Men's Race Cycling

COMMENTARY: Nobody within sight. He's got it. Mark Cavendish is the

Champion of the World! She is the number one.

Chris Froome is the champion of this 100th Tour de France.

He's done it! Good afternoon to you. Welcome back

to Ponferrada, the final day of the Road World Championships. It's the

Men's Road Race. 250 kilometres-plus, 14,000 feet of

climbing. It is not for the fainthearted. They are about to fly

behind me. We will be joining the race live very soon. Rob Hayles is

alongside me. Anticipation because we are not sure who this course is

going to suit? We are not. Is it the sprinters? It is not a full-blown

sprinters' race. Andre Greipel is here. He is playing more of a team

role. The lesser sprinters, John Degenkolb and Ben Swift. If it is a

harder race... Generally, Valverde, riders like that for Spain. This

course will suit a lot of different groups of riders, which - we have

been here. Who is it? You keep going round and round. One team everybody

is talking about is the Australians, particularly Gerrans? This is a

course that suits him. If the weather continues to change... It is

spotting with rain a little bit now. If that continues and it comes back,

it may very well go away from him. He doesn't like that kind of

weather. It can be quite slippery out there. They also have Michael

Matthews as well. They have a good squad here, strength in-depth is

incredible with the Australians. We saw a French woman win yesterday.

Possibly a French double? On a course like this, Bouhanni could

last the distance. Valverde, a home favourite from Spain. The Spanish

messed it up, him and Rodriguez, they couldn't work together?

Strength in numbers. But they were having their internal battles. I am

sure that they will have had a bit of a talking to and, as far as we

are aware, Valverde is number one, Rodriguez is number two. Emotional

favourite, though, would be from Switzerland, Fabian Cancellara? Yes,

he opted not to ride the time trial earlier on in the week, purely

because he's not won the road race, he's won the time trial a few times.

Yeah, have a go. Again, the course could suit him. He's only got two

team-mates. We have seen him win races on his own. He did have a

puncture on the first lap. He got back in no problem. It was chucking

it down earlier on in the race. You mentioned Ben Swift. What of the

British team? This time last year, we came on air and the whole British

team was out of the race. They are all IN the race this time. Let's

hear their thoughts on this World Championship.

COMMENTARY: Mark Cavendish on the left. He is going to be the World

Champion. Mark Cavendish has won the world title for Great Britain.

REPORTER: If you cast your mind back, you got a good result in the

World Championships. Should we read into that, a bit of an omen? Well,

it was amazing to be part of that World Championship in Copenhagen

with Mark winning. I would love to think we can do the same thing with

Swifty. He's going well. He is one of those guys who applies himself to

something and he gives it everything. You are the protected

rider if it comes down to a bunch sprint? I think so. We have nine

strong riders. We have a lot of cards to play. We have strong guys

for the country climbs, a lot of big, powerful guys. If it does come

down to a sprint, I will be hopefully there.

COMMENTARY: Awful conditions for the riders for this World Championship

race today. And the latest information that we are getting is

that Geraint Thomas has joined the rest of the British team on the bus,

so I think that's it for Great Britain. All of the British riders

have retired from the race now. Obviously, that was one to forget.

It wasn't enjoyable, really. The weather will probably be the same

this time around. It was one of those days where I don't think

anything really went right for anyone. Yeah, I have a good feeling

this year will be a hell of a lot better. This year, the team has got

a bit more focus on the race. I have came out in good shape, ready to

race. Swifty is up for it. He is quick on the course. He's been here

for a week now. We have the Yates brothers, Pete, myself, who can get

involved in the attacks and getting moves to go a bit earlier. We have

got David Millar, he has a world of experience. It is his last race. He

will be making the calls on the road. For me, it is staying with

Swifty for as long as possible. Move him up if he needs to move up, or

drift back with him on the climbs if he wants to save his legs a bit.

Basically, just be his sidekick for as long as possible.

COMMENTARY: I don't recall anything like this happening before. Where

the favourite has gone so early on. REPORTER: We won't see you at the

front like at the Commonwealth Games on your own? Definitely not on my

own. Possibly, it could be an idea to have someone in the break. Not

sure if it will be me. I will try and be more patient.

REPORTER: For you to go from being the team leader, the protected

rider, to your position here, do you enjoy that? It is one I quite enjoy,

not necessarily having that pressure on my shoulders anymore. Being able

to give something else back to the other guys and do a job for someone

and help someone else to take the glory.

REPORTER: Can you imagine what that would mean to you to pull on that

rainbow jersey? It would be amazing. It is a career-changing and

life-changing, to be such a fan of the sport as well, it is such an

iconic race and jersey. To be here, it is amazing.

Swifty is the team leader. That is a formidable team behind him? The

strength in-depth that the GB squad have this year with guys like Peter

Kennaugh, if he is on form, Geraint Thomas. For Geraint, if this was

earlier in the year, I think we would put his name down as the

protected rider. Yeah, I think for a rider like Swifty, he couldn't be

asking for a much better team. Who knows what the future holds for

those guys, the Yates brothers. They are already on their way to being

great riders. The course is not quite hard enough for Froome. He

knows how to work. He's done it in the past. It is one hell of a squad.

Captain on the road, David Millar. A lovely tweet this morning from Luke

Rowe, David Millar putting the number on his vest for the last

time. It's been a career of highs and lows.

A Tour de France stage winner, a Commonwealth champion and a natural

leader on the road. David Millar takes on the role as road captain

for the British team. Tonight, he will reflect on a professional

career spanning almost 18 years. On races won and lost, on decisions

made, right and wrong, and his last ever appearance in his national

jersey. It feels a lot more family. It was here where I started 20 years

ago, if you like. And it's been a British team that's supported me

through thick and thin. This feels a nice way to finish. Three years ago

in Copenhagen, Millar helped coordinate his country's challenge

on the rainbow jersey, with Mark Cavendish sprinting to victory to

become the first British men's World Champion in 46 years. It is up there

with the greatest moments. Mark is a friend. He was the one that had the

crowning achievement, it was the culmination of many years of

development and so although we went on to the Tour de France with Brad,

Cav's World Championship win was the welcome to the world stage of

British cycling and I think - and the way we did it. We rode with such

dominating style, which nobody had ever seen before, nobody had

controlled a race from start to finish and I think that was - it was

a very proud moment for all of us. Much has changed since Millar joined

the professional peloton, though his passion for the sport and its future

shines through. There's been a shift in the way professional cycling

operates. And it's a healthier way it operates. I was part of the

unhealthy generation before that and I am very proud that I managed to

excel in both - well, very proud to excel in the second one - but to

have shown it was possible to survive that kind of era and come

back and do something better. I think - and also I was one of the

last of the kind of British riders to do it the old-fashioned way,

which was go across to Europe and embed yourself in a culture. I am

very proud of that, that I had to go to France and learn the language and

become somebody else. So the Men's Road Race in Ponferrada brings

Millar's career to a close. A win would be amazing. If Swifty could do

it, or any of the other guys. At the same time, if we can race, if we get

the best out of ourselves and be very proud of how we perform, that

is very important for us this Sunday, it is for everyone to rally

together and realise how important it is for us to race as Team GB. If

we can show that, we can hand over to a new generation so they can do

something special. David Millar always very thoughtful.

But very controversial with his drugs ban. Rob, how would you

evaluate his career? It obviously started off well. As a bike rider,

one of the most talented bike riders that there has been of his

generation and so to have him now still in the squad, I think is

incredible, and what he brings to this team, his leadership for me,

personally, racing with David, I never enjoyed it more than when I

was with him. He did take you by the scruff of the neck and lead the

team. That is one of the things that the team, Team GB missed last year.

So, I think his quality really is in leadership. Physical ability, it is

starting to dwindle now. Other than that, he deserves to be in this

squad. As a force against drugs now, having been on the other side of it,

how would you see his role in that? It's been huge. It really has. This

was the thing with Dave. He didn't kind of creep back into a team and

try and continue with his career. He was very outspoken and vocal and

he's worked hard with the UCI over the years to try and change things

and give a different environment for the younger riders coming through.

That's certainly coming to fruition. In terms of this race, how do they

ride it for Swifty to win? As Geraint said in his interview, he is

his wingman, so the team will do whatever Swifty wants to do, look

after him, try and shelter him as best as possible. There is not a lot

of wind, if any, out there today. But just protect him from the wind

if he wants to move up, look after him, anything that he needs and try

and get him to the finish up as far up the front as possible in those

last two laps. That is where the fireworks will start to go off. So,

the more that he can save and the fresher he can be, the better.

14,000 feet and climbing, this course. Rob went out for a spin with

a Commonwealth Games road champion. She gave him a run for his money, to

be fair! We are only a few kilometres in.

Already, the first climb, the back-end of the race? It feels good

when you are fresh. After a few laps, that could start to hurt a

little bit. If that is the toughest climb of the day, we will be fine.

We're laughing! You feel that? Ow. I thought the course wasn't going to

be so hard when we got to The Castle? I thought that was the

climb. That is going to take it out of everyone. We are 200 metres

higher than The Castle. The sprinters will struggle to hold on.

The back end of the race, inside the last 10K, I hope that is the hardest

bit done. Alright. That's definitely the top.

That last K, that is where the damage can be done. All the way down

to the finish. So, any gap you have got at the top here, it will be

extremely difficult to get back on the run-in. Right, race you down!

