The elite road races are the culmination of both the week of racing at the UCI Road World Championships and the 2025 season. Yes, there are a few races still to take place, most notably Il Lombardia for the men, but this weekend’s races are what many riders will have focused the second half of their seasons on. For many, it is their last serious competitive outing of the year.

So who are the contenders for the famous rainbow bands? Who will get to wear the distinctive white jersey with the five coloured bands across their chest throughout 2026, and grapple with the decision whether or not to pair it with white shorts? We run through the route and contenders for both races.

Women’s Elite Road Race route details

Women’s road race, key facts
Where: Kigali, Rwanda
When: Saturday, September 24
Distance: 164.6km
Elevation: 3,350m
Circuits: 11
Circuit length: 14.96km
Starters: 106
Nations: 43
Defending champion: Lotte Kopecky (not riding)
Startlist for the Women's Elite road race

The route for the elite women’s race is a city centre-based course comprising of 11 laps of a 14.96km circuit, resulting in a 164.6km total length. The women will climb 3,350m of elevation throughout the race, all of which sits at between 1,400m and 1,500m above sea level.

These numbers are likely to result in an attritional race that will favour the climbers. Most significantly, the finish line comes just over the top of the cobbled climb of the Côte de Kimihurura, which you will have seen if you’ve been watching the time trials.

Although not the only climb on the circuit, and only 1.3km long at just 6.3%, the cobbles are severe enough to make this the decisive point in the route. Tackled 11 times, and topping out just a few metres before the finish line, this short stretch of road will determine tactics throughout.

Positioning coming into the cobbles will be key: there’s a fast run-in on a wide road where riders will struggle to move up, then a tight left turn scrubbing off everyone’s speed. Splits will then occur in the bunch almost every time up it. Ability wise, the field is one of the most diverse we’ve ever seen with riders like Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and others from smaller nations who won’t have competed in the WorldTour before.

Anyone with a realistic hope of winning will have to hold their position at the front of the bunch, and have the power to ride the cobbles in the saddle, along the climbing ability to deal with the accumulative fatigue that will come from the persistent climbing.

Women’s Elite World Championship road race contenders

Demi Vollering
Netherlands | 28
UCI rank: 22025
wins: 9
CW Rating 5/5
Throughout the first half of the year, Demi Vollering was the rider to beat, racking up wins at stage race after stage race while also performing in the one-day classics. A win at Strade Bianche Donne (a solid measure of ability on Kigali’s parcours) and was in the top four at Omloop Nieuwsblad, Milan-San Remo, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. She is therefore the standout favourite for the race. But this is no foregone conlusion. Vollering hasn’t won a race since early June and the Volta a Catalunya Femenina. Newly minted TT world champ Marlen Reusser narrowly beat her at the Tour de Suisse, then Pauline Ferrand Prevot comprehensively beat her at the Tour de France Femmes, Vollering’s main aim of the season. Vollering has all the attributes to win in Rwanda, if she doesn’t, the world champs risk becoming something of a bogey race for her - she is yet to win a senior world title. If ever there was a course to suit her, it’s this one.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot
France | 33
UCI rank: 12
2025 wins: 4
CW Rating 5/5
Don’t let the low win count or lowly UCI ranking fool you; the Frenchwoman's return to road racing in 2025 has been nothing short of spectacular. With years of experience behind her, and several years racing mountain bikes in which a rider spends more time training and focusing on fewer races, Ferrand Prevot came back to the road scene with very specific targets. And nailed them. An early win at Paris-Roubaix was a good start although as the race can be something of a lottery, was not taken as a sign of things to come. But then, at the Tour de France Femmes she was unstoppable. Biding her time until the race hit the mountains and making her move in a pre planned attack that worked wonders. The 2014 road world champion knows how to focus, and knows how to win world titles - she has 15 of them under her belt.

Kim Le Court-Pinaar
Mauritius | 29
UCI rank: 13
2025 wins: 5
CW Rating ⅘
2025 has been a breakthrough year for the Mauritian rider with a win and spell in the yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes and victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Out of the nine one-day races she’s completed this year, she has only finished outside the top ten in two of them. While not a pure climber, her results at the Ardennes classics prove she’s a contender.

