The new world champion is Philippe Gilbert, protagonist of a formidable solo in the finale. The world championship didn't end with the usual final sprint of the flat courses. With the Cauberg tear, repeated ten times, less than two kilometers from the finish, it was also unlikely that any Carneade of the bike would win it. Gilbert was not the absolute strongest of the starting lot but he was the one most popular with bookmakers due to his finisseur characteristics, capable of producing impressive progressions in view of the finish, a quality that few others have in their legs after more than 250km of racing.
Only Cancellara can do better but the Swiss wasn't there. Gilbert, regenerated by the Vuelta after a disappointing spring, gave his best and won. In such a path, with Cauberg who was waiting for nothing but a showdown, all the other big names who were part of the predictions on the eve lost. A defeat that seemed even more bitter for Nibali, Sagan and Rodriguez, riders who belong to the elite of today's world cycling, with characteristics that were well suited to the Valkenburg track. Nibali, after a great effort in the finale by Paolini and Moser, tried on the last pass of the Cauberg but it was a sprint drained of energy, which only served to unleash Gilbert for his world championship flight. Sagan has never been seen, always indoors on the wheels of the best.
Rodriguez was also disappointing: eagerly awaited, Purito however never unleashed the explosive sprint that won him the Freccia Vallona and some stages of the Giro and Vuelta. As a nation, among the favourites, he certainly lost Italy but also Spain which had presented itself in Valkenburg with four stars of the first magnitude: Contador, Rodriguez, Valverde and Freire. In the end he collected only the bronze medal with Valverde, who was the only one with Boasson-Hagen (second to a handful of seconds from Gilbert) to try to catch up with the unleashed Belgian. Contador comes out defeated without drama: he tried several times to make a selection, then in the last lap he put himself at the service of the other teammates. For this part of the season, the success of the Vuelta is enough for him. Maybe Contador will try to win the Giro di Lombardia which this year will be held in September (next Saturday) to give more space in mid-October to the second edition of the Tour of Beijing.
He comes out of the Valkenburg World Cup not only defeated but also rejected the Great Britain of Wiggins and Froome, the two big names of the Tour de France engulfed in a disturbing anonymity from the very first laps. An announced disappointment but which raises some questions about Wiggo's chances of repeating his fabulous 2012 with Contador next year and, why not, Andy Schleck back on track. As for Cavendish, the outgoing champion, he took off the trouble in the middle of the race.