Game on. I got it! It's a tough course. It is

very tough. That climb's harder than it looks on the profile. I didn't

expect it to be that hard. When we went up that first bit, OK, good

legs today. Then you start that second climb and it keeps going. If

it is wet, that will change the race. It will flip it on its head.

It will be completely different. So it is not one for the pure

sprinters. It's not one for the pure climbers. You do need to be in good

form. Extremely good shape. Unlike me! I need a coffee. My legs are

burning. Let's go. Coffee? Yeah. Nice stuff. That is the course. Rob

said if it is wet - well, the rain is coming down now. We are going to

go racing shortly. Let me bring you up to speed with the key moments so

far. There was an early breakaway. It got out to 50 minutes. It is down

to five minutes. It's down to four minutes now.

Fabian Cancellara, he had a mechanical earlier on. He had to

change a back wheel. He is back in the peloton now. He should be fine.

And also, a few problems for Vincenzo Nibali, the Tour de France

winner, he is in the centre of shot in the blue. He's already fallen. He

fell again on a wounded hip, so not great for the Tour de France

champion, Vincenzo Nibali. The Italian team is very strong. So, the

scene is set. We are ready to go racing. It is good afternoon to

Simon Brotherton. COMMENTARY: Thank you, Jonathan.

Hello, everyone. It's a long day in the saddle for these riders. They

have been out there since 9.00am this morning UK time. The weather

had improved over the last few hours. It was quite sunny and warm

around lunch time, but the rain has returned and it all looks rather

ominous. The total race distance today - 254.8 kilometres, 14 laps of

the circuit here in Ponferrada. Not the two that Rob and Rochelle

managed. The two key factors on this course - probably three - the first

climb up to Confederacion, and the second climb to Mirador and,

particularly with the weather like this, the descent off Mirador down

to Ponferrada? Yes, the weather is creating problems for riders in the

peloton. It is not as slippery as we would have anticipated. They have an

awful lot of rain here as a rule. So it tends to wash the oil off the

roads anyway. It is not too glacial. What it does do for the peloton

behind, it means that when it is wet, you have a bit more of a gap

between each rider. We saw a big crash yesterday in the women's race.

So, it will be quite nervous down here, which just means that position

is so important. We mentioned it with Ben Swift. He needs to stay up

near the front. Any rider who wants to save as much as they can, they

need to be well positioned so if you are further back in the peloton, by

the time you get to the bottom of the descent, you are a lot further

back from the front of the peloton and those guys up the front, they

take their own pace, whereas the riders behind, you are having to

fight all the way to get back from the wheels, so position is key. That

is crucial. The climbing, we can see just on one of the climbs now, the

Italian team - this is the first we have seen of them today. It's been

the Polish team who has been doing most of the work up to this point to

bring that gap right down from 15 minutes to 4.5 - 3.5 now it's come

down to. There's a lot of climbing today. Just over 4,000 metres of

climbing. It is a tough day, it really is. They are not steep. It is

just relentless. They keep coming one after the other and there is not

a lot of recovery. To give you a heads-up of who is in the lead at

the moment - and they have been out in front since the first lap. Matija

Kvasina, Zydrunas Savickas, Carlos Quintero and Oleksandr Polivodo.

None of them are big-name riders. Carlos Quintero, perhaps the

best-known, Kvasina won a race in France, he also won the Tour of

Romania a couple of years ago. Savickas was seventh in the Baltic

Chain Tour and Polivodo spends most of his time racing in the Far East.

He was racing in the Tour of China earlier this month.

They are on one of the tougher sections of the course at the

moment? They are. Here you can see the pressure being applied on the

front of the peloton by the Italians taking up from work done previously

by other teams. It is the first sign that we have seen of riders going

out of the back of the peloton. It will start to get whittled down. All

the major players are up there. Peter Kennaugh was on the right-hand

side of the screen, he will be working for Ben Swift. The Italians

and the Spaniards are up there. A lot of strong teams. GB are starting

to pull up in the middle of the shot. Italy showing their face at

the front for the first time today. We would all imagine that would be

for Vincenzo Nibali, but there is one rider in particular who could be

a dark horse here today, depending how the race pans out. I'm talking

about Sonny Colbrelli. This years Tour of Britain was tough. It was a

hard race. He was up there getting some of the minor places in the

sprint stages, but he's won two races since then in Italy and second

on the third of those races, so he really is in good form. So, he could

very well be one of the protected riders in that Italian squad, if it

comes down to a large group sprint. But they do have other options and

it just goes to see what Nibali - a course like this, in this weather,

is pretty much a stamped-on stage for Nibali. But how is his form

coming off of the Tour de France plus that crash that he had? He took

a chunk out of his hip and aggravated a previous problem. He

was saying in the lead-up that it is bothersome, but it is not going to

affect his riding. After the first hour of racing, it tends to loosen

up and he doesn't notice it so much anymore. It won't have done it any

good falling over and landing on it fairly early in the race today.

Here are our leading riders and on the front in the red-and-white of

Croatia we have Matija Kvasina leading the way, blue and yellow are

the colours of Ukraine, that is Polivodo in second place, the white

jersey is that of Carlos Quintero from Colombia and Zydrunas Savickas

of Lithuania is in the red and yellow. They have been out in front

for almost the entire race, but, Rob, they will have known almost

from the word go that it was a move that was going to be doomed. It is

something that we seem to have every year in the World Championships. We

have a group that gets away and the rest of the peloton are more than

happy for that to happen. In the closing hours of the race, the chase

is on. Yeah, it is a template that we see pretty much every

is on. Yeah, it is a template that no change here, pretty much from the

word go. These four riders went clear and unlike some years where

the peloton might bring it back and you might spend the first 20 minutes

or so getting half a dozen attacks, this was the first one and the

peloton rode from gutter to gutter, let that go, four riders, nobody

dangerous, none of the dangerous teams are up there either. Had an

Australian rider been up the road, a GB rider, certainly a Spaniard or an

Italian, if one of those riders would have gone clear, it would have

been brought back, I feel. None of the big nations want one of their

opposition going up the road, the Australians sending a rider up. It

takes the pressure off of your team and say we don't need to chase it.

Imagine in this situation if the Italians had a rider up the road,

they wouldn't be on the front now, all the pressure would be on the

others. One of the GB riders there, Peter Kennaugh, going for a bite to

eat. They are well placed up there. Is that Luke Rowe up there? The

British team showing their faces towards the front of the peloton

here. For lap after lap, they were in the back third of this very

sizeable group, which was just over 200 riders. We have lost a few.

Including Canada's Christian Myer. It was Poland that started the

chase. They were working hard over the last couple of laps. Here they

come now, through the finishing position. Luke Rowe in the middle of

your picture, about fifth in line, behind the blue of the Italian squad

and also up alongside him for Great Britain there in a good position was

Peter Kennaugh once again. They will take on more liquids now. It's a

long day here over 250 kilometres in the saddle.

The Italians always manage to pull it together for the World

Championships and unite behind somebody. Spain have got such a lot

of talent in their squad with Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim

Rodriguez leading the way. They both ended up on the podium last year,

but not with the gold medal around their neck. Valverde is highly

fancied here. Can he win the world title? That is what the Spanish want

to know. I think Valverde would be liking this course. And this weather

as well. I don't think he minds the bad weather too much. It is quite

hard to look past him, really, in that squad. They have their game

plan and if it seems that Valverde starts, his legs start to drop off,

or he gets out of position, Rodriguez - I'm not sure about

Rodriguez, but he is their number two. Sanchez is really coming into

form of late. They do have cards to play. Luis Leon Sanchez, who had

taken a bit of a step back this year and had been racing with a smaller

team, he's got himself back amongst the big boys next year, moving to

Astana Pro Team. Luis Leon Sanchez, if he were to shine today, it would

be the first time in a very big race for quite a long time. The Italians

at the moment have taken control of this race. Word about Ben Swift? We

were mentioning him at the start of the programme. He has shown he can

hang in there in the big races with his third place? That was a good

ride by him to be up there in a monument like that and get himself

on the podium. He's been - he's had three or four wins this year, but

he's been on the podium an awful lot of times. He's had a lot of seconds

and thirds this year. So, he is in the form. He has the team behind

him. That is one of the major advantages at a World Championships

if you know that everybody around is here for you. That does help.

Psychologically it helps. It puts a bit of pressure on you. If you can

cope with that pressure, it does help, I think. The gap is coming

down for these four leaders. The Polish rider Michal Golas has pulled

out in the feed zone. The Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team

rider is out of the race. A little bit of blue sky away to our right.

Perhaps the rain isn't set in, but it doesn't look great out there. It

is not looking great for our four leaders here. Kvasina of Croatia,

Savickas of Lithuania, Quintero of Colombia and Polivodo of Ukraine.

They are being hunted down. The real race is going on behind them. Four

more Polish riders coming through the finish line as well. So, their

job done for the day. The last week or two we hadn't heard much at all

of Michal Podlaski. He stayed away from the media. He's down on

team-mates now. He does have strength in his legs. He has

injuries, we know that. I tell you who was a big favourite for this

race - it will be interesting to see how he is today - John Degenkolb. He

had a crash and those wounds became infected and he ended up in hospital

last week on antibiotics, which will, I imagine, knock the top end

off his game. He was highly fancied? He really was. He has had a good

year, but I am wondering whether his year has been a little bit too good.

