Christophe Laporte and Julian Alaphilippe, the two best French chances at the World Road Cycling Championships on Sunday in Glasgow, gave up about 85 km from the finish, we learned from the management.
Laporte, vice-world champion in title was part of the outsiders for the world title. But the Jumbo-Visma rider was delayed by a mechanical problem at the worst moment when the Belgians and Danes forced the pace in the lead, a hundred kilometers from the finish on the very technical street circuit of Glasgow. The Varois lost more than a minute in the affair.
Alaphilippe picked up while waiting for Laporte
Double world champion in 2020 and 2021, Julian Alaphilippe, who had attacked when he arrived on the circuit at mid-race before falling into line, let himself be picked up to wait for him.
But the two French never managed to catch up with the small peloton of favorites who rushed at full speed on the labyrinthine circuit of 14.3 km with 48 turns to be covered ten times. Seeing that they were no longer able to play for the medal, they stopped the charges about 85 km from the finish.