Anna Van der Breggan
Netherlands | 35
UCI rank 17
2025 wins: 1
CW Rating 3/5
The two time winner of this title has had a solid return to the peloton this year. After retiring at the end of the 2021 season, van der Breggen spent three years working as a Directeur Sportif for SD Worx Protime. She’s been solid all year but not quite up to the level of Vollering, Ferrand-Prevot or Lotte Kopecky. She is however an essential part of the always strong Dutch team, that has several options. For them, team cohesion will be as influential as the cobbles of the Côte de Kimihurura

Kasia Niewiadoma
Poland | 30
UCI rank: 15
2025 wins: 1
CW Rating 3/5
Just one win this year at her national championships for the 2024 Tour de France Femmes winner, but if you’re looking for a consistent rider, with experience, look no further. In both individual stages at stage races and one-day events, Niewiadoma is rarely out of the top ten, and only occasionally out of the top 20. Expect to see her near the front all day, riding off the back of the stronger teams.

Elisa Longo Borghini
Italy | 33
UCI rank: 3
2025 wins: 7
CW Rating 3/5
The winner of this year’s Giro d’Italia women will lead the Italian team that lacks strength in depth. Not a natural climb, Longo Borghini undoubtedly has the power to ride the cobbles of the Côte de Kimihurura and the experience to hold an optimal position in the bunch throughout. Pulling out of the Tour de France Femmes after two stages left her without much racing this summer, but a one-day win in France at the end of August suggests she is building back up for the end of the season.

Others to watch

Winning the time trial in decisive fashion means Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) will be a marked woman. Not known for her climbing, and with few one-day results in the last two seasons, Reusser has however triumphed at the Tour de Suisse Women and finished second at the Giro d’Italia women, two races not known for their flat profiles. If Pauline Ferrand-Prevot missfires, France’s leadership will likely switch to Cédrine Kerbaol, a young climber whose results suggest she’s on a path to bigger things. Part of the silver medal winning team in the Mixed Relay Team Time Trial, she’s clearly in good form. Gernany’s best bet comes in the shape of Liane Lippert. Solid if not spectacular in one-day races, she’s had two solid results in races earlier this month.

Men’s Elite Road Race route details

Men’s road race, key facts
Where: Kigali, Rwanda
When: Sunday, September 25
Distance: 267.5km
Elevation: 5,475m
Circuits: 9 x Local circuit, 1 x Extended, 6 x Local circuit
Circuit length: 14.96km (Local circuit), 42.5km (Extended circuit)
Starters: 165
Nations: 57
Defending champion: Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia)
Startlist for the Men's Elite road race

The men’s road race is the only event at the Worlds to venture out of the centre of Kigali. The route takes the peloton west out through the city centre out to Kamuhanda, but in a break from the normal format, only after they’ve completed nine circuits of the route the other races have used. The ‘Extension circuit’ as it’s referred to is 42.5km long and takes the riders to the top of Mont Kigali, a 5.9km climb that takes the riders to the highest point on the route. From there it’s mainly downhill back to the circuit and five more laps which includes five more ascents of the cobbled Côte de Kimihurura.

Expect a slow start from the peloton, as they cruise through the first two to three hours of the likely six-hour-plus race while a break establishes a lead. The Worlds is often a wearing down process due to it’s length and the first few hours serve to build the fatigue in the riders that then impacts their performance in the final stages. The hilly parcours in Kigali that has the biggest elevation gain of any Worlds road race will likely see the peloton slowly whittled down before it explodes in the final hour.

Men’s Elite World Championship road race contenders

Tadej Pogačar
Slovenia | 26
UCI rank: 1
2025 wins: 15
CW rating 5 / 5
The defending champion will start as favourite, as he does for any race he starts. This year the Slovenian has been as close to unbeatable as any rider has ever been with seemingly comfortable victories at the Tour de France, Tour of Flanders, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Strade Bianche. But then a few days ago Remco Evenepoel caught him for two-and-a-half minutes in the TT and suddenly there was a glimmer of hope for the rest of the peloton. Was it a rare off day for Pogačar, or has he struggled to regain his form after such an impressive opening six months of the year. Considering his ride at the GP Cycliste Montréal two weeks ago, we’ll go with 'an off day.'

Remco Evenepoel
Belgium | 25
UCI rank:
2025 wins:
CW rating 4 / 5
His performance in the time trial elevated Evenepoel to favourite status as he became the first rider to catch and pass Pogačar. Suddenly pulling out of the Tour de France with a lack of form was a distance memory, and thoughts turn to his solo win at the Wollongong worlds in Australia, 2022. If Evenepoel wants to win, he’ll need to go it alone as few can match his pace setting and aero tuck in a one-on-one chase.