He might be coming into this a little bit fatigued, but certainly

having been hospitalised with an infection, that certainly will not

have helped him whatsoever. There we can see a lot of the Polish Quad.

They did so much work, they took a good seven or eight minutes out of

the lead group, and it really set the race alight and set it to

unfold. With the Italians taking over now it is set to really

decimate the field. Podlowski there, he was the front, working hard, and

they did a good job for Kwiatkowski and the rest of the riders in the

breakaway. They are on the lower portion of the climb now to

Confederation. That will reach a maximum of 8%, but it does the

crease as they get towards the top. There is a short percent before the

second climb. It is not very long it self! 10% at the bottom and 10% at

the top. I am just wondering whether the races that we have seen this

week show whether it is long enough for anybody to attack and gain any

ground? When we look at the back end of the race today, it is an awfully

long race. There will be a lot of fatigue in the lakes, and the first

climb that we are on, it is a drag as we see the attack by the

Colombian riders. Quintero it is, he knows what is coming and knows that

they will be caught in the future so as an act of defiance he will stay

away. Yes, he feels that he is the strongest rider out of the story,

the others are not doing as much work as he would like so he has gone

it alone. This climb that we are on, it is more of a drag, it is a

grind, and it is the fact that it comes one after the other. Each lap

you have to go up there and the fatigue really does set in. In the

second, you can descend off this one, you go through that bridge

after the embankment and then you have got this, the second climb. It

is short but sharp, and that is where we have seen it, especially on

the last lap yesterday in the women's race, that is where it

really did set on fire and it is the launch pad for a small group to try

to go clear. I am just hearing that Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas have

been dropped from the peloton. Certainly Thomas. I saw some shots

of them on the previous lap, and they were near the back of the

peloton. It looks like they were starting to struggle. Peter is

certainly not struggling, it is the sort of course that would suit him.

He is a good rider for this type of states. The weather that we have

got, he will be used to riding in this. Remember that game in

Glasgow, the Commonwealth Games road race? I think they shut the airport

the weather was so bad but he was riding around the streets of the

city of Glasgow on his own, lap after lap, before finally being

gobbled up. The race was won by Geraint Thomas for Wales. This

little splinter group is getting away, opening up a small gap of the

front of the peloton. Still not the front of the race here, but heading

closer towards it on the climb towards Confederation.

Still a long way to go for these riders, an awful long way. Just

darting to split up. Starting to decimate this field, and if that

helicopter shot moved to the right, you would really see the peloton in

pieces. No doubt it will come together after the descent. Does the

weather change the dynamic in terms of who will be fancying their

chances, or will the list of favourite stay the same? Know. I

think that Geraint Thomas, he is one of the riders that we would imagine

that if the weather continues like this, I think he will regain a

little bit of his power. There are riders who do not mind the runner.

Simon Gerrans? Yes, Simon Gerrans from Australia. The weather does not

affect them, they get out of it and get on with it. But there are other

riders, as soon as it starts to rain, get a little bit slippery,

their heads can fall off and it will affect them. I would imagine that

for most of the favourites they would still be there or thereabouts,

but it can change the way that the peloton reacts behind the group. If

the group goes clear, especially on the run-in, on the descent, if you

can go clear over the final line, and you have got a handful of

seconds, it is all downhill and tactical. That is so much harder to

get an organised chase behind, especially in the wet. In the dry is

bad enough, but in the wet it really does pay to the advantage of the

riders out front. This peloton is really starting to split up now. The

fatigue is really starting to show. Unsurprisingly as well, there is not

a lot of wind, hardly any wind down here on the finish line. I cannot

imagine there is much up there on this climb. It could have played a

part if it was windy. This is a dangerous looking group, certainly

with that, we have got Fabio Aru, Giovanni Visconti, Tim Wellens,

Michael Albasini and Jenson from Denmark. The Danish rider is in good

company here. Giovanni Visconti, the Italian rider, just moving up to the

second spot, he is another one of the Italians who would be revelling

on a course like this. And number 203 there, caught by those in the

counter, including Peter. The race is really on. It really is now. I

have got a feeling that this move might very well come back together.

I think we will probably see this happen on the next lap and the lap

after, riders wanting to go clear. It looks like a couple of the

Spanish trying to get across. It is quite difficult to see from these

shots, that is at the two Spanish jerseys. The Spanish need to react,

they need to make sure that they have got somebody in there. I think

that might be Gerard joining the leading riders there. Meanwhile, at

the front of the race, it is Carlos Quintero, on his own having dropped

his three companions. The race is getting ever livelier behind him.

But as you suggested, it is split, counter splits, nothing definitive

as of yet. The group is growing in size. He is on the front, and he

needs to look back and make sure that we have got another great

British rider. There is no point on pushing this an without another one.

Fabio Aru is a very dangerous rider to be in this group. That is

probably why as much as anything, everybody else is reacting to this

with Fabio Aru up the road. He is a really classy rider in the grand

Tour. And he is very much a danger man. I think that is Jenson of

Denmark. It is Peter Kennaugh who is putting on the pressure, hoping that

he has had the go-ahead from the team. It is quite possible that they

have said look, if you get over the top in a small group and none of us

are there, you can do your own thing. I have caught Quintero who

has been in the lead for the whole day. This is Peter Kennaugh. And I

think that is Giovanni Visconti, he has got the lime green helmet. He is

a very dangerous rider. There is Joaquim Rodriguez. He is from the

host nation, Spain. Now, he was a medallist last year. So bitterly

disappointed to have been pipped to the line by Rui Costa, he chased him

all the way down the finishing straight. Last year, they were in

amongst it, the Spanish. Have not quite got it right this year. It

looks like there is an Irish jersey down there as well. Is it Roach?

Cannot quite see. The Danish rider joining those out in front at the

moment. And Peter Kennaugh is right at the front of the race here for

Great Britain. Still climbing Confederation. Almost up to the top

of it now. Yes, then they have got the descent. It is an extremely

quick descent, it goes down left and right, and then it hits the dam,

turning right and going under the panel, and then you get that. Not

holding anything back at the moment, Quintero. This really is early for

him. Not for him! He went after two minutes in the Commonwealth Games!

But I know what you mean, there is a long way to go, a lot can happen in

just over six kilometres in a Championship road race. Peter

Kennaugh in the frontier. The Danish rider is up there with him. And so

is Giovanni Visconti from Italy. And I cannot quite see who the other

rider is. I think it might well be Quintero who is still hanging onto

their coat-tails at the moment. Just about. Just coming down to that Shah

left-hander, right-hander, sorry, left-hander on the screen. -- shop

left-hander. You have do what Giovanni Visconti, he won a couple

of stages in Italy last year. Previous stages in the dry, people

have gone out here, but everybody has managed to get round it in the

wet. He has the perfect preparation, Giovanni Visconti, he rode the Tour

of Britain last week. Spectacular finish there. A couple of stage

victories in Italy last year, fairly quiet since then but he is certainly

a rider that we know is capable of good things on a course like this.

Here we are at the back of the peloton. We were looking at Machado

there, the winner of the Toro Rosso Renee, hanging onto the back of the

strung out peloton now. You can see the Germans now, cannot

afford to get to strung out with this weather. Just gathering that

Michael Albasini, Edvald Boasson Hagen, and others, joining guys at

the front of the race. There is Michael Albasini with the blue and

white helmet with the green and red of Switzerland. Edvald Boasson Hagen

is coming through. There he is, he has the white and red sleeves. That

is Simon Geschke. This is an interesting looking group with some

high-class riders. It really is interesting. I am guessing that the

sprinters have fallen down the wayside. John Degenkolb, and others,

Ira would not imagine they would be pressing on this hard. Simon Geschke

joining those at the front. Edvald Boasson Hagen as well has got some

good form in the World Championships. Did not quite

finished on top of the podium a couple of years ago, finished with a

silver medal. He will be leaving Team Sky, and going elsewhere next

year. It was a career that promised so much three or four years ago.

Although his results have been very good, actually there was an argument

to suggest that he has not achieved what you thought he would. In the

early years he showed what talent he had. He was more of a small group

sprinter, not really a bunch sprint, but he did have a go on a few

occasions, but just came up short. That certainly from a group like

this, would have one of the better sprints. Looking for confirmation,

but I think that is Tim Wellens, and keeping an eye on things on behalf

of the big-name riders. He himself is no slouch, he won the Tour last

year, and was sixth recently in France. This course has been

described by some as quite similar to that stage. A little shake of the

head there from Peter Kennaugh. Talking to a couple of those

alongside him. A little word for Simon Geschke as Giovanni Visconti

comes towards the front. But the main peloton is not far behind. They

are all starting to regroup behind. Have not had that time checked yet

to see how far behind the lead group is. Hoping that Peter Kennaugh can

keep a lid on it. A few more riders starting to come up to it. Does not

want to commit too much to this group. He does not need to. There is

an awful lot of riders here. Interesting to note that Michael

Albasini was up towards the front. The Swiss, Fabian Cancellara, highly

fancied, he is one of the big favourites. But Michael Albasini,

another one of those three, he is potentially an outsider in his own

right. Definitely. This race, coming into this, it is absolutely wide

open. So difficult to pinpoint a small group of riders that can

potentially take victory. Second Belgian rider, Sep Vanmarcke, it is

growing all the time. They are not far. Not far at all. The Australians

on the front. No surprise because they have got two of the big

favourites, Simon Gerrans, who we were talking about, and also Michael

Matthews, the 24-year-old. Former and 23 Elite Rd Race champion. He is

going to be summary to look out for. Daryl Impey as well is up towards

the front for South Africa. Fabian Cancellara has just gone through.

