All roads lead to Harrogate: Pro cycling 2019

[delicatemoth]

Evenepoelesque.

[Kevin S]

Or not - maybe there was an error on the first graphic. Here's the first checkpoint with everyone through.

[Kevin S]

AvV slightly ahead of Dygert at 12.5km. Who will last the distance better?

[longeared]

She's now passed the rider seven minutes ahead and is literally going to win this by a mile.

[Kevin S]

She passes the rider who set off three mins before her. Wow.

[longeared]

The hype surrounding Chloe Dygert is for real, then.

[delicatemoth]

When they set off they look like they're skating on bikes, so skittery.

[delicatemoth]

Elite Women are ITT-ing now. Very wet road indeed, not sure if it's still actually raining. I dunno, if they will hold the Worlds in these climatically extreme countries what do they expect...

[longeared]

Women's elite time trial is underway after being delayed while they pumped the course clear of water. Conditions in the opening kilometres certainly look better than this morning - it seems more like a wet day rather than the monsoon and light flooding earlier. The overhead conditions have also evidently improved as they've got the helicopter up.

[Kevin S]

Splosh.

https://twitter.com/cronoescalada/status/1176446859134586880?s=19

[longeared]

Mikkel Bjerg wins the race for the third consecutive year. He's at UAE next year so it'll be interesting to see how he gets on - historically this event does not have a good track record for identifying future stars. Garrison and McNulty of the USA round out the podium.

[longeared]

Now they've lost the pictures. Wouldn't be the Worlds without this happening.

[longeared]

And just as I type that we get to see a Hungarian rider aquaplane and slide down a descent. He appears not to be badly hurt and is back riding.

[longeared]

They're lucky this is a time trial day, road races in this would be absolutely crashtastic.

[Capybara]

Weather's grim this morning ...

[longeared]

Astonishing victory for "the new Nibali" Antonio Tiberi who broke his right crank coming off the start and needed an immediate bike change then almost crashed into a car at the end of his first lap. The medallists all went off in the earlier starters which suggests the wind must have got up later on.

[ursus arctos]

Megan Hughes, former British Road Race Champion

[longeared]

Yes - he's her father. She qualifies for Britain as Magnus married a Welsh lady (Megan something who was a pretty decent rider in her day) and settled here.

Alexandre Vinokourov's son is racing in the men's junior time trial, though he's not going to be troubling the leaderboard as he got caught after a lap by the Italian who started a minute and a half behind him. There's 64 starters in this and they're all doing two laps so this is going to take fucking ages to complete, and Andrea Piccolo will probably win.

[Kevin S]

Is she related to Magnus?

[longeared]

Bronze for Backstedt. That's a little bit disappointing to be honest.

[longeared]

Oops - the Russian Aigul Gareeva who led at the checkpoint goes down the vehicle deviation, though still leads with just Alessio and Backstedt to finish.

[Capybara]

Crikey.

[longeared]

Backstedt has a big wobble on a corner and just manages to stay upright. She's still less than a second off fastest at the checkpoint.

Other thought; the organisers need to buy a leaf blower. I know there's a lot of trees in that part of town but it looks a bit crap with leaves blowing all over the finish straight.

[longeared]

Women's junior time trial this morning. This race is probably the best bet for a British gold medal this week - Elynor Backstedt won the bronze in this event last year and is still eligible to participate. She's last off in about an hour from now, the first couple of riders have just finished.

[Me Old Flower]

Anyone from off here going? I'm there from Wednesday.

I'm in Richmond on Thursday for the Junior Road Race.