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World championships - CM

Madrid, Spain, September 21-25, 2005

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Race 5 - September 24: Under 23 men's road race, 168km

Commentary by Hedwig Kröner, with additional reporting from Hernan Alvarez and Shane Stokes

Live report

Live coverage starts: 13:30 CEST
Estimated finish: 17:30 CEST

13:34 CEST   
Welcome back to the Live coverage of this year's World Championships taking place in Madrid. Coming up is the U23 road race - and the riders have just departed.

A little more than one hour ago, we saw the victory of Germany's Regina Schleicher in a "bunch" sprint - in fact, there were only about 30 riders left from an initial 131. So the course is fairly selective and we can expect many riders in difficulties especially after 8 laps instead of the 6 the ladies had to master.

It's still a very beautiful day in Madrid with temperatures up to about 25° celsius this afternoon, with practically no wind going on and only very little clouds hanging in the blue sky.

13:42 CEST   
176 riders have started on the course which for the U23 men will be 168 kilometres long - and can be very surprising. Last year's champion Kanstantsin Siutsou (Belarus) is not participating anymore; neither are the second-placed Thomas Dekker (Netherlands) and third, Denmark's Mads Christensen.

At the moment, the bunch is riding all together but there are two riders who took off in the front - but the peloton doesn't seem too worried.

Ryan Roth (Canada) punctured.

13:47 CEST   
Ivan José Castillo Piven (Venezuela) and Vladimir Tuychiev (Uzbekistan) are the two early breakaways - they should have about 40 seconds over a confident-looking bunch.

13:53 CEST   
The Irish riders are at the back of the bunch at the moment, looking comfy. Ag2r's Philip Deignan is in good form but if it comes to a sprint, he won't be able to mingle with the best.

We'll definitely watch out for American Tyler Farrar as well as Italian Mauro Santambrogio and the German Elite champion Gerald Ciolek, who scored his title in a bunch sprint...

13:57 CEST   
The two escapees are still riding ahead of the bunch but their lead is decreasing: now at 38 seconds. They're both pedaling fast and smooth but the bunch has them in sight on this wide open, straight boulevard.

14:02 CEST   
An Irish lad is driving the bunch under the 1-kilometre-mark but there are still plenty more to go of course.

The break has passed the line for the first time after 29 minutes 13 seconds, with the peloton in tow at 40 seconds. Seven laps to go.

14:04 CEST   
A counter-attack of about 8 riders has gone off now, bridging to the front. Some of the Espoirs can't wait...

14:07 CEST   
But the bunch has reacted and is staying not too far behind. Meanwhile, Andrew McQuaid has abandoned, getting dropped at the first climb.

14:10 CEST   
Juha-Matti Alaluusua (Finland) also abandoned.

14:13 CEST   
The U23 riders are really stomping from the beginning on - this will be even more selective than the Women's race and might not necessarily finish in a sprint if it goes on like this.

Vladimir Tuychiev (Uzbekistan) and Ivan José Castillo Piven (Venezuela) are still leading by 11 seconds over a group of about 15 riders, with the bunch following at another 20 secs.

14:18 CEST   
The front men have been caught by the counter-attack.

The group now counts about 25 riders, including New Zealand's Peter Latham, the bronze TT medallist. The break is now almost one minute clear.

14:19 CEST   
Some names in this breakaway: Stefan Trafelet (Switzerland), Marc De Maar (Netherlands), Aliaksei Polushkin (Belarus), Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium), Dzmitry Kazlou (Belarus), James Meadley (Australia), Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Denmark), Dumitru Creciun (Republic of Moldova), Alexander Gottfried (Germany), Jean Marc Marino (France) and Daniels Ernestovskis (Latvia).

14:22 CEST   
Another attack is launched by Venezuela's Miguel Ernesto Chacon Sosa, who's trying to cross over to the break.

14:25 CEST   
An updated list of riders in the break: Aliaksei Polushkin (Belarus), Marc De Maar (Netherlands), Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Denmark), Stefan Trafelet and Danilo Wyss (Switzerland), Tiago Machado (Portugal), Andrei Mustonen (Estonia), Ivan José Castillo Piven and Arthur Alberto Garcia Rincon (Venezuela), Daniels Ernestovskis (Latvia), Juan Pablo Suarez Suarez (Colombia), Brandon Crichton (Canada), Alexander Gottfried (Germany), Mathieu Ladagnous (France), Jean Marc Marino (France), James Meadley (Australia), Gediminas Bagdonas (Lithuania), Dumitru Creciun (Republic of Moldova), Vladimir Tuychiev (Uzbekistan), Tyler Butterfield (Bermuda).