Belgium also have a squad, Jan Bakelants amongst others. All of

them saying that they will see how the race goes. I could have my

chance. How cohesive is this Belgian group? Strength in depth absolutely

incredible. They have got the big-name riders, we have been

talking to some of our Belgian colleagues, you have got Philippe

Gilbert, he has won the World Championship couple of years ago.

Tom Boonen has won it before, although that is going back to 2005.

He fancies his chances. Sep Vanmarcke fancies his chances. But

arguably, Greg Van Avermaet is probably the strongest of all of

them but he is probably not in his character to tell others what to do

and take control of the situation. Maybe they are not particularly

United. That was the suggestion from our colleagues in Belgium. 21

seconds is the gap. Still nothing in it, nothing decisive. As we look at

the front group, Peter Kennaugh, Tim Wellens, Tony Martin, Jensen from

Denmark, Edvald Boasson Hagen the Norwegian, Simon Geschke from

Germany, Sep Vanmarcke, Michael Albasini, Giovanni Visconti,

Giampaolo Caruso from Italy. Daniel Novartis from the host nation. A

couple of others not too far behind. Greg Van Avermaet, Fabio Aru, John

Degenkolb. They are all within about 22nd of the front of the race. It is

interesting. We have got some big names in the league group including

the likes of Edvald Boasson Hagen. But we have some of the others that

want it for themselves that are not far behind. Just looking at little

bit further back, in 20th position going through the last checkpoint

and on the wheel of his team-mate, it is Ben Swift. On his wheel, John

Degenkolb. Those are the kind of guys that he will be looking at if

it stays in this kind of format. Philippe Gilbert was just behind.

The sprinters are still there. Tony Martin now, the German rider. Second

in the time trial the other day to Bradley Wiggins. He knows this

course pretty well, although the conditions were rather different on

Wednesday when he was finally beaten in the men's elite time trial having

been the world champion for each of the last years. Tony Martin now

leading the way as they head back into Ponferrada once again. It is a

long way out, even for a time trial, Tony Martin, not sure if he has got

his 58 on that. Highly unlikely, but he really is a powerhouse. When you

get into a position like this, you give him an inch and he will take a

mile. Still a lot of riders in this group, but how many of them are

willing to chase and able to chase? The attritional war for the race for

the world title. Martin is on the front. He could ride like that all

day. He really cared. Peter Kennaugh just moving on, Edvald Boasson Hagen

as well. But this is somebody that would like to go back with a world

title. Giovanni Visconti just looking behind. Peter Kennaugh for

Great Britain. Now they are heading into the finishing straight.

Completing ten laps, there are four to go. Once they get over the line

here now. Tony Martin is going for that tempo now. He knows that the

group is behind him, but he is riding well within himself and he

has let the others come up to him. He knows it is not too far behind,

John Degenkolb. He is drawing out the racier. He is, keeping the

pressure on front. Over the line, 200 kilometres in the bag, five

hours in the saddle. Martin on front of the race. And the little group of

the front of the peloton. Tim Wellens, Peter Kennaugh, Edvald

Boasson Hagen, Navarro, Fabio Caruso, Michael Albasini, Sep

Vanmarcke and others. Here come the peloton. Australia cannot afford to

let those riders get away. It is no surprise to see that the former

Commonwealth Games world champion is on the front.

Still plenty of riders in this race, no wonder some of those at the front

of trying to make it harder to get rid of some of them. Trying to make

it a tough race for the sprinters but still there, Ben Swift, John

Degenkolb and Gilbert, crossing the line together. Not an inch given

between those riders. One rider that we have not mentioned, Peter Sagan.

I have not seen him. I have not seen him at all. But again he is a rider

that you would certainly put down for this type of course. The

that you would certainly put down saying that he really needs to win

this world title here this year on this course to kind of salvage a

very lacklustre year. In what he won the green jersey in the Tour de

France! He was in the top twofer every day on the first seven stages.

He just had the legs, but he was getting so excited at the Tour de

France. Stage 2 going into Sheffield, he was dancing off the

front, he was pushing on. He did not need to put the pressure on. In the

group that was left he just needed to sit back because he was by far

the fastest sprinter, it was actually the gents only believe, the

eventual jersey winner in Paris that went on to take that stage. -- it

was actually pretend only he was in the top five in every one

of the first seven stages of this Tour de France, but he did not

manage to get any stage wins. He has won four during his career. Peter

Sagan is already got his big-money move, that will be coming into

effect next season. Through the streets of Ponferrada once more in

the general direction of the castle. Mostly downhill for a couple

of kilometres here. 35 seconds back to the main pack from this lead

group, Matt Heymann of Australia on the front of the peloton.

Have you seen Peter Sagan? Presumably he is tucked into the

peloton? Is that a bad sign? If you do not see him it is a good sign.

What about Great Britain? Who is left? We're pretty much all there.

That is a stark contrast to last year. Ben Swift, Luke Rowe. Steve

Cummings is out. He is out, I am sure he did a lot of the donkey work

earlier. Looking at some of the riders that have gone, Belarus have

lost a couple. A lot of cyclists from the smaller cycling nations. We

mentioned a couple of Polish riders. Stephen Cummings.

And the Australian, second to Mark Cavendish back in 2009, he had out

of the race. Watching Tony Martin, 20 seconds clear of the field at the

moment. You can see how gingerly he is taking the bairns, a lot of white

lines. Just riding away from this group. The way he was looking over

his shoulder, I expected them to wait to come towards him. He is

keeping going, drawing them out and I would imagine he is still riding

within himself. Of all of the riders in this group, I think the only

other rider who would know how to pace himself as well as Tony Martin

is Fabian Cancellara. But he is well and truly stuck in the wheels,

sheltering as best he can. Fabian Cancellara has got his hands full

today because so many people know that he is such a big favourite. He

will be marked extremely closely, although, on occasions we have seen

him ride away from the field as if he is on a motorbike. If he was that

good, there was talk that he was actually on a motorbike! But yes, we

know that he is capable of doing it. Is he capable of doing it here

today? There has been an awful lot of media attention on him, talking

himself up. He has done that over the years with other races. He has

gone out there and done it in front of everyone. He had an incredible

record, he has won so many of those, you mentioned the Perry, but the

others, Flanders, Olympic champion. Seven stages of the Tour de France.

Four times the world time trial champion. But he sacrificed the

medal, what would likely be a medal... Not suggesting that he

would have won it, but he sacrificed a time trial because it was all

about the road race for him here. Looking at the way that Tony Martin

is going, it would not have been a bad warm up for the road race.

Martin is an outstanding rider, team-mate to Mark Cavendish in the

year. His lead is going up and he does not look and Julie stressed by

the effort he is making. Tony Martin has lost two world titles this week.

Earlier this weekend we had the team time trial, the professional teams,

and his team lost that title. BMC the new world champions. The story

was that I heard going into the time trial that a lot of Tony Martin's

team-mates were a little bit under the weather going into that. It was

not such a surprise, but then going into the individual time trial

during the week, he put up a fantastic battle, a hard-fought

battle with Bradley Wiggins. But it was he who took the title away from

Tony Martin, about 26 seconds. He took that victory. He is too down

and he is trying to get one back. There is Jensen from Denmark on the

back of that little group. Number 168 just in front of him. We have

not seen too much form from him for a little while. 58 from Belgium, Sep

Vanmarcke. We have already seen him in the leading group. Michael

Albasini has the red on his back, and a white cross of Switzerland.

And further forward we have just gone past couple of Russian riders

in the red and blue. Simon Geschke, the German rider in this group, he

will not be putting anything in to try to pull back his team-mate, Tony

Martin. He can rest in the wheels, confident that he has got this rider

up the road ahead. They are well covered with Simon Geschke of

Germany in that group, Tony Martin also out in front. Here we are with

our leader on the road, on his own, as he has been for about a third of

a lap now. This is putting an awful lot of pressure on the other teams.

Meanwhile, still sat there going through the last time check in 19th

place, John Degenkolb. He is still there. Matthews is still there as

well, 17th over the line, he was up towards the front of the peloton,

Michael Matthews. We have got to fancy him as a rider in with a

chance depending how many are there at the end. Certainly have. The

Australians have come into this with such a strong squad. This really is

what has made this race today so intriguing. On so many levels there

could be so many different riders looking at taking the victory. It is

so, so difficult to take a pic. It is literally like trying to pick

your numbers on the lottery. For viewers that have just tuned in,

asking if there is any British riders, is there anybody that can do

that? Ben Swift is in good form, five top ten finishes. He is the

protective rider, and has shown in the classic earlier this season that

he has got the potential to be in the shake-up at the end. Third place

by Ben Swift, that was a lot earlier on in the year but it shows us his

potential over a course like this with the amount of climbing and the

relentlessness of it. But not tough enough for somebody like Chris

Froome today. Certainly is not. But it is tough enough to put him out of

the race. I think we saw him and Geraint Thomas going up the back

little bit earlier on, but I would imagine he is certainly not in the

form that we saw him coming out of the other tours.

