It was a postcard perfect day in Bergen, Norway on Sunday for the elite men’s 2017 world road race championship. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Philippe Gilbert (Belgium) has a quick chat with his team, as the peloton heads toward Bergen. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
A 10-rider breakaway dominated the early laps. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
There was heavy pressure on Norway’s elite men’s squad, as the host nation had not yet earned a medal entering the race. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Michael Matthews (Asutralia) was looking to snatch another one of Peter Sagan’s (Slovakia) jerseys, after taking his green one at the Tour de France in July. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Zdenek Stybar sent his Czech Republic teammates to the front of the peloton in the early laps to control the race. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
A typical sight of the peloton in the early laps, Julien Vermote (Belgium) on the front, folllowed by a few riders from the Czech Republic and Norwegian flags all around. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Alexey Vermeulen (United States) did the bulk of the work in the breakaway and consistently drove the pace up Salmon Hill. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Fernando Gaviria and Rigoberto Uran (Colombia) waited patiently in the peloton until the final lap. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
The crowds in the city center of Bergen were immense. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Can you find Sagan? Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Michal Kwiakowski was a heavy pre-race favorite, but didn’t quite have the legs in the end. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Julian Alaphilippe (France) lit the race on fire up Salmon Hill for the final time. He crested the top alone in the lead. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Gianni Moson (Italy), who bridged to Alaphilippe, would later be DQ’d for taking a tow from a team car coming back from an earlier crash. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Alexander Kristoff (Norway) led out the sprint, but Sagan was just able to come around him. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Put up another finger Sagan, you’re a three-time world champion now. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
The podium. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Philippe Gilbert and Greg van Avermaet chat after the race.The Belgian national team will leave Norway with no medals. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Matthews was unable to hide his disappointment on the podium. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) made a late move, but was heavily marked. He will still leave Norway with two gold medals, as world champion in the team time trial and individual time trial. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Kristoff’s medal was not the color he was hoping for. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Sagan was his normal charismatic self on the podium. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Peter Sagan (Slovakia) is the first rider to win three consecutive world road championships. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com
Weekly Newsletter
Get the latest race news, results, commentary, and tech, delivered to your inbox.