14:27 CEST   
They're riding hard and the gap has increased to 1.30 minutes. behind, the bunch is getting nervous and starting to chase on their own.

The riders are nearing the start/finish zone once more.

14:31 CEST    42km/126km to go
The break has started its third lap after 58.40 with the bunch still behind - 2.13 on the line.

Chacon Sosa is still in between, just in front of the peloton.

14:34 CEST   
This is interesting: Mauro Santambrogio (Italy) is attacking out of the bunch - he's noticed the danger of this breakaway. But he's got Nic Sanderson from Australia on his wheel to make it more difficult.

14:36 CEST   
It would be fatal to let such a big group take a serious advantage - it is the World's, after all!

14:37 CEST   
Now we've finally got the full composition of this breakaway: Ivan José Castillo Piven and Arthur Alberto Garcia Rincon (Venezuela), Tiago Machado (Portugal), Tyler Butterfield (Bermuda), Vladimir Tuychiev (Uzbekistan), Mathieu Ladagnous and Jean Marc Marino (France), Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Denmark), Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo and Juan Pablo Suarez Suarez (Colombia), Stefan Trafelet and Danilo Wyss (Switzerland), Andrei Mustonen (Estonia), Aliaksei Polushkin and Dzmitry Kazlou (Belarus), Daniels Ernestovskis (Latvia), Timothy Gudsell (New Zealand), Marc De Maar (Netherlands), Brandon Crichton (Canada), Gediminas Bagdonas (Lithuania), Dumitru Creciun (Republic of Moldova), James Meadley (Australia), Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium), Alexander Gottfried (Germany).

14:40 CEST   
A chase group has formed with Peter Velits (Slovakia), Martin Mortensen (Denmark), Steven Cozza (United States Of America), Kevin Lacombe (Canada) and
Hubert Krys (Poland). The Italians are still in the bunch.

14:42 CEST   
In the peloton, more and more riders get organised on their own, so to speak, and try to do something about their situation: if they won't work, they'll be trapped.

14:49 CEST   
There are several chase groups now trying to make it to the front - the second chase group seems to include two Portuguese.

Arthur Alberto Garcia Rincon (Venezuela) is still riding in front of the bunch, on his own. This is messy.

Grabovskyy and Dall'Antonia, who were amongst the best in the TT, are also chasing.

14:53 CEST   
The Venezuelan lone rider has been joined by Tiago Machado (Portugal) and Aliaksei Polushkin (Belarus).

The second group is driven by Brandon Crichton (Canada) at the moment. There's no tactics in this race at all - it's just blowing apart.

15:01 CEST   
More and more riders are leaving the bunch to fight on their own or in little groups of two or three.

Finishing the third lap, the leaders are: Tiago Machado (Portugal), Aliaksei Polushkin (Belarus) and Arthur Alberto Garcia Rincon (Venezuela). First chase group is at 25 seconds. Then Grabovskyy and Dall'Antonia at 25 seconds. Then the peloton follows at 1.40 minutes.

Average speed is 42.8 km/h - it's all over the place.

15:03 CEST    65km/103km to go
Grabovskyy and Dall'Antonia have joined the front group, which is chasing the three leaders. A big switch has occurred that way as there are now 21 countries represented in front - but some countries might not be happy with the guys they've got in front. so the race is still open.

15:10 CEST   
The trio in front is isn't very harmonious as Machado is doing much of the work and Garcia Rincon in third position. He might be saving his energy...

15:12 CEST   
Three more riders came out of the peloton, chasing at 1.35: Steven Cozza (United States Of America), Emanuel Kiserlovski (Croatia) and a Czech rider. The peloton is at 1.50 minutes.

15:18 CEST   
Canada's Brandon Crichton has done a great job leading the chase group - but on the climb, he's at the back now.

15:20 CEST   
Erratum: it's Tiziano Dall'antonia in the chase group, not Santambrogio.

15:27 CEST   
Now Garcia Rincon is also doing his share of the work in front as they approach the line for another lap.

15:30 CEST   
The leading trio is crossing the line now but they're not entirely happy with who's doing how much work. The chase group is at 43 seconds, with the bunch coming up 1.20 down. All under control in the middle of the race.

15:35 CEST   
The bunch is all strung out now, as more an more riders are hammering in front and dragging the rest with them.

15:43 CEST   
And it's up the first, sweeping climb of the course again. At the top, the riders get handed out bidons and feed bags.

15:44 CEST   
Troy Jourdan Klink (New Zealand) and Miceal Concannon (Ireland) have also abandoned.

15:46 CEST   
The trio in front knows that the chasers aren't far off now: only 22 seconds left for them.