It's not a course that he can prepare himself for? Certainly not.

This is more of a grind. This is one of the climbs. Froome is out. Froome

is out now, so, yeah, I wouldn't imagine it would be too long before

we saw Geraint Thomas going. Their work is done. They would have done

an awful lot of work for the riders. I think Adam Yates has gone as well.

We are starting to lose riders in the GB squad, but we saw a good

handful of Kwiatkowski's team-mates go. That might have been Simon Yates

up towards the back. The list of DNFs is growing by the minute. We

only have 48 kilometres to go. Still a densely-packed peloton here. It's

a day of mixed weather conditions. The sun is trying to come out at the

finish line. There's the leader, Tony Martin, from Germany. He is

looking pretty good at the moment. We talk about his ability. He's been

pretty much unbeatable in time trials. But Bradley Wiggins

certainly managed to snatch the gold from him on Wednesday and he was a

very worthy winner on the day, Wiggins, winning by 26 seconds, he

timed his effort to perfection. But Martins, not all about time trials,

he's won Paris-Nice in the past. Tour of Belgium. Tour of Switzerland

and holding on to that lead. He is not just a rider for races against

the clock? No. This course won't frighten him too much. There is the

element of the diesel about him. He looks as if he could ride at this

sort of tempo for hours? He is so smooth, as is Bradley Wiggins, but

in a different way. He really is a powerful rider. It is a little bit

more finesse that we see with Bradley Wiggins, where it is a lot

of brute force, certainly no ignorance in the effort, but an

awful lot of brute force by the German riders across-the-board over

the years. Tony Martin does put the power down. Here we can see the

powerful squad on the front now, it is Australia. They are putting a

shift in. They are. It is time to clock on now, it really is. 47.2

kilometres to go and only 19 seconds to that lead group. So they are not

letting it get too far. They have three leaders on the road, two of

the favourites in Simon Gerrans and Michael Matthews. We shouldn't

forget Cadel Evans as well, who is about to retire at the end of the

season. What a career he's had. World Champion. In 2009, former

winner of the Tour de France as well. His experience invaluable in

situations like this? Our understanding - and from their press

conference - is that Cadel Evans here as the team leader, much as

David Millar has been the team captain on the road for the Great

Britain team. That is Cadel Evans' role here. He is happy with his

piece of pie. He said, "I have the stripes on the bottom of my sleeve,

so I am relaxed about everything." It is unusual to hear him say

something like that? It is. He is just starting to lighten up a little

bit. Back towards the front of the race, as Taaramae of Estonia has a

little stretch. 19 was Giampaolo Caruso of Italy. Peter Kennaugh is a

little way behind this man, Tony Martin. He is holding tempo

extremely well. A little bit of a breather. He is about to go left

uphill again, up towards the top of the climb at Confederacion. It steps

up in a couple of places. I know that because I missed the turning

the other day! Yes, I didn't miss it the other day with Rochelle. She

said no, it goes up there. So, it kicks up, only a few hundred metres

it climbs up, but from the bottom, where they go past the castle up to

the very top here, where the Australian team are dragging the

peloton, it is around about 200 metres altitude climbing that they

do. They have got such a strong team, Australia, haven't they? The

Belgiums here... There's Philippe Gilbert in the middle of your

picture. The Belgians have got their act together. It looks like they are

putting Vansummeren up the front to do a bit of work. There are riders

at the back like Gilbert and Boonen, no matter who is up front, they will

be wanting to get up there Tony Martin is just climbing up over the

top. An awful lot of camping cars on the right-hand side of our screen.

Those spectators have sat there for day after day because it was

beautiful sunshine a couple of days ago. They have had a wonderful week

up there and for the Men's Road Race anything but. It's been a good day

of racing so far. Hopefully, a good finish to the race to come. Business

as usual for the Men's Road Race, in the rain. You can see the peloton

just coming up over that top section. Running down the road...

There are a series of rivers running down the road. Great Britain keeping

an eye on things. Not much of a gap, around 15 seconds. This is where the

road levels off now and then it starts the descent. The descent that

Tony Martin is on. How far will he push this? How many risks will he

take on this wet descent? That will be the thing over the next couple of

laps, how much do you force it? How many chances do you take on those

descents? One false move and you are on the deck and into the barriers.

You don't need to overstep the mark by too much on these roads. Here's

the sharp right-hander. We have seen a few come a cropper here during the

week. We have. This left and this right, the chicane, and then after

this left it's a 90 degree right-hander over the dam and in the

dry, this bend has taken a lot of riders out, just a bit of

overconfidence for many of the riders in the dry. Tony Martin, no

problems for him. So, a moment or two of respite for Tony Martin

before the road goes uphill once again. This next couple of

kilometres will be interesting to see. Oh and here we have a rider

down. It looks like it is a rider from Argentina. He's gone heavily

into the barriers. The next few kilometres, when the road kicks up

on the second climb, this is where we will see what Tony Martin has got

left in the legs. And who out of the group from behind is going to try

and come out of the front, probably no-one bearing in mind that

Australia are on the front, they are going to ride tempo and try and hold

it together. It looks as if everybody has managed

to get around that right-hander at the dam.

The sun is coming out here on Tony Martin, as is it is here on the

finish straight. There's hardly any wind out here today, to push the

weather systems on. Once it starts raining, it lingers on. Hopefully,

once it stops, the sun will soon dry these roads out and it won't be

pushing the rain clouds over the riders. That lead just steady at 14

seconds. It is very much in range. Belgium with 56, Greg van Avermaet.

The front of the main peloton. Here we are with the leading

and Giampaolo Caruso is at the back at the moment.

out of the saddle and not Greg van Avermaet. This is

out of the saddle and not Greg van steepest sections. The crowd will

like seeing Tony Martin in the steepest sections. The crowd will

They will. This is their second steepest sections. The crowd will

chance to see him rolling around here on his own. Luke Rowe on the

left-hand side of the screen. Great Britain doing a fantastic job today.

He is a strong rider, Luke Rowe. Former winner of a stage in the Tour

of Britain. Sixth in the Commonwealth Games road race. One of

12 who finished on an awful day weatherwise in Glasgow. They are

getting a time check. And then the motorbike will need to get a scoot

on. Vansummeren and in the middle of the shot, the Belgian rider... It is

hurting him a little bit on the climb. The crowds standing out in

the wind and rain throughout the day. It looks as if it might warm up

in more ways than one over the next hour or so. The sun is coming out at

the finish here. Just a little bit - not too

concerned on the front of the peloton. They know it is well

containable this move out front. At least they are hoping it is. So,

they are having a respite on this climb, just riding tempo. It does

make you wonder how many riders will be in there with a shout at the end

of this race and whether anyone will manage to get away and how attacking

this race will be at the closing stages? We ended up with a

decent-sized group at the end of the Women's Race yesterday. That is

Michael Albasini from Switzerland in the middle, Peter Kennaugh behind

him. Tony Martin is in their sights, so they have brought him back.

Good effort by Martin, but he's been passed now. Wellens is losing touch

with that group. Look at him gritting his teeth, pain

etched on his face. The main peloton now on the climb of Mirador. France

now to the front. We haven't seen much of the French so far today. We

haven't. Bouhanni perhaps would be the card for them, but Tim Wellens

is still off the back of that lead group. 12 riders lead the way. Sep

Vanmarcke of Switzerland leads. Luke Rowe with Swifty on his wheel. So

far, so good for Ben Swift. Extremely good. He was gritting his

teeth, mind. A lot of these riders are. Confirmation, 12 at the front.

Edvald Boasson Hagen from Norway is in 12th place. A lot of riders will

be nervous about him being at the front? They will. He does have the

potential to outsprint anybody in a small group like this, certainly

with the combination of riders that are there.

Bouhanni of France is up there in that main pack. He's neatly tucked

in. It is interesting how many riders have been able to hang in

there in these races this week. Quite surprising bearing in mind the

circuit. A lot of the riders were saying the circuit is not as tough

as they perceived it to be before they came here and rode around it. A

lot of it depended on how the race panned out and how hard it was. Up

till now, up to this point, it showed that the sprinters, as we

have seen in a lot of the other races, are able to stay there or

thereabouts but it is on the last lap, on those last ten kilometres,

where they really start to fight. That climb where they previously

brought Tony Martin back, that is the launch pad, that is where those

type of riders really do suffer and struggle to hold on to the wheels,

so it is all about who they have got left with them, team-mates, have

they got anyone who can help bring them back on to the wheels of riders

who go clear? Looks like there is a chain missing. Not a lot you can do

without a chain! Not a great spot to have that problem either. Not

really. The team car is an awful long way back, no neutral service

vehicle either. So, unfortunately that is game over. With a launching

pad climb and a fast technical descent, followed by a chase for a

couple of K along the streets, it reminds me of Milan-San Remo. Yes.

Very similar. And very similar... If someone goes for it, they

desperately try to hang on. You can see Visconti there, he's just trying

to get all the riders, "We need to ride" to keep the pressure on. We

should see the peloton fairly soon. Visconti, you alright, Tony, giving

him the thumbs up. They are gathering themselves and just

weighing up what is the best option. Do you sit up and wait for

team-mates to come across? Or do you press on? This is the gamble that

all the riders are playing now. There is a lot of talent in that

front group. They need to make their mind up pretty quick whether they

are going to commit 100% or not. This is what we saw with that group

of four yesterday in the closing few hundred metres in the Women's Race.