Ben Healy
Ireland | 25
UCI rank: 16
2025 wins: 2
CW rating 3 / 5
If ever there was a race that suits the Irishman's style of road racing, it's the World Championships. Run with smaller teams there is less control in the bunch, meaning riders have to race more on instinct; sniffing out the right move, at the right time, and then riding to their strengths. Although diminutive, Healy can't climb with the likes of Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, but he excels on tougher routes as he knows how to pace his efforts. His results this year have shown he can mix it with the best in the world when he’s on form.

Tom Pidcock
Great Britain | 26
UCI rank: 8
2025 wins: 5
CW rating: 3 / 5
Pidcock’s fresh start with a new pro team and focus on road racing paid dividends at the Vuelta a España where he finished third, his best performance in a Grand Tour. There was no stage win, but neither did he scrape in at the last minute. He held his podium position through the final week and some of the races toughest stages, suggesting he got to Madrid (or thereabouts as the stage was cancelled) in good form. The key for Pidcock, and all the riders coming out of the Vuelta, is how they balance the fatigue while maintaining form alongside the international travel out to Africa.

Juan Ayuso
Spain | 23
UCI rank: 17
2025 wins: 7
CW rating: 4 / 5
Three stage wins, two of which came from long breaks, means Ayuso is certain to be Spain’s leader in Rwanda. Only 23, Ayuso has been touted as the heir to Pogačar’s throne for some time, but the Spaniard obviously doesn’t want to wait as he recently got himself out of his contract with UAE Team Emirates to join Lidl-Trek for the next four seasons. Ayuso has lived up to the hype this year, with one-day wins back in early March, victory at Tirreno-Adriatico and a solid performance through the first 15 stages of the Giro d’Italia before quitting after getting stung by a bee.

Others to watch

The only rider to beat Tadej Pogačar when going mano-a-mano at the finish line, Denmark’s Mattias Skjelmose will not be allowed to go under the radar in Rwanda. A natural climber, he is well suited to the parcours and has posted solid results in all his races post Tour de France. And that photo-finish win at Amstel ahead of Pog, also saw him take Evenepoel’s scalp. Without Mathieu van der Poel to coalesce around, the Netherlands will likely pin their hopes on double TdF stage winning Thymen Arensmen. He might not be a prolific winner, but he can climb well and manage his efforts - essential over the rolling terrain in Kigali. Julian Alaphilippe has won this title twice, and a win in Canada earlier this month gives a glimmer of hope that he might have one more big win in him, while Britain’s Oscar Onley proved through July that he can climb with the best. Australia has options with the in form Jay Vine and Jai Hindley while the United States will look to Quinn Simmons to get stuck in. Pure climbers lurking in the field included Egan Bernal (Colombia) , Richard Carapaz (Ecuador) and Italy’s Giulio Ciccone.

Live coverage from the UCI World Championships Elite Women's Road Race

Welcome to Cycling Weekly's live coverage of the UCI World Championships Elite Women's Road Race, 154.1km from Loch Lomond to Glasgow

We've got 112.3km to go and there's a breakaway ahead with 14 seconds 

111.4km to go

GB's Lizzie Deignan is in the breakaway but the group is about to be swept up

The early climb saw some big names in trouble, but perhaps they'll cope better once the race reaches the circuits

Bike change for Lotte Kopecky, looks like a rear puncture

Teniel Campbell has forced a move and her group has grown to six riders, but the peloton is still within reach 

That group's been caught 

Marianne Vos was one of the riders seen off the pace early on, perhaps she can ride herself into the day once the city centre circuits begin

The front group looks relaxed. The group of dropped riders behind has made up a minute or so but isn't back on yet

98.2km to go

The chase group is almost back on but the pace has gone up again in the lead group

97.7km to go

The front group's pace has decreased enough to let the second group, finally, make contact 

Crash on a corner. A Swiss rider got her own chain back on, remounted about to set off... then her own team car trapped her in by the crowd barrier 

92.4km to go 

A select group looks like it could be going clear

Lorena Wiebes (NL) has been dropped – or might be waiting for a teammate. A possible surprise winner if she could hold on until a sprint, it might not be her day but she may be able to make a team contribution in the meantime 

Crash at the back of the bunch, looks like day over for a number of riders 

Marlen Reusser is off the front solo with a British rider chasing 

It's Anna Henderson chasing

Deignan on the front

80.7km to go

The peloton is in a single line going round the twists and turns of the circuit 

Lorena Wiebes has abandoned 

75.3km to go

Henderson on the attack, Kopecky wise to it

Kopecky annoyed with the lack of riding from the Italian who followed her across the gap

All back together in the feed zone 

Read about today's contenders... overlook that one has abandoned already

Vollering, Kopecky, or another? Five contenders for the women's World Championships road race

