Britain?s Johnny Bellis big grin and raised fist as he crossed the line in Stuttgart was a surefire sign of the 19-year-old?s delight at what he called ?the biggest success of my career so far.?
?It?s my first World [road race] Championships so I never expected this level of success.? Bellis said. ?Really it goes way beyond all expectations. I?m over the moon.?
Neither Ian Stannard or Ben Swift - Bellis two GB team-mates - were on brilliant form, Bellis said, so it was a question of seeing what he could do in the sprint.
?In the last five kilometres a lot of my time was spent trying to stay upright,? Bellis said. ?Every time a move went away it ended up getting clawed back again.?
?I got into the front part of the group on that last part of the climb up to the finish and then gave it my all. To come away with third is unbelievable.?
For a team with only three riders, Bellis said that his tactics were pretty much limited during the race to ?keeping in the main group and staying out of trouble. There wasn?t much more we could do, but it paid off in the end.?
2007 ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS NEWS
Bettini fires back
Comment: Stuttgart embarrassed by Worlds
Bellis: "Biggest success of my career"
Pooley: "My tenth place was earned by the team"
Bettini cleared to race by Stuttgart courts
McQuaid gives Bettini green light to race
Bettini in Worlds but Di Luca is out
Wiggins and Millar disappointed with TT ride
Bettini denies supplying drugs to Sinkewitz
Valverde can race at World Championships
Eddy Merckx not welcome at Worlds
Cooke out of Worlds, Brailsford names GB squad
British team get extra places for U23 Worlds
Boonen out of Worlds
Should Valverde ride the Worlds?
2007 ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS COVERAGE
Bettini back on top
Bellis takes Under-23 bronze
Gold and bronze for Italy in women's road race
Cancellara retains World TT title
2007 Road World Championships preview
Elite Men Time Trial: full start list
Elite Women's Time Trial: Pooley takes eighth,
Under-23 Time Trial: Boom takes second world title in 2007
TV guide: World Champs on British Eurosport
TV guide: World Champs on BBC
2007 ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PHOTO GALLERIES
Elite Men's Road Race
Elite Women's Road Race
Under-23 Men Road Race
Elite Men's Time Trial
Elite Women's Time Trial World Championships
Men's Under-23 Time Trial World Championships
2006 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
World Champs 2006: Cancellara nets gold in TT
World Champs 2006: Cooke blasts to bronze in Salzburg
EXTERNAL LINKS
Official 2007 Road World Championships website: www.radwm2007.com.
Union Cycliste Internationale: www.uci.ch.