Only one rider can cross the line first and it is such a gamble and

it's gambles that riders are often willing to pay. Ken He is trying to

draw - that is not a full-blown attack by Peter Kennaugh. He is

trying to keep the momentum of this group going. The Belgian rider is

trying to come across. That's Tim Wellens... He got dropped on that

final climb. He is riding tempo now. As Kennaugh went over the line, it

was Edvald Boasson Hagen who went with him, who is a team-mate of his

at Sky. For now. Not next season. The pair of them showing their

intent as France leading the way and on the front there was Romain Bardet

and Warren Barguil. They lead the peloton through. The Australian team

are having a bit of a breather. They have three or four in the front 12

or so of the peloton as they go through.

Two laps to go here now and 11 riders lead the way. And Great

Britain's Peter Kennaugh is one of them and behind him in that first

chase group, tucked in with Luke Rowe helping him out, Ben Swift. So,

from a British point of view, this is a good position to be in? So far,

so good. It is all going to plan. Whether it will be mission

accompliced by the end of the day, we will have to wait and see. So

far, so good. But the same goes for a lot of the other teams by the

looks of it. Germany are in a good position. France seem to be in a

very good position at the moment as well. Primarily because they haven't

had to do much so far, the French. No, it certainly helps in a race of

this length if you can keep your powder dry and wait. This is the

thing with riders who don't want it to come down to a sprint finish. A

sprint finish from a fairly large group like this one, they have to

wait, they have to keep their powder dry and wait for that final climb.

That is the time where they can afford to unleash everything that

they have got left and then try and hold on down that final descent and

on to the run-in into the town here and the finish in Ponferrada. Bardet

was on the front of the peloton. He was fifth in Montreal ten days ago,

behind Simon Gerrans. Inside the last 35K of the race. Giampaolo

Caruso is on the front. The riders are still going through in dribs and

drabs. Arashiro is well down on the main field, from Japan. He may roll

into the pits in the next couple of minutes. 50% of the peloton are out

of the race now. Luis Leon Sanchez has been dropped and so has Cadel

Evans. Right. So, Sanchez was playing the team role then and doing

his work, so too Cadel Evans. This is Visconti from Italy. Yeah,

Visconti it is who has decided not to wait around. He wasn't happy

earlier. He was trying to get the group, trying to get some impetus

into that group. Come on, we need to keep this going. So he's gone off

the front. It will have to be something like this for a rider like

Visconti. If there were too many of them together, he doesn't have a

chance. He will like this finish, but not with a group. He won't like

the finish straight itself, it is pure sprint. Anybody who has got a

half-decent sprint, they will have the strength and the speed over

anybody else. It is not a technical last few hundred metres by any

means. It is that run-in to it that is where Visconti will shine. He

will really enjoy that. Not dissimilar to a Rui Costa-type rider

who won last year, Visconti. Got second on a stage in the Tour de

France this year. Anxiously looking behind there, a long way to go in

this race. 221.7 kilometres under their wheels already. Visconti up by

the castle, the focal point of the route here in Ponferrada. It's a

slender lead. Interesting to see the Host Nation

represented by Daniel Navarro. That was on a stage of the Tour of Spain

this year. Ninth overall in the Tour de France last year. Yet another

rider of the highest quality in the leading group here. We not long saw

Fabian Cancellara's name pop through on the time check, just behind his

team-mate, let's not forget he still has Michael Albasini up in the front

group here. This group are coming around the bend now. So the Swiss

only started with three, but they are still all there. They are in a

very good position. We have Visconti at the front and then the lead is

eight seconds back to 11 others and 20 seconds is the peloton. There are

still a lot of riders who are very much in the hunt for this world

title. As we see, riding past our window, Simon Yates. So, Simon Yates

is looking for the bus! He is about to retire from the race. Well, what

an end to the season, a ride in the GB squad at the World Championships.

First year professional, those two brothers.

Here we are, back with Peter Kennaugh, leading the chase. I think

it looks like he's attacked off the front of that group, trying to go

across. He will be growing frustrated with the others looking

at each other and the peloton getting closer. There they are, that

is the reason why. Doomed, as they say, that move. But in doing what

it's done, it's created a lot of pressure on the peloton behind. It's

brought out the Australians, they had to do a lot of work. Now, the

French. GB jersies are still there. Swifty in an extremely good

position. He's got a team-mate with him. And a team-mate out front.

Visconti, the last time we heard, was six seconds ahead of Peter

Kennaugh. I get the impression Kennaugh might be closing in the way

Visconti keeps looking behind. Mind you, he could probably do with a

hand. We should see him... There he is. Like a dog with a bone! He is a

real racer, Kennaugh. He is an animator. He does take it by the

scruff of the neck, all-or-nothing with Pete. He does, when he is on

his day, as we saw in the Commonwealth Games this year, he

likes to have a go. He was frustrated, I think - we know he was

- not getting picked for the Tour de France team for Sky this year. He

did a great job last year when Chris Froome won. Instead, he won the Tour

of Austria instead. That is a tough race as well, the Tour of Austria.

Back at the peloton, it is all starting to light up there. Riders

are trying to go off the front. We can see 12 seconds the gap. A little

splinter group coming off the front of the peloton. Is that Albasini

again on the front? Just can't see clearly. It did look like a Swiss

rider. It looked like there was a Spaniard there as well. These two

can see them coming across. A long straight road. Pete just talking to

Pete Smith on the side of the road. He didn't want feeding that lap, he

said, "Next lap!" The early slopes of Confederacion now.

They are starting to split up again, as we saw on a previous lap. Maybe

we will get a better look here. It as we saw on a previous lap. Maybe

looks like Albasini on the front, just looking over the shoulder, the

Swiss rider. Where is Fabian Cancellara? Where are you? France,

Italy, Denmark, Belgium and Spain represented there. And the rider on

the left-hand side of your picture is Luke Rowe and he's done some

sterling work, up to the front during the race and also down there

towards the back. That is Cadel Evans on the left-hand side with the

green and gold. The front of the race, Visconti and Kennaugh. And the

rider from the Isle of Man dangling off the front of the peloton here

with the Italian. Nobody wanting to take the chase up on the peloton.

You can see them zig-zaging across from left to right on the road. One

rider takes it up and swings over, hoping someone else comes through

straightaway, but they don't. Not too much panic. Still 30 kilometres

to go. Tony Martin has been spat out the

back of the peloton. Not too long after having been at the front of

the race. That was a big effort that he put in. Daniel Navarro going out

the back of the peloton. A few riders going past our window still

here, including Geoffrey Soupe of France. All of the big teams have

started to lose riders. It is unsurprising. It is not too much

panic in teams who are down on riders. We saw a lot of the Polish

riders earlier with Kwiatkowski, but a lap before he still had two

team-mates with him. If the race carries on like this, it will be an

almighty scrap on the short climb up to Mirador. Another attack goes. Is

this one of the French riderses, possibly? -- French riders,

possibly? Yes, one of the Italians coming across with him. Not sure if

it is still raining up the top, or if it is just where the roads are so

wet. A bit more action. It is Alessandro De Marchi who is on the

front. He is in really good form. Attacks now coming thick and fast.

Looks like Albasini in the middle of that group there. He is still going

off the front. There's a Colombian rider trying to get involved up at

the front as well. That's definitely De Marchi on the front of the race.

The rider with the bright helmet. They are stringing this peloton out.

The gaps are all starting to open up. Among those towards the back is

Damiano Caruso and 125, the Slovenian, Fajt. Does he want

feeding? Or does he want some information? What is going on at the

front of the race? Daniel Navarro was at the back of

the peloton, there he is. You can see how far, how money vehicles he

has got to get up there to fight all the way back. Meanwhile, he has got

a couple of team-mates, two or three team-mates trying to go across to

the front group. Extremely well represented, Spain, at the moment.

Mind you, they were last year, and look what they did with it. Gautier

of France, we have seen him attacking simony times in the Tour

de France over the last couple of years, and he is in second place at

the moment. And the other rider from Denmark, I think it is Anderson.

Michael Anderson. Here at the front of the race. It is a little

three-man group. We can see how they fare. He wants the others to do a

turn, and Gautier does not normally need asking twice. It is his

speciality getting stuck in at the front of the race. Trying to break

away. He of course is not one of the main... Not one of the big guns in

the French team. But they do have a strong team here this year, but it

looks like... At least up to one lap, it was all about Nacer

Bouhanni. What have they got left after the Tour de France? We have

not mentioned Tony Gallopin, stage winner in the Tour de France, he has

had a good year and he is worth keeping an eye on.

Constant activity on the front here now. Suddenly the Spanish team

moving to the fore. Michael Albasini are still with them. There is

Anderson, followed by OTA. -- followed by Gautier. They are trying

to set it up for the team-mates at the moment, but the pressure on the

riders behind, the teams behind. Michael Albasini, still riding so

strong at the moment was seven. He has been an absolutely everything.

Izaguirre it's there with him for Spain. Alejandro Valverde was well

fancied for this one, twice a silver-medallist and three times a

bronze-medallist in the world road race over the years. Here is the

last intersection of the first climb that they are getting too. You can

see there is a little bit of a carrot ahead, three riders just

trying to jump across. It is constantly going to spin to. Gautier

just about hanging in there. The pressure is being put on by

Anderson. Away from the crowds, through the

trees. Weekly wooded, this part of the course.

