Peter Sagan (Slovakia) is the new UCI Road World Champion winning the race solo after riding away from his rivals on the penultimate climb of the race, Sagan was simply too strong and launched his attack of the back of an attack by Greg Van Avermaet on the steep 19 percent climb of 23rd Street. After gaining time on the climb Sagan went into a tuck on the descent that followed then attacked the two corners leading into the final climb.
Into the final climb Sagan was out of the saddle in a big gear and then through the final corner with only 500m to go it looked certain the chasing bunch would not catch Sagan who by now had forearms on the handlebars getting as aero as possible. Sagan sat up as he realised the win was certain and celebrated the win crossing the line
Yeah, I think it’s the biggest victory and I am very happy,” said Sagan. “I did a lot of sacrifice this last three weeks after the Vuelta. It’s unbelievable for me. I did just one attack, and I think it was the right attack.
I was waiting, waiting. Everybody had to be tired,” he said. “I gave all the energy I had. I was hoping for the last cobblestone line and from there it was just gas it to the finish.
Michael Matthews finished second for Australia making it two second places in the World Championship in the past two years after Simon Gerrans finished second to Michal Kwiatkowski last year. It was difficult to see what happened behind Peter Sagan in the chase as from the moment Sagan launched his attack the coverage was all on Sagan, Simon Gerrans finished sixth to make to Australians in the top 10.
Ramunas Navardauskas (Lithuania) was third and last years winner Michal Kwiatkowski was eighth.
The World Championship win caps an outstanding season for the 25 year old Peter Sagan who won the Green Jersey at the Tour de France for a fourth time, a stage of the Vuelta a Espana and the Slovakian National Road and Time Trial championship.
Video highlights of the World Championship Road race
Results 2015 World Championship Road Race
| Place | Rider (Country) | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SAGAN Peter (SVK) | 6:14:37 |
| 2 | MATTHEWS Michael (AUS) | +:03 |
| 3 | NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas (LTU) | +:03 |
| 4 | KRISTOFF Alexander (NOR) | +:03 |
| 5 | VALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro (ESP) | +:03 |
| 6 | GERRANS Simon (AUS) | +:03 |
| 7 | GALLOPIN Tony (FRA) | +:03 |
| 8 | KWIATKOWSKI Michal (POL) | +:03 |
| 9 | COSTA Rui (POR) | +:03 |
| 10 | GILBERT Philippe (BEL) | +:03 |
| 11 | DUMOULIN Tom (NED) | +:03 |
| 12 | HOWES Alex (USA) | +:03 |
| 13 | TERPSTRA Niki (NED) | +:03 |
| 14 | TAARAMAE Rein (EST) | +:03 |
| 15 | KUZNETSOV Viacheslav (RUS) | +:03 |
| 16 | OLIVEIRA Nelson (POR) | +:03 |
| 17 | ARASHIRO Yukiya (JPN) | +:03 |
| 18 | NIZZOLO Giacomo (ITA) | +:03 |
| 19 | BOOKWALTER Brent (USA) | +:03 |
| 20 | BOASSON HAGEN Edvald (NOR) | +:03 |
| 21 | BOUHANNI Nacer (FRA) | +:03 |
| 22 | SWIFT Ben (GBR) | +:03 |
| 23 | VAN AVERMAET Greg (BEL) | +:03 |
| 24 | KANGERT Tanel (EST) | +:03 |
| 25 | AMADOR BKKAZAKOVA Andrey (CRC) | +:03 |
| 26 | HALLER Marco (AUT) | +:12 |
| 27 | MORENO FERNANDEZ Daniel (ESP) | +:12 |
