Lone attack on final climb seals thrilling win for FranceBelgium’s Wout van Aert takes sprint for second placeA four-year hunt for the road world title came to a triumphant, cliff‑hanging end for Julian Alaphilippe at Imola, where he made a characteristic late solo attack on the final climb to hold off the big race favourite Wout Van Aert of
Belgium in a pulsating finale to the 258-kilometre race – in the process becoming the first Frenchman to wear the elite rainbow jersey since 1997.
Alaphilippe had figured strongly in the final action at Bergen in 2017 and Innsbruck in 2018, but fell foul of the bone-chilling rain in Harrogate last year. In common with most of his fellow countrymen, he had endured mixed fortunes in the Tour de
France, taking a stage win and the yellow jersey in Nice but losing the lead due to an illegal feed and trying in vain to add a second victory in the second half of the race.