Vincenzo Nibali has been dropped by the peloton. The winner of the Tour

de France, he has been dropped by the peloton. That is one of many

that we can cross off our list as favourite today. Did not come here

in great form, having fallen off. The last week or so. Then going down

again on the first lap. Mind you, he crashed with just over one lap to go

in Florence and managed to finishing fourth place.

The gap is just opening up a little bit as its printers behind, as you

can see, but still a lot of riders in the hunt. This is still quite a

big group, 25.7 kilometres to go. Still a lot of riders in this, an

awful lot that can take the victory here today. Heading towards the dam,

the right-hander. This is the front of the race.

Anderson is now doing his turn for Denmark.

There is the chasing peloton. Not that far behind. Gingerly making

their way around, now is not the time to go down, it really is not.

You can see a couple of riders, handful the back of the peloton,

making their way back. We have got another attack coming out of the

tunnel. 18 seconds back, the peloton. Launching themselves off

the front, two more. To do with moving in an bit closer

to see what those chasers were. Absolutely impossible from that sort

of distance. Here is the leading trio. Wonder how much longer they

will be out in front. They are on one of the steepest sections now. No

word coming through on the chase, as we see Peter Kennaugh on the

left-hand side of your picture. Number 39, just in front. He will be

with sky next year. I think so. Just alongside him, number three, from

Portugal, Thiago Silva. For Belgians on the front, all of them up there.

It looks like they have got themselves together this year.

I also noticed towards the front of the peloton, it looked like Fabian

Cancellara is not that far behind. As well as the Belgians lining up, I

think that Fabian Cancellara is there on the left-hand side of the

road. There he is, third in on the left-hand side. Yes, on the front,

just coming through now. Alejandro Valverde is on the front. It looks

like it is Alejandro Valverde. It is Alejandro Valverde, quite right.

Alejandro Valverde. So, a lot of the main players, all

of them there, all within a shout. This is going to be so interesting.

So many of the Spaniard still there. Meanwhile, others just looking over

their shoulder to check where they are, how far over the front of the

peloton. He is such a strong rider. Her legs will be so tired, the fatty

will really be settling in. Just missed out on a medal, fourth in the

time trial. So close but yet so far. A couple of stage wins in Italy over

the years, a great team rider he has been for the likes of Chris Froome

and Bradley Wiggins. Over the last couple of years there at Team Sky.

Spain sending a rider off the front. Strength in numbers, they have got

an awful lot left in the peloton. Italy going on the chase as well.

This is where you have got to go for it, this is where you have got to

launch it. He knows that the attack is doomed. Anderson is still working

hard. Gautier is at the back of the three, the Frenchman. It is hurting

now, they have been racing for nearly six hours. Over the summit.

Just under 23 kilometres to go. Steam-roll ring down the road,

chasing them down. It looks like Michael Albasini again trying to

come across. There is Michael Albasini on the

right. I wonder if that might be Sep Vanmarcke again up towards the front

for Belgium. Spain really coming to the fore. It is Sep Vanmarcke. Clark

is up there for Australia as well. Warren Barguil of France as well.

Ben Swift is well positioned and looking good. Nacer Bouhanni is

there. Let's be honest, a lot of people still there this stage of a

world road race. This is the front. For the time being. Michael

Anderson, For the time being. Michael

Anderson, -- Gautier. Daniel Moreno is there

about 45 back, Simon Clark from Australia as well. Warren Barguil,

Jan Bakelants leading the front of the peloton. Ben Swift is there.

Alejandro Valverde and Rui Costa all up there around about Ben Swift. And

right on his wheel, Fabian Cancellara. Peter Kennaugh is there,

Philippe Gilbert, Tom Boonen. All of the favourites coming to the fore.

As you would expect, the World Championships. What a final that we

have in store. Alexander Kristoff is still there. We cannot forget him,

we have not mentioned him, but he had a team-mate up their earlier on,

Edvald Boasson Hagen putting pressure on everybody. Alexander

Kristoff. Roach of Ireland is still there as well. For those that watch

the Tour of Britain, there are still a few riders left from that, stage

winners, up there with the leaders of this group. Sonny Colbrelli from

Italy. We were talking about him earlier. Two kilometres to the end

of this lap. And then there will be one lap to go in the race forward

Championship gold. This really is setting up to be an incredible final

lap here at the World Championships. So many riders still in so many

teams with options. It is so open. Into Ponferrada they come for the

ultimate time. The leading riders, as you can see, just over three

quarters of a minute clear, you can see that they are eight seconds

behind the leading three. The peloton is hurtling down towards

the bottom of the roundabout at the bottom. You can see there are dry

spots on the road, but also a lot of damp spots, that is quite difficult

for the riders to negotiate. One minute you know that you can put the

bike over because it is dry, but then if you hit a wet patch, you

have two be vigilant. Meanwhile, still desperately trying to get up

to those riders up ahead. I think that if they want to stay away for a

little bit longer, it would be in their interest to have others with

him, surely. It certainly would, I would imagine they would spend the

next minute or so in the wheels of the riders, just trying to recover

as best they can, get that second wind and then certainly the

Belarussian, if they have anything left, they will go over that. He did

well in the time trial, nearly got a medal, not quite. Just urging those

other riders to get going. All business here, Alessandro DeMar from

Italy. Just that hint of a breather as they waited. Here we go, it is

the bell. The World Championship road race. One lap to go. We know

that six hours in the saddle already. So many riders will still

be fancying that gold medal. The rainbow jersey could be there is.

Sep Vanmarcke for Belgium. Simon Clark is up there with him as well,

the Australian. This is a rider that nobody was talking about. He has got

a decent pedigree, he has won in the Tour in the past. Tom Boonen just

off his handlebars, the Belgian rider. Tom Boonen has won the world

title before, he has won so many big races time and time again. This is a

big group. How big is this going to be? The next three quarters of a

lap. That is where we will get a better picture of who is likely to

be crossing the line first here when it starts to split up. No doubt it

will split up. We will have two C attacks because there is an awful

lot of riders in this group that will not want it to come down to a

sprint finish. Ben Swift is in there. He is near Fabian Cancellara.

The front third of the group. Still in with a shout, Ben Swift.

Back at the front of the race. Settling in now with his new

companions. Daniel Martin just going past our window. Dan Martin for

Island, just going through. Roach is the only one still in there for

island. I think he was still in that league group not so long ago in the

main peloton. Actually just coming down a little

bit, the gap is about 40 seconds now from those for riders back to the

peloton. They cannot afford to hang around. They need to try to keep

this a roundabout this kind of distance. That is if they have got

anything left in the tank on the climb. Will they be able to hold

on? Possibly not, these for riders, certainly enough back in the peloton

that are willing to work. It will end up in a big sprint for the line

at the end. Will somebody have the confidence and the guts to punch it

and take it away on the line on the last lap to win on their own? Who

has got the confidence to try it? We have seen it in the under 23 race,

somebody going clear and holding on. Other than that, it had been group

finishes. They hang on just about by their fingernails with a plaque

bearing down on them. The Belarussian just peeling off having

done his turn. Gautier from France on the back. Anderson from Denmark.

And at the front, De Marchi from Italy. He was the instigator of the

move, and he is seemingly acting as the captain of the ship among the

four of them. Just keeping momentum, keeping it going, keeping pressure

for these riders here. The three riders up near the front. Michael

Albasini still for Switzerland. Goodness me, he has got through some

work today, Michael Albasini. Here he is once more. Phenomenal ride

from him. I think that Alejandro Valverde is feeling good, he has got

a couple of team-mate up there with him. Team-mates throughout the year.

Up towards the castle for the last time. This is it, the final time he

will have two do this climb. Just a sharp little entrance, and then it

levels off a little bit, taking up, turning right, and then this long

drag. Everybody will be in sight. Certainly more than 40 seconds to be

out of sight of the peloton. They seem to be working reasonably

well, these four. There is always a sign that the pressure is on. They

are strung out like that. Single file. The race has been on for a

couple of laps. It stops and starts in the peloton as they regroup and

let some groups go clear. Right now, certainly. It is Michael Albasini,

Alessandro Valverde is right there, Simon Clark, Rui Costa, what about a

repeat for him in the defence of his world title? Fabian Cancellara, Sep

Vanmarcke is up there. John Degenkolb, Gilbert, Warren Barguil,

Daryl Impey, we should not forget the South African as an outsider.

Fabio Aru. And Vincenzo Nibali has got back on. We were told he had

been dropped, but he is the thick of things with Sonny Colbrelli on his

wheel. They are the first 30 in the main group. Ben Swift is still there

for Great Britain. Just behind Vincenzo Nibali and Sonny Colbrelli.