15:49 CEST   
It's Marc De Maar leading the chasers up to the front men now - they're in sight.

15:51 CEST   
Larsen, Jean Marc Marino, De Maar, and one other rider are closing the gap to the three leaders first. The trio is caught, and the group has now an advantage of just over one minute to the peloton.

15:56 CEST   
A new front group has emerged out of the last one: it's Grabovskyy, Polushkin, Jean Marc Marino with Dall'Antonia off the front, with Stefan Trafelet (Switzerland) and Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium) chasing at about 10 seconds.

16:02 CEST   
Three laps to go now. Tiziano Dall'antonia (Italy), Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukraine), Aliaksei Polushkin (Belarus), Jean Marc Marino (France) are leading, but there are many little chase groups between them and the peloton, which is at 1.25 minutes. Stefan Trafelet (Switzerland) and Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium) have joined them now, with Lucas Persson (Sweden chasing in front of the bunch on his own.

16:04 CEST   
John Devine (United States Of America) has just abandoned.

16:07 CEST   
Persson is joining the front now - what a ride!

16:09 CEST   
So we've got seven leaders now: Tiziano Dall'antonia (Italy), Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukraine), Aliaksei Polushkin (Belarus), Jean Marc Marino (France), Stefan Trafelet (Switzerland), Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium) and Lucas Persson (Sweden).

A new chase has emerged out of the bunch with Jorge Martin Montenegro (Argentina), Frantisek Rabon (Czech Republic), James Meadley (Australia), Martin Mortensen (Denmark) and Michael Schär (Switzerland).

16:12 CEST   
But the bunch is not far away: only 50 seconds at the top of that first climb. Anything can still happen.

16:14 CEST   
Persson is munching on a bar while descending - he looks very strong.

16:17 CEST   
The two groups have joined - so we've got 12 riders leading now. But the bunch is near, and more and more riders are jumping to bridge over to the front.

16:20 CEST   
The Swiss now have two riders in front but the bunch is still very near: at 37 secs.

16:22 CEST   
The Swiss look at the others - Larsson wants to continue too, while Gianni Meersman (Belgium) has made it to the front group, which has reformed. Also Evert Verbist (Belgium) is now up there.

16:27 CEST   
Dall Antonia has attacked, with Schär, Grabovskyy and Marino in tow. A chase is getting organized around Larsson as they approach the finish line - but there are still 42 kilometres to go!

16:30 CEST    128km/40km to go
Dall Antonia is hammering in front now, with a three-men chase group at 27 seconds, then nine riders at 47 seconds.

Another group follows of 20 is at 57 seconds, with the bunch at 1.30.

16:35 CEST   
Grabovskyy, Schär and Marino are following Dall Antonio in a distance, while a bigger chase group is at about 50 seconds now. The bunch is further away at 1.30 minutes.

16:38 CEST   
This is the composition of the bigger group behind the three chasers of Dall Antonio:

Aliaksei Polushkin and Branislau Samoilau (Belarus), Lars Boom and Kai Reus (Netherlands), Martin Mortensen (Denmark), Rino Zampilli (Italy), Stefan Trafelet and David Vitoria (Switzerland), Nic Ingels, Pieter Jacobs, Greg Van Avermaet, Evert Verbist (Belgium), Vitor Hugo Rocha Rodrigues (Portugal), Maxim Belkov and Dmitry Kozonchuk (Russian Federation), Kalle Kriit (Estonia), Lukas Fus and Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic), Frantisek Rabon (Czech Republic), Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Colombia), Sebastian Schwager (Germany), James Meadley (Australia), Jorge Martin Montenegro and Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Argentina), Christopher Myhre (Norway), Rafaâ Chtioui (Tunisia).

16:39 CEST   
Dmitry Kozonchuk (Russian Federation) is bridging up to the three on a little uphill stretch.

Dall Antonio looks very focused - he doesn't even want a bottle there on top of the climb.

16:41 CEST   
While the Italian has a good lead he's also got cramps... stretching his right leg in the flat - that will cost him time.

16:45 CEST   
The three chasers are caught by Lars Boom, Pieter Jacobs and Dmitry Kozonchuk - Boom and Kozonchuk both ride for Rabobank Continental, as well as Will Walker (Australia).

Dall Antonia might not be able to lead for long like this, he's in pain.

16:48 CEST   
Grabovskyy has set out to chase Dall Antonio on his own. A Belarusian rider, Branislau Samoilau is also giving his all in third position, with the rest of the chasers doing just that.

16:51 CEST   
Samoilau looks smooth, while Dall Antonia is still hanging on to his ride in front. Between the two, Grabovskyy looks the strongest.