Chabbey (Switzerland) on the attack

An upset Brodie Chapman (Aus) has abandoned, the camera lingering on her for about three times longer than was necessary 

Annemiek van Vleuten took her bike computer off and dismounted... then got given a new front wheel; doesn't look like that's what she was after 

The Dutchwoman will have to chase back on now

It looks like Van Vleuten got the bike change she wanted in the end but she'll have a lot to do to get back in touch 

Kopecky could be pulling a group clear here 

Chabbey is still on her own, followed by a glut of motorcycles for the chasers to close in on 

A sedate pace as the riders cross the finish line for the start of the next lap

Van Vleuten has put in a huge effort to get back to the main group

51.6km to go

Crash on a corner involving two Canadians and GB's Anna Henderson 

They'll be waiting a while for new bikes... touch and go whether they'll be able to rejoin the group

Anna Henderson is on a new bike. No riders in sight ahead of her 

Chabbey's got 1:21 over the group of favourites: has she been forgotten about? 

Chabbey's under-saddle transponder is loose and swinging around, which must be very irritating for the race leader 

47.7km to go

Lizzie Deignan showing herself to the front of the main group on a short climb

Elena Cecchini (Italy) has been dangling solo between the lead rider and chase group for a long time but looks like she's going to be caught 

Cecchini's been caught and the pace in the group has dropped: do they think they've caught the leader? Chabbey's away at around 1:20

44.8km to go

A Dutch-Italian pairing has gone off the front of the chase group

It's Riejanne Markus and Elisa Balsamo. The latter was the 2021 winner 

Team GB well represented in the chase group of around 30. Unfortunately, Anna Henderson has stepped off: it was a big ask for her to get back on after her crash and bike change 

Markus and Balsamo was soon brought back so the situation with 40.3km to go is Chabbey (Switzerland) away on her own with a gap of 1:23, while around 30 riders chase her down (if they've remembered she's out there)

The pace has gone up and gaps are forming 

Kopecky is pushing on and appears to be getting annoyed that no one will ride with her 

33.2km to go

Van Vleuten is on the move, countering once Kopecky slowed down

All the while, Elise Chabbey is still 23 seconds up the road 

There's a lot of looking around... Van Vleuten could be going clear here

Kopecky accelerating through the feed zone, Deignan in the chase behind the Dutch 

Vollering looks like she might get back to Kopecky, but risks dragging the group back to her Dutch teammate Van Vleuten

Kopecky pushing hard on a ramp with Van Vleuten in sight, but not caught 

Van Vleuten pushing again as the group comes towards her 

Van Vleuten caught

Marlen Reusser hanging around on the back of the chase group: not contributing but looking ready to counter if Chabbey is caught 

27.6km to go

A group of seven is following the lone leader, with an Italian-led group over a minute behind them. We are probably looking at this seven or eight for the medals 

22.9km to go

Chabbey is still clear

Van Vleuten is doing the majority of the pulling on the front of the chase group, to the benefit of her teammate Vollering (and the rest)

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark) leading up a climb until Deignan took it up 

20.7km to go

Chabbey has been away for almost 50km and still has 23 seconds over the chase group 

Uttrup Ludwig is having a go

The group came back together and Kopecky launched 

Chabbey's gap is down to around 10 seconds with 18km to go 

Vollering did a seated acceleration off the front of the group but the others were alive to it

Christina Schweinberger (Austria) is present in the group and is looking quite fresh whenever she comes to the front

The Dutch are on the move!

Van Vleuten went first and then Vollering went on the other side of the road. Kopecky chased Vollering over the top of a climb 

Puncture for Van Vleuten 

In all that excitement, Chabbey got caught 

13.4km to go

Van Vleuten was 39 seconds to go as she crossed the line to start the final lap

Chabbey has stuck with the group that caught her: after such a long time on her own she may have been expected to go straight out the back 

Deignan just did a little dig but sat up and looked at the others 

12.5km to go

Van Vleuten at 40 seconds but is chasing hard 

Deignan and Schweinberger are off the front and riding away 

Reusser has sensed the danger and is trying to cross the gap

Vollering looks to be struggling, which could count her and Kopecky out as the latter (along with Chabbey) are glued to Vollering's wheel and not reacting to anyone else 

Kopecky has woken up and dropped the rest; she's now trying to ride across 

Uttrup Ludwig, Vollering and Chabbey look to be out of contention 

Vollering looks like she's found a second wind and might be bringing her trip back to the lead quartet

As soon as Vollering got back to the lead group she attacked round them and took Kopecky with her 

