Monday Update
The Junior Women and U23 Men time-trial championships were on the schedule for Monday, and Australia took home the double as Macey Stewart and Campbell Flakemore won the gold in Ponferrada.
Elite Men's favourite John Degenkolb also got some good news, as he was released from a hospital in Frankfurt and should be fit to race on Sunday, per CyclingNews.com.
| Junior Women | Macey Stewart (20:08) | Pernille Mathiesen (+10) | Anna-Leez Hull (+13) |
| U23 Men | Campbell Flakemore (43:49:94) | Ryan Mullen (+0:48) | Stefan Kueng (+9:22) |
Junior Women
Australia had three riders in the top four, as 18-year-old Stewart made up for favourite Alexandra Manly's disappointing performance to snatch the gold ahead of Denmark's Pernille Mathiesen and Anna-Leeza Hull.
Stewart was ecstatic with the result, via her Twitter feed:
She also congratulated her teammates, as the Aussies truly dominated on Monday:
Olympic bronze medalist Annette Edmondson joined in on the action:
A former track specialist, Stewart was tipped as a dangerous outsider in her very first Road World Championship entry. The pouring rain didn't stop her from setting a sharp time of 20:08:39, 10 seconds faster than Mathiesen.
Belgium's Eva Maria Palm struggled with the wet conditions in the first sector, losing too much ground on the Australian team. A 31st-place finish was well below expectations, and she will now have to turn her attention to next year's championships.
U23 Men
Flakemore completed the Australian celebrations in a thriller, beating Irish youngster Ryan Mullen by less than a half-second. Peloton Magazine tweeted the final result:
20-year-old Mullen appeared to be on his way to an incredible stunt, holding a 20-second lead after the final split, but Flakemore found an incredible burst in the final sector and was given a lifeline in the form of a slower rider to chase across the line.
A massive effort was needed, but in the end Flakemore did just enough to knock Mullen off the top spot. The magnitude of his performance became clear immediately after the finish, as the Australian couldn't even open a can of soda on his own.
Irish Peloton's Cillian Kelly felt for this compatriot:
Switzerland's Stefan Kueng took the bronze.
Tuesday will see the Junior Men's and Elite Women's races, before the time-trial events conclude on Wednesday with the much-anticipated Elite Men's race.
Sunday Update
| 23 September | 10 a.m. | Junior Men (TT) |
| 23 September | 2 p.m. | Elite Women (TT) |
| 24 September | 1:30 p.m. | Elite Men (TT) |
| 26 September | 9 a.m. | Junior Women Road |
| 26 September | 1 p.m. | U23 Men Road |
| 27 September | 9 a.m. | Junior Men Road |
| 27 September | 2 p.m. | Elite Women Road |
| 28 September | 10 a.m. | Elite Men Road |
Sunday was reserved for the Team Time Trial events, and the favourites came through in a big way. Specialized-lululemon won their third consecutive title in the women's event, and the United States took the double on the day when BMC Racing comfortably took the gold in the men's category.
The full results of the first day of the 2014 Cycling Road World Championships can be viewed below:
| Men's Team Time Trial | BMC Racing (1:03:29) | Orica-GreenEdge (+31.48) | Omega Pharma (+35.22) |
| Women's Team Time Trial | Specialized-lululemon (43:33) | Orica-AIS (+1:17.56) | Astana BePink (+2:19.64) |
Men's Team Time Trial
BMC Racing Team took care of business, finishing strongly ahead of Orica GreenEdge and Omega Pharma. The team's Twitter feed shared the news:
Led by Tejay van Garderen, BMC clocked in at one hour, three minutes and 29 seconds, more than half a minute faster than the Australians. Omega Pharma held the lead after the first and second splits, but the Belgians couldn't keep up the pace and had to settle for the bronze.
Britain's Team Sky looked to be in fine position after the second split, but they too lost a lot of time in the technical finish filled with twists and turns. Orica GreenEdge finished the race with just four riders, giving them a significant disadvantage in the final sector.
The win must have been especially sweet for Slovakia's Peter Velits, who took his third gold medal in the team event and is quickly establishing himself as one of the top specialists in the world when it comes to team racing.
Women's Team Time Trial
Specialized-lululemon were the strong favourites, having won the gold in 2012 and 2013, and the American team didn't disappoint on Sunday, beating Orica-AIS and Astana by more than a minute.
The UCI's Twitter feed congratulated the team:
The Dutch team of Rabobank/Liv Women, who took silver in 2013, were widely tipped as the biggest competitors for the American team, but a heavy crash in the final sector took the team out of the race completely:
Instead, it was Astana who took the early lead, but their time was wiped off the table when Orica-AIS set a time of 44:50, over a minute faster. Specialized-lululemon were still on the track at that time, and their dominance through the early splits indicated there would be no stopping them, once again.
A crash during training on Friday kept them nervous until the finish, but Carmen Small praised the team staff for getting them ready, per Velonews' Andrew Hood:
"The staff did an incredible job after our crash yesterday, helping us recover not just physically, but mentally as well. They helped us keep a positive attitude, to remind us that it happened yesterday, and not on the race day. That helped us to focus on what we needed to do.
"
Monday will see the youngsters take to the streets of Northern Spain, with the Junior Women and U23 Men's event. Both groups will ride on a shortened version of the Elite course fans saw on Sunday.
The Elite Women (likely without Marianne Vos) and Junior Men will race on Tuesday, before fans get to witness a first clash of the titans when Tony Martin and Fabian Cancellara go head-to-head on Wednesday.
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