Alexander Kristoff as well. Simon Gerrans from Australia. Nacer

Bouhanni from France. Most of the favoured riders still in the main

group. Roach is in the middle of the penitent, just in front of Greg Van

Avermaet. 28 seconds. The leaders down, no surprise. This is a sharp

section, it will now turn right. It just levels off a little bit, and

then they hit the first that long drag. They will be well with insight

any minute. That is one of the problems in that line, it is so

open. The weather, the wind, at least, had not played too

open. The weather, the wind, at part because it is open on the

right-hand side. It had predominantly been that tailwind for

most of the week, but it would have played a part if that would have

turned. Hitting them in the face, it would have slowed it down, would

have helped the sprinters to stay in there, would have slowed everything

down as it is without much wind while the sprinters do not seem to

have had too much problem up to now. On the front, Michael Albasini has

been absolutely burying himself on behalf of his compatriot, Fabian

Cancellara. The Italians gather once again. They have still got cards to

play. They are by no means the only ones here. And Alejandro Valverde, I

wonder what is going through his mind having been so close so many

times. This could be his one final really good chance. Yes, Alejandro

Valverde is certainly in the form to do it. He likes the course. He was

second here on the national Championship where they ran this

course. He knows it well. They keep going out the back of the main

peloton. You do get this when you get on the hard section of the

course, you go off the back, and find your legs again. Working

yourself back to the peloton. It is difficult, once you get into that

situation, you do come off the back. Daniel Caruso coming of the back of

the peloton. Really dragging the peloton at this climb of

Confederation for the last time. Probably more renowned for his

results against the watch than on the road. John Degenkolb is still

hanging in there near the front. Yes, I think it looks like that John

Degenkolb will be bringing it up. Alejandro Valverde on the left-hand

side of your picture in the yellow and red with the lime green on the

helmet. Roach on the left-hand side of the screen. He has done well to

drag himself to walk to the front of the peloton here. John Degenkolb in

the middle of the shot, really getting his teeth. Alejandro

Valverde watching everything with an eagle eye. Well positioned in the

first half dozen, determined not to let an opportunity like this slip

away. They can do no more, Alejandro

Valverde is taking up the pace. Just looking back to see if Ben

Swift is still up there. Fabian Cancellara is up there. Tom Boonen

is there. That might be Ben Swift on the right-hand side of the road,

about 15 riders back. A great ride by him, he can put his feet up.

Back with the leaders, have not seen them for a little while, with

Belarus. This really is where the rate is being played out in behind.

Do not think he has got anybody left with him to help now.

Still a big group here. The Spanish making the pace. Swift looks pretty

good. Considering how long he has been riding. I have two say, I have

only seen him with his teeth gritted once, that was on the previous lap.

This is the point trying to make earlier on, this is more of a drag.

It sets up the legs with fatty, and then you descend down, and you have

got the twisty turns, you have got the right hand onto that, into the

tunnel, and then within a few hundred metres that is where you

have got the second climb on the circuit. That is a little bit

steep, 10% at the start and the finish. That is a launch pad, where

the sprinters will really start to struggle if they do. John Degenkolb,

we have seen him with his teeth gritted, really trying to hang

himself in there. If he is hanging in on this part of the climb, we

might well see depending on how the race develops and how many attacks

we see, he could very well lose contact. This is the Spanish rider

upfront at the moment, he finished sixth in the recent Tour of Britain.

Fifth on the stage into Bristol. Here is the chasing peloton digging

in at the back. Number 141 at the back. Winner of two stages on in the

UK this month. And number 39 from the Netherlands. Certainly a rider,

if he has got anything and can go clear, if he can launch himself, he

could time trial his way in and put people under pressure. I think he is

hanging on! He is hanging on, but what a back end to the year he has

had. Will certainly be keeping an eye on him. Just 24. So often we see

him tapping along at pace on the front of the peloton, dishing out

some discomfort to everybody else behind him. Here he is on the front

of the race. On the last lap, the Men's Elite Road Race. The right to

wear the rainbow jersey on the road for the next year. That is at stake

here, to succeed Rui Costa of Portugal who won in Florence, this

time last year. Spanish riders, bit by bit, doing

their job for Alejandro Valverde, trying to put him in the best

possible position to put him in the opportunity to win. Joaquim

Rodriguez in that team as well. All three of the Norwegian riders,

Edvald Boasson Hagen, and others. They have ridden strongly and given

themselves a chance, Norway, in the first 20 of the peloton!

Italy still looking in good shape here Rob! Just looking down, the

Portuguese still strong. Rui Costa is there with two other team-mates.

Olivero as well. Whatever happened last year, we did not see him the

whole race, and then when it counted... Could it be the same this

year? He said how much he had enjoyed riding this year in the

rainbow jersey, the previous 12 months, so he will not want to lose

it. Anything he can do to get that jersey back on his shoulders he will

be doing. So many other riders in that position as well. They

desperately want this. It is all or nothing for the Belgian squad. They

are all up there, there is a good five riders, but which one are they

working for? They have got such strength, the Belgian team. You have

to say, if it comes down to this group, Tim Boon and will be the

number one rider! -- Tim Tom Boonen. It is perfect for

Gilbert, it is a launch pad that he will enjoy. If he has got anything

left in the tank, he will be there. Christopher Jensen of Denmark, he

was in the early break with peloton among others, he has been dropped

from the peloton now. There is a few riders just asking to go out the

back. The pressure is utterly relentless here. A war of attrition.

But there are still so many of them. Italy still so well represented,

Italy! A little stretch for De Marchi, at the front, in the old

blue. The rider at the back is Gauthier of France. In front of him

in the red from Denmark it is Michael Anderson. And the

Belarussian at the front. He is keen to know what the distance

is. Not much! Not a lot. And getting less all the time. Still with a

climb to go. It is not all downhill just yet.

This is the swift descent that takes them towards the dam. Let's hope

that everyone manages to stay upright here.

There is always that temptation to push it that extra little bit when

there's so much at stake. You lose concentration a bit and overegg it a

touch. It doesn't take much at all on these tyres in these conditions.

If you crank it over too much, you are gone. That's race over. It is

coming down all the time. A second or so on the descent. The

peloton are making that same turn. Kwiatkowski he is there. Has he gone

a little bit too early? We know he's got the legs. He's ran out of

team-mates now. They did so much work early on, but Kwiatkowski is

making a move, the first of the real favourites. He does not want to be

sprinting it out with Swift, with Kristoff, with Boonen.

He's got these riders here. Here he is. He caught them pretty quickly.

There was only seven or eight seconds between the chasing group

and these riders at the front. What does Kwiatkowski do here? He may

well just sit there for a few revs more and then attack. You can see

there are so many riders fighting behind. If it was a smaller group

behind with individual riders, you would probably chance it a bit. With

so many riders with team-mates willing to force on the front, it is

difficult. He's got himself into a difficult position. He is not out of

sight. He is not out of mind. He is there, dangling off the front of

them. He's given himself a slight advantage, potentially. If he can be

ahead when they go up Mirador... Here we go. That could make the

difference. He cannot afford to wait now. It is a short climb. There

isn't much time. You can't gain much ground no matter how hard you

accelerate, maybe that is why he's decided to go earlier. It is a good

move. It is turning into an extremely good move. He has Andersen

with him. He will need some help, I think. I'm not sure how long he will

have Andersen with him. Michal Kwiatkowski strikes out for victory.

They don't seem to have the firepower to bring it back. Spain

are desperately trying. This looks now like a good move because let's

not forget, a lot of the run-to -- run-in to the finish is downhill.

This is his big effort. This is his bid for victory. As you can see,

just over five kilometres to go here. He's on the last real

difficulty of the circuit now, this fairly short climb up to Mirador,

10%, the first couple of hundred metres, 10% near the top as well,

not long before they go over the summit. This is where people have to

make their move if they are going to attack. There are so many riders

left in this who are all looking at each other. This rider up front from

Poland, we know he's got the legs and now we see Spain. Joaquim

Rodriguez is leading the chase! I'm sure that is not Valverde. No, it's

not. Rodriguez is on the attack for Spain. Belgium going as well. Riders

know this is where they have to make their move and then try and hang on.

De Marchi and Andersen are left behind by those at the front.

Australia is going as well. Spain are still strong. They have got the

numbers. Have they got the distance left to bring back a rider like

Kwiatkowski. Technically he is good. Is it Gilbert for Belgium? It is

Philippe Gilbert for Belgium. Look at the effort now. Gerrans.

Kwiatkowski leads the way. Nearly six-and-a-half hours they have been

racing. Valverde is next to him. Rodriguez made the initial effort.

He is being left behind. Valverde leads the chase. Gerrans is there

for Australia. Gilbert, Rui Costa, Nacer Bouhanni, a lot of the riders

are still in there. Where's Ben Swift? We didn't see him. Boonen was

getting distanced. We knew it was going to come down to this final

climb and all on this descent. He cannot afford now, with four

kilometres to go, a lot of it is downhill, he cannot afford it - I

think Ben Swift has been dropped. His race, that's it. His chance for

a medal has gone. Here's Philippe Gilbert now in the blue of Belgium.

Leading the chase here. Valverde is in there behind him.

These riders, they are looking at each other now. Who is going to take

up the chase? Belgium have got the numbers, they have got two here.

They can afford to lose one rider. This rider up front, he has nothing

to lose, he is giving it everything, burying himself in these last few

kilometres. It's Michal Kwiatkowski looking for every advantage he can

get. Don't look back. He is trying to stay as small as possible, trying

to keep as much speed as he can. Gilbert for Belgium. He is taking

every chance here, Gilbert, on this fast descent, Kwiatkowski is trying

to eke out every last second that he can. It is 2K to the line when he

gets to the bottom of this descent. What a chase this is going to be.

Who is left in the group behind? Germany, did Degenkolb make it over?

It looks like he was there or thereabouts. There's a lot of