Deignan looked a bit out of sorts as Vollering's attack got underway. Vollering then got cramp and had to slow down to stretch it out 

Kopecky looks the strongest 

6.9km to go 

Uttrip Ludwig has gone clear, Kopecky's caught and passed her, Deignan couldn't hold the wheel

Deignan looking very fatigued 

Vollering looks resigned to the gold medal having gone up the road. The situation is ripe for a counter from Reusser to get the last step on the podium 

5.6km to go

Huge attack from Kopecky on an uphill, Uttrup Ludwig has got nothing to say about it 

Kopecky should be on for the win here

Silver is not a foregone conclusion 

Lotte Kopecky wins the UCI Women's Elite World Championships Road Race

Sprint behind... 

It looks like Vollering may have just grabbed second there 

Here's the full report from the race:

Lotte Kopecky wins Women's Elite World Championships Road Race with searing uphill attack late in the race

Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) won the UCI Women's Elite World Championships Road Race with a blistering attack on a ramp around 5.5km from the finish.

She'd looked the strongest rider all day and was a deserved winner. There were times when it looked like she was doing too much, the expectation of being favourite weighing heavy, but she clearly knew what she was doing and it paid off in the end.

The group she left behind included almost all the rest of the best riders who'd taken the start line: this was a group of favourites away from whom the overall favourite eventually – but comprehensively – rode away.

Women's Elite World Championships Road Race: How it happened

The race set off from Loch Lomond with 154.1km to the finish line in Glasgow. The climb of The Crow Road saw many riders – including big names such as Marianne Vos (Netherlands) – dropped.

After a long, hard chase the group came back together not long before the peloton entered the city centre circuit in Glasgow.

During that chase, there were a number of breakaway attempts. One of these included a motivated looking Lizzie Deignan (Great Britain) and had about 40 seconds over the peloton for a while.

That group was caught and others tried, but it was all back together by the time Glasgow came into view. On the lumpy and winding roads that took the riders to the circuit, a select group got a gap over the strung-out peloton but there appeared to be limited cohesion.

With it all back together as the circuits started, the course as much as the riders whittled the numbers down. With the pace on at the front at times, the twisting, turning, lumpy nature of the parcours also counted some riders out as it was near-impossible to get back on after a crash or mechanical.

After a bike change, Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) did make it back on during an early lap, but later Britain's Anna Henderson was brought down in a crash and the resulting delay to get a new bike effectively ended her race. She rode on for a short while but then abandoned.

Elise Chabbey (Switzerland) headed off on her own with around 74km to go and built a lead that peaked around 1:30. For a time it felt like the chase group may have forgotten about her. This appeared to be the case when they caught Elena Cecchini (Italy), who'd been dangling for ages between the leader and the chase, and the pace immediately dropped as if they were now the front of the race.

However, with a bit of looking around, some of the big names started to ride again. The group's numbers reduced over the following laps, with riders such as Kopecky  and Van Vleuten trying to get clear.

There was a short stint where it looked like Van Vleuten would get clear of the group due to its lack of cohesion to bring her back, but they got it together and reached her wheel.

There were attacks and counter-attacks, but all the while Chabbey stayed away on her own. The time gap did eventually start to come down, but arguably due to Chabbey fatiguing rather than the chase group doing the work to close her down.

Kopecky did a lot of work compared to most of the group but none of her early attacks came off and she could not get clear of her key rivals. Until she did.

Van Vleuten accelerated on a climb and while the others were looking that way, her teammate Demi Vollering went on the other side of the road. Kopecky was aware of the threat and jumped on her wheel.

As the chase group was attacking and counter-attacking, Chabbey was caught with around 15km to go. She was away on her own for around 59km, what a ride.

Van Vleuten then punctured and desperately chased back after a bike change, but she didn't see the front of the race again. It soon looked like it might have completely unravelled for the Dutch as Vollering appeared to be fading.

Deignan attacked and took Christina Schweinberger (Austria) with her. Kopecky stayed with Vollering and nearly counted herself out of the race until she realised the danger and crossed the gap to the leaders alone. Reusser had gone earlier and it was her that Kopecky caught first.

That quartet slowed up enough for Vollering to catch her breath and lead her trio back to the front of the race. No sooner had she caught up that Vollering launched her own attack. Kopecky was immediately on her wheel before chasing a counter-attack from Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark), who she swiftly came around.

That pair was together for a short while before Kopecky launched her winning move with around 5.5km to go on a sharp uphill.

Uttrup Ludwig had a gap that looked like it would get her the silver medal but Vollering had other ideas and tried to close her down. Those two went head to head in a sprint and it was the Dutch woman who grabbed second.