16:55 CEST   
Grabovskyy has caught the Italian in front, as another chase group is getting organised in the back.

The Ukrainian and Dall'Antonia were also the two riders to bridge to that early break by themselves.

17:00 CEST    147km/21km to go
The two leaders have an advantage of 50 seconds the group of about ten which has caught Samoilau. The bunch is at 1.20

29.16 minutes for that lap - over 43 km/h. One lap to go in this U23 race.

A New Zealand rider crashed but is back on his bike, it's Timothy Gudsell.

17:02 CEST   
Chris Sutton is in the first chase group, as well as Peter Latham (NZ) and Philip Deignan (Ireland), driving the group now.

17:04 CEST   
In front, Dall'Antonia is still working with Grabovskyy - amazing. Ignacio Sarabia Diaz (Mexico) is third now on the road.

The climb is approaching.

17:07 CEST   
Another rider in the chase group is Dan Craven (Namibia). He's at 45 seconds together with Andrei Kunitski and Branislau Samoilau (Belarus), Lars Boom (Netherlands), Kasper Jebjerg and Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Denmark), Mauro Santambrogio and Rino Zampilli (Italy), Steve Morabito, Michael Schär, and David Vitoria (Switzerland), Nic Ingels, Pieter Jacobs, Gianni Meersman (Belgium), Dmitry Kozonchuk (Russian Federation), Logan Dennis Hutchings and Peter Latham (New Zealand), Philip Deignan (Ireland), Mathieu Ladagnous, Jean Marc Marino, Benoît Sinner (France), Christopher Sutton and William Walker (Australia), Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Argentina), Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil and Eladio Sanchez Prado (Spain), Michal Golas (Poland).

17:09 CEST   
The Mexican is at 25 secs, and the big peloton at 40. Could all still come together... They're all on the climb now - we'll see at the top.

17:11 CEST   
Everybody is flying now. Jacobs was leading the chase but has now caught Ignacio Sarabia Diaz. So we've got four chasers now: Steve Morabito (Switzerland), Lars Boom (Netherlands), Pieter Jacobs (Belgium), Ignacio Sarabia Diaz (Mexico), at 14 seconds.

17:12 CEST   
And the two leaders are caught on the descent. They're six now with Tiziano Dall'antonia (Italy), Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukraine), but the bunch isn't far off.

17:14 CEST   
Grabovskyy is unbelievable - here he goes again!

17:15 CEST   
He's pushing a big gear on this second uphill part of the course, and the others can only watch him leave.

17:17 CEST    161km/7km to go
And the chasers are circling to get him now, while Deignan is leading the group behind.

Grabovskyy has made it to the flatter part.

17:19 CEST   
Everybody is giving it their absolute all now, as everything is still possible. Lars Boom is also trying on his own now - the first chase group is splitting up.

17:21 CEST    163km/5km to go
The Ukrainian is pushing hard, still out there. Boom is caught by his fellow chasers. Deignan has bridged to the first chase group.

17:22 CEST   
Wow - Deignan and Sutton are working together now to get Grabovskyy - but the others are able to hold their wheel...

17:23 CEST   
Grabo still got 35 seconds - that should be enough for the victory! And the chase is too disorganised.

17:24 CEST    165km/3km to go
Evgeny Popov (Russian Federation) is now with Walker.

17:25 CEST    167km/1km to go
And Grabovskyy passes under the 1-kilometre mark and takes the last corner... he'll make it!

17:27 CEST   
Beautiful win by Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukraine), who has the time to zip up his jersey and greet the spectators. Walker comes in second before Popov.

17:36 CEST   
What a ride by only 19 year-old Grabovskyy! And Dall Antonia still scores sixth - that's also impressive. Australia got a nice result with Walker second and Sutton fifth, and Ireland's Deignan managed to move up into the top ten also.

Join us again tomorrow for the big one, the Elite Men's race. After what we've seen today, there's more in this course than an inevitable bunch sprint, so it sure promises to be interesting!

Results

Provisional
1 Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukraine)              3.56.23
2 Will Walker (Australia)                     0.26
3 Evgeny Popov (Russia)
4 Carlo Westphal (Germany)                    0.33
5 Chris Sutton (Australia)
6 Tiziano Dall'antonia (Italy)                0.35
7 Gianni Meersman (Belgium)
8 Steve Morabito (Switzerland)
9 Philip Deignan (Ireland)
10 Pieter Jacobs (Belgium)
11 Lars Boom (Netherlands)
12 Anton Reshetnikov (Russian Federation)
13 Stéphane Poulhies (France)
14 Mark Cavendish (Great Britain)
15 Nic Ingels (Belgium)
16 Martin Pedersen (Denmark)

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