| 28 | DILLIER Silvan (SUI) | +:12 |
| 29 | DEGENKOLB John (GER) | +:15 |
| 30 | SANCHEZ GIL Luis Leon (ESP) | +:15 |
| 31 | CUMMINGS Stephen (GBR) | +:15 |
| 32 | URAN URAN Rigoberto (COL) | +:18 |
| 33 | BRESCHEL Matti (DEN) | +:21 |
| 34 | TRENTIN Matteo (ITA) | +:21 |
| 35 | BOONEN Tom (BEL) | +:21 |
| 36 | BRUTT Pavel (RUS) | +:21 |
| 37 | TCATEVICH Aleksei (RUS) | +:28 |
| 38 | DEMARE Arnaud (FRA) | +:32 |
| 39 | MARCZYNSKI Tomasz (POL) | +:40 |
| 40 | BENNETT Sam (IRL) | +:40 |
| 41 | HNIK Karel (CZE) | +:40 |
| 42 | NIBALI Vincenzo (ITA) | +:40 |
| 43 | STYBAR Zdenek (CZE) | +:40 |
| 44 | HAUSSLER Heinrich (AUS) | +:40 |
| 45 | BAK Lars Ytting (DEN) | +:55 |
| 46 | GRIVKO Andriy (UKR) | +:55 |
| 47 | PIBERNIK Luka (SLO) | +:55 |
| 48 | MEZGEC Luka (SLO) | +:55 |
| 49 | KONONENKO Mykhaylo (UKR) | +:55 |
| 50 | IMPEY Daryl (RSA) | +:55 |
| 51 | STANNARD Ian (GBR) | +:55 |
| 52 | LOBATO DEL VALLE Juan Jose (ESP) | +:55 |
| 53 | KING Benjamin (USA) | +:55 |
| 54 | GOLAS Michal (POL) | +:55 |
| 55 | LAGUTIN Sergey (RUS) | +:55 |
| 56 | IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Jon (ESP) | +:55 |
| 57 | YATES Adam (GBR) | +:55 |
| 58 | HENDERSON Greg (NZL) | +:55 |
| 59 | PATERSKI Maciej (POL) | +1:10 |
| 60 | SIUTSOU Kanstantsin (BLR) | +1:38 |
| 61 | DUCHESNE Antoine (CAN) | +1:50 |
| 62 | ZAKARIN Ilnur (RUS) | +1:55 |
| 63 | LUTSENKO Alexey (KAZ) | +2:02 |
| 64 | VANMARCKE Sep (BEL) | +2:08 |
| 65 | RICHEZE Maximiliano Ariel (ARG) | +2:09 |
| 66 | ALBASINI Michael (SUI) | +2:15 |
| 67 | VALGREN Michael (DEN) | +2:50 |
| 68 | QUINTERO Carlos Julian (COL) | +2:50 |
| 69 | MOLLEMA Bauke (NED) | +2:50 |
| 70 | KAMYSHEV Arman (KAZ) | +2:50 |
| 71 | KEUKELEIRE Jens (BEL) | +2:50 |
| 72 | LAENGEN Vegard Stake (NOR) | +2:50 |
| 73 | HANSEN Adam (AUS) | +2:50 |
| 74 | MAJKA Rafal (POL) | +2:50 |
| 75 | DELAGE Mickael (FRA) | +2:50 |
| 76 | RAST Gregory (SUI) | +2:50 |
| 77 | HAYMAN Mathew (AUS) | +2:50 |
| 78 | MORKOV Michael (DEN) | +2:50 |
| 79 | FARRAR Tyler (USA) | +3:00 |
| 80 | BENOOT Tiesj (BEL) | +3:35 |
| 81 | BOOM Lars (NED) | +3:35 |
| 82 | QUINZIATO Manuel (ITA) | +3:41 |
| 83 | BENNATI Daniele (ITA) | +3:41 |
| 84 | FELLINE Fabio (ITA) | +3:41 |
| 85 | PHINNEY Taylor (USA) | +3:41 |
| 86 | BOLE Grega (SLO) | +3:45 |
| 87 | LANGEVELD Sebastian (NED) | +3:45 |
| 88 | MARTIN Tony (GER) | +4:00 |
| 89 | VIVIANI Elia (ITA) | +5:18 |
| 90 | GESCHKE Simon (GER) | +5:23 |
| 91 | GESINK Robert (NED) | +6:43 |
| 92 | VANDENBERGH Stijn (BEL) | +6:43 |
| 93 | ANDERSON Ryan (CAN) | +6:43 |
| 94 | WOODS Michael (CAN) | +6:43 |
| 95 | CHERNETSKI Sergei (RUS) | +6:43 |
| 96 | VAN BAARLE Dylan (NED) | +6:43 |
| 97 | BARTA Jan (CZE) | +6:43 |
| 98 | POLNICKY Jiri (CZE) | +6:43 |
| 99 | LIGTHART Pim (NED) | +6:43 |
| 100 | LEMOINE Cyril (FRA) | +6:43 |
| 101 | THWAITES Scott (GBR) | +6:43 |
| 102 | ULISSI Diego (ITA) | +6:43 |
| 103 | VOSS Paul (GER) | +8:12 |
| 104 | MARTENS Paul (GER) | +10:47 |
| 105 | GREIPEL Andre (GER) | +10:47 |
| 106 | SIEBERG Marcel (GER) | +10:47 |
| 107 | BOIVIN Guillaume (CAN) | +11:11 |
| 108 | ROGINA Radoslav (CRO) | +11:11 |
| 109 | CRADDOCK Lawson (USA) | +12:56 |
| 110 | SMUKULIS Gatis (LAT) | +13:58 |
Race report by TBL – The Bike Lane