Mathieu van der Poel is the new World Champion after crossing the line first in Glasgow. The Dutch rider went solo with 22.4km to go and soon had a gap over the chasing trio of Wout van Aert (Belgium), Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) and Mads Pedersen (Denmark), who he'd previously been riding with.

Van der Poel won despite sliding out on a corner late on. By then his time gap was enough that he was able to remount and stay ahead. Despite a broken shoe he increased his advantage all the way to the end.

Van Aert attacked late to ride clear to second place, while Pogacar did the sprint of his life to round Pedersen and take third.

UCI World Championships Elite Men's Road Race: How it happened

The early news from the race was not related to the riders but instead saw them halted for around 50 minutes due to a protest.

As we reported at the time, the breakaway had reached a small climb near the Carron Valley Reservoir when the race encountered the blockage. Initial reports suggested that a group of protesters had allegedly glued themselves to the road.

Once the race was up and running again, the nine-man breakaway continued on its way and stayed clear for quite some time.

After the tour of the stunning countryside outside of Glasgow, it was on to the circuit for nearly 11 laps. Each time through the finish line there were fewer and fewer riders still in contention for either the title or to help a teammate towards the podium.

Most riders from the original breakaway were caught with 74.4km to go but Kevin Vanmaerke (USA) and Matthew Dinham (Australia) held on to the elite group that came across to them.

After plenty of attacks and counter-attacks, not to mention a lot of riders being counted out of contention by mechanicals or crashes, an elite group formed at the front of the race.

Mads Pedersen (Denmark), Wout van Aert (Belgium), Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands), Alberto Bettiol (Italy) and Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) rode on with original breakaway riders Vanmaercke and Dinham.

It wasn't a done deal, however, as a group behind still believed they could close it down – thanks hugely to the efforts of France's Benoit Cosnefroy. The impetus went out of the front group as the chasers came across.

The reduced pace saw a lot of riders getting back on and the group swelled to around 30 riders, before Belgium strung it out again.

With most riders slowing to take a bottle, Bettiol took his chance and charged ahead, pushing his advantage out over 30 seconds at its peak.

While he rode on solo, there was a bit of back and forth with the chase before finally the quartet of Pogacar, Van Aert, Van der Poel and Pedersen dropped the rest – including defending champion Remco Evenepoel – and pushed on into Bettiol's advantage.

Van der Poel launched on a short rise to catch and pass Bettiol with 22.4km to go. The other three looked at each other a bit and Van der Poel pushed on. Pogacar took it up on a winding climb to try and close the gap but couldn't get clear.

As Van der Poel's advantage increased, he had a scare when he went down on a wet corner. He was soon back on his bike, which looked to be functioning alright, but a broken right shoe may have hindered him slightly.

With one lap to go, the lone leader wrenched the remainder of his broken upper Boa dial off of his right shoe and rode on. Van der Poel took it more cautiously on the corners after the crashed but continued to gain time thanks to his determination on the ascents.

There were moves behind from the chasing trio but Van der Poel only ever increased his gap once he was back up from the crash. Away he rode to a well deserved rainbow jersey.

Bettiol just clung on to a top 10 finish.

It's a long day in the saddle for the peloton in the UCI World Championships Elite Men's Road Race. Already the race has been interrupted by a protest and plenty of riders have gone out the back with many kilometres to go

Here we go with Cycling Weekly's live blog from the UCI World Championships Elite Men's Road Race. The biggest story of the day may have already happened, which you can read about here:

Men’s elite road race halted by protest at World Championships

163.8km to go

The peloton is 5:11 behind the breakaway and being led by determined looking Belgians

161.8km to go

Owain Doull is marshalling the breakaway to keep everyone pulling through

161.0km to go

Fernando Gaviria is down after a crash on a bend. He was holding his face and now his shoulder. A teammate had waited but has ridden off. The race appears to be over for Gaviria 

A young rider is keeping up with the peloton, albeit for a few hundred metres, safely placed the other side of a grass bank beside the road

The road surfaces look really good, but there have still been a number of punctures. Riders getting back on the rear of the peloton after wheel changes

Huge crowds out to see the race. Waving the breakaway through with an advantage of 5:00 with 152.7km to go

149.6km to go

Lucas Plapp from Australia looks to be done. He'd been working hard on the front

148.4km to go and the breakaway's gap is down to 4:25

They've lost a lot of time over the last couple of kilometres 

A reminder of the biggest story from the race so far:

