The 273.4km course that rolled out of Brossard and finished with 13 laps of a testing course in Montreal was tipped by many to deliver an all-time classic of an elite men’s World Championship and on Sunday evening it did not dissapoint.
As the race entered the final 100km, the peloton had caught the last of the riders from the early breakaway as the main protagonists came to fore. Paris-Roubaix winner Wout van Aert would be the first to make a substantial gap with just over 80km remaining. His move was countered by Mathieu van der Poel, with Oscar Onley closely following the Dutchman’s wheel.
The Scot was tasked with co-leadership of the Great Britain team alongside Tom Pidcock, with Onley’s role of representing Great Britain in key moves.
Eventually joined by Anthon Charmig, Quinn Simmons and Primoz Roglic – the sextet would build a substantial advantage over the main group of pre-race favourites behind. Possibly inspired by his own Tour of Luxembourg heroics last weekend, van der Poel attempted to break clear with 73km remaining. Only Onley and Simmons were able to follow the acceleration on the Mont Royal climb.
The gap the trio has established moved to over a minute to the group of favourites which included Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas and Issac del Toro, with a lack of cohesive chase behind looking to add to the possibility that the Dutchman’s attack could prove to be the winning move.
Roglic found a second wind and would re-attach himself to the leaders, as van Aert and Charmig fell back to the remnants of the bunch. However with 52km to go a third acceleration from van der Poel would put Onley into trouble – with the Scot unable to follow for a third time.
Behind Onley would find an ally in Ben Healy, the Irish rider had animated the race all day and had found himself between the two groups. The two worked well together sitting at around 15 seconds behind the leading trio heading into the final three laps of the circuit.
Further attacks from behind would see the moves caught over the top of Mont Royal climb. Onley would fall into the second group of the road about 10 seconds behind the group of favourites that were all completely spent after a gruelling five hours in the saddle. Brandon McNulty would use the lull to his advantage to ride away to the rainbow jersey, attacking with 32km remaining.
Oscar would finish in a creditable 17th place – as a key player in one of the best road races in recent years.
Callum Thornley rode well throughout the early part of the race to set up Onley, Adam Yates and Pidcock for the final third of racing. The Peebles rider didn’t finish but rode very well in supporting his teammates.
Making her World Championships debut Lauren Dickson rode to 18th in Montreal after a battling performance in Quebec. The Edinburgh rider was caught behind a big crash at an inopportune moment – a crash that would take out home favourite and defending champion Magdeleine Vallieres.
After a lengthy chase back into the bunch, Dickson had spent a huge amount of energy re-joining the race and was unable to follow the key moves in the final. An excellent ride to finish inside the top 20 on debut and in the longest race of her career to date, and we’re sure it won’t be the last time we’ll see Lauren at the Worlds.
Friday saw Melanie Rowe impress in the junior women’s race. Winning the bunch sprint to finish 16th in a strong showing for a first year-junior. Earlier in the day, older brother Elliot Rowe was the top British rider in the Under-23 race in 24th place.
Morven Yeoman was on the attack in the Women’s Under-23 race on Thursday, the Strathaven rider made her move with just over 30km to go. The peloton, sensing the danger, would give chase behind and nullify her move. Yeoman would come home in the bunch in 49th.
Scottish National Champs
It was a sensational weekend for Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT’s Sam Carrotte, as the Broughty Ferry rider claimed both the Hill Climb and Circuit race titles on a busy weekend. After winning Saturday’s Hill Climb up Logie Kirk, Carrotte fought back into the leading move in Sunday’s sodden criterium in Linlithgow to take the win in a four-up sprint by the tightest of margins.
Handsling-Alba’s Arianne Holland claimed the female win up Logie Kirk with a superb ride to break her run of bronze medals from the previous two seasons.
Reports Here
Cyclocross
Saturday saw Edinburgh RC’s Inch Park Cyclocross event, a perfect pre-season test before the HUPcc Scottish Cyclocross Series starts next weekend in Muir of Ord.
The day began with an hour’s coaching for novice women before their race. Category winners were Imogen Hammond (junior, Glasgow Riderz), Oana Dragomir (senior, Velociposse) and Louise Humphreys (M40+, Hervelo Cycling). The final race was for Youth riders with Josh Stewart (Harrogate Nova) and Ella McQueen (Glasgow Riderz) taking the victories.
The day also saw a fastest lap challenge – which was won by regining British elite champion Cameron Mason (Seven Racing) who came down to lend support, alongside Anna Flynn (Handsling-Alba) and Innes McDonald (Scotia Offroad RT).
You can read the full report from Edinburgh RC here.
The historic and brutal Three Peaks Cyclocross in Yorkshire was won by Isla Short yesterday, winning by over two minutes on brutal moorland of North Yorkshire. Short produced a phenomenal ride to claim the overall victory, taking every prime prize and smash the long-standing women’s course record held by the legendary Louise Robinson since 2003.
Charles Fletcher and Gary MacDonald (Nevis Cycles RT) were the top Scots in the men’s race finishing 10th and 11th respectively, with MacDonald finishing third Masters 40 rider.