Men’s elite road race halted by protest at World Championships

147.6km to go

Denmark are pulling on the front trying to get a group clear with Michael Morkov riding for his team leader Mads Pedersen

146.4km to go

It looks like Sam Bennett's race is over. He was shown going at walking pace as the peloton disappeared ahead of him

We're now well into the Glasgow circuit. Corners, twists, turns, ramps, road furniture... riders need to stay alert 

143.5km to go 

Owain Doull leads the peloton through the flamme rouge to head for the finish line ahead of 10 full laps of the circuit 

140.1km to go

The peloton is very strung out. Denmark and Belgium are grouped at the front but other riders, such as Mathieu van der Poel (NL), appear more isolated 

137.5km to go

Denmark's Mikkel Bjerg had a wheel change on a steep ascent and has now abandoned, perhaps unable to get back to the fast moving peloton

A Dutch rider has crashed, it did not look like MvdP

135.4km to go but the way the peloton is hammering around and out of corners you might think it was more like 3.5km to go 

Lukes Durbridge and Plapp have pulled off the course, reducing Australia's representation in the peloton

134.1km to go

Attack from Julian Alaphilippe. Allez Julian!

Crash further back on the steep ascent; it looks like everyone's up and riding 

133.3km to go

Denmark's Søren Kragh Andersen is on Alaphilippe's wheel. Belgium chasing 

Splits all the way down through the peloton

Norway and Italy now chasing

128.0km to go

The peloton has gone through the finish line to start the next lap, Victor Campenaerts is leading the peloton

125.0km to go

The peloton is group 3 on the road as the counter move is still dangling ahead of them and behind the main breakaway

The second group has been caught by an attack from the peloton, driven now by USA's Nielson Powless 

117.5km to go

Three-time winner Peter Sagan looks to be going out the back, ending his illustrious career at the World Championships 

116.1km to go

A very strong group of about 25 riders is pulling clear of the peloton

Despite the strength of the group, no one is pulling and the pace has slowed 

Italy has got at least four riders in the group, perhaps they'll be minded to push on

113.3km to go

The junction has been made between the peloton and the group, so it hasn't gone clear 

111.1km to go

Fred Wright is off the back and looks to be heading for an early shower 

109.6km to go

The end for Peter Sagan at the World Championships as he comes to a halt and leaves the circuit 

108.4km to go and the nine man breakaway still has an advantage of 2:12

106.5km to go

Looks like a puncture for France's Christophe Laporte 

105.7km to go

Belgium pushing hard

105.2km to go

Denmark's Asgreen, Belgium's Philipsen and France's Alaphilippe all out the back

Denmark pushing hard on the front of the vastly reduced peloton 

103.6km to go

Defending champion Remco Evenepoel closed the gap himself, bringing together two groups

97.5km to go

Evenepoel attacks!

95.0km to go 

The breakaway has lost its first member as Harold Tejada (Colombia) has been dropped 

Sad to see Fred Wright having to call it a day early. He looks understandably disappointed 

92.8km to go

Laporte's day is done. The nature of the circuit makes it near-impossible to get back on after a mechanical and it was a puncture that did for the Frenchman 

92.1km to go

Matteo Trentin is driving hard om the front of the peloton

The overhead shot of the race showing some decent cycle lanes next to a main road

90.7km to go

Van der Poel puts in a little dig and gets a gap. The group is coming back together now

89.2km to go

Tadej Pogacar is taking a turn, working with Van der Poel and others 

With less than 30 seconds over the chasers, riders from the breakaway have started to attack, the cohesion over

87.4km to go

Wout van Aert is driving group 2 (or is he slowing it down?), while his Belgian teammates in group 3 are trying to close the gap 

86.8km to go

Pogacar attacks!

Trentin is down and looks in pain. It looks like he clipped a barrier but it was hard to tell, even on the replay 

84.7km

Evenepoel is back on the Van Aert group, taking a couple of riders with him

78.7km 

Kevin Vermaerke (USA) is ahead alone

77.3km to go 

Nathan van Hooydonck is trying to bridge from one group to the next. Norway's Rasmus Tiller need a bike change; it was not efficient 

76.1km to go

Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark) fancies a little go off the front

74.4km to go 

The original breakaway has been caught and passed

73.5km to go

Van der Poel attacks! Van Aert follows!

Is that the winning move?

Six riders clear and working together 

71.9km to go

The supergroup has got Kevin Vermaerke in its sights

The lead group is now:

Mads Pedersen, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Alberto Bettiol, Tadej Pogacar, with original breakaway riders Kevin Vermaerke and Matthew Dinham 

Mads Pedersen on the attack

Behind Pedersen the group has grown as chasers have come back 

The distance ticker on the live television coverage was frozen for some time, then showed 84km to go before dropping to 69km. It's possible that a lap has been taken off the end of the race or the ticker wasn't working for a while or both 

67.4km to go

Cosnefroy is dropped after his huge effort earlier 

62.6km to go

Pogacar on the attack again

61.7km to go

Looks like a rear wheel puncture for Kevin Vermaerke. A shame for the American and it's very unlikely he'll make it back on

61.1km to go

Evenepoel on the move with Pedersen; Pogacar coming across

60.8km to go

The group is back together briefly before Van Aert goes next

58.4km to go

Evenepoel going again and Pedersen is trying to get back to him

Pogacar is staying alert to any moves, especially anything from Van Aert

56.3km to go

Evenepoel pushing on again with Pogacar coming over, gaps behind

55.4km to go

As everyone else grabs a bottle, Bettiol has gone on the attack

55.1km to go

It's suddenly raining and heavily 

Very localised shower as the riders are back on dry roads. Which way are the clouds going? 

50.2km to go

Bettiol cornering well on the wet roads, round 23 seconds ahead of the chase

Madouas looks done

48.1km to go

Bettiol still ahead, Belgium leading the chase 

43.2km to go

Big crash for Narvaez on a wet corner

Narvaez's crash has split the chase group

Mechanical for Skjelmose, looks like a rear wheel puncture

40.3km to go

Van Aert, Pogacar, Van der Poel and Pedersen are group 2, around 29 seconds behind Bettiol but importantly ahead of the Evenepoel group

36.7km to go

Looks like Evenepoel's day could be over as his group is now around 30 seconds behind group 2 and 52 seconds behind Bettiol

Evenepoel dropped! 

34.3km to go

Pogacar let the wheel go briefly but was soon back in the fold as Van der Poel pulled out to the side and then went back in behind him 

31.1km to go

Evenepoel is back in the second chase group. It's raining again

30.2km to go

Bettiol has been brought back within 20 seconds 

Understandably cautious cornering from all riders, especially on the bend where Narvaez went down earlier 

Two laps to go for Bettiol 

Evenepoel is solo again, off the back of group 4

27.1km to go

Toms Skujiņš, Neilson Powless and Mauro Schmid could be coming back to the Pogacar group 

25.3km to go

Bettiol's gap is down to 10 seconds, while group 2's advantage over group 3 is over 30 seconds

22.4km to go

Van der Poel launches!

Bettiol's day is over as he was caught and passed first by Van der Poel and then the others on a short rise

Pogacar pushing hard to close the gap; Pedersen and Van Aert clinging on 

The road is dry again on this part of the circuit

20.0km to go

MdvP is 15 seconds ahead and pushing hard on an uphill section 

Pogacar is trying his utmost to drop Pedersen and Van Aert, but they're still there. Bettiol is still riding but losing ground. 

Wet roads again

18.4km to go

The gap is up to 23 seconds and Pogacar is dangling off the back of the chasing trio 

It looks like a tactical move from Pogacar rather than being dropped 

16.5km to go

Van der Poel has crashed!

He was back up quickly and is still ahead; awaiting an updated time gap

Van der Poel's right shoe was broken in the crash: it's essentially a loose, undone shoe which will hinder his pedalling efficiency 

14.6km to go

Pogacar appears to be struggling to hold the wheel of Pedersen, who in turn is clinging on to Van Aert.

Van der Poel just wrenched the remainder of the top Boa dial off of his right shoe 

One lap to go

12.8km to go

Van der Poel is taking it easy on the corners but gaining time on the ascents 

Van der Poel's advantage is back out to 42 seconds despite the crash

Pogacar attacks but barely gaps Van Aert and the trio is almost instantly back together as Pedersen rolls up behind them 

7.4km to go

Van der Poel is now 1:24 ahead. Behind, Pogacar has tried to attack again but Van Aert and Pedersen were equal to it and came around him on a climb

4.4km to go 

Pogacar is struggling to keep with his co-chasers

Applause from all nations through the technical area as Van der Poel goes within 3.5km of the finish line

1km to go for Mathieu van der Poel 

Mathieu van der Poel is the new Elite Men's Road Race World Champion

Van Aert has attacked in the search for second 

Wout van Aert finishes second: who else really?

Pogacar does the sprint of his life to beat Pedersen to third

Here's a report from the race:

Mathieu van der Poel wins UCI World Championships Elite Men's Road Race despite late crash

Evenepoel has just finished. Credit to him for keeping going.