Roche, riding his eight World Championship Road Race, kept Irish hopes alive until the closing stages of the 258-kilometre race, before losing touch with the main group as Alaphilippe went on to end a 23-year wait for France cycling.

The Irish cycling team was led by Roche with support from Time Trial specialist, Ryan Mullen and 20-year old, Ben Healy. The difficult route featured over 5,000 metres of climbing, with the peloton of 177 men was reduced considerably as the day wore on.

Roche remained in contention until the final 45 kilometres where he was dropped from the leading group on one of many climbs which ramped up to a 15% gradient. He had the consolation of being the only Irish finisher, coming home 51^st from 177 starters.

Speaking afterward, Roche said:

“I think I rode a pretty decent race, just the legs let me go in the finish. I was always up the front, Ben (Healy) was around me for quite a long time and I just faded near the finish when the race really really started. I was just a little bit short.”

Healy and Mullen provided support in the early hours of the race, retiring before the finish. Just 88 riders could complete one of the toughest routes in memory.

Belgian Wout van Aert finished second and Marc Hirschi from Switzerland took third after more than six and a half hours in the saddle.

As he entered the famous Imola race track, Alaphilippe knew that he was getting closer and closer to a memorable victory, and after a short glance over his shoulder, he powered towards the line, which he crossed with tears in his eyes. Sunday’s win cemented the 28-year-old’s reputation as one of the peloton’s finest and most complete riders.

Alaphilippe, who became the fourth different Deceuninck – Quick-Step rider to win the World Road Race Championships – after Tom Boonen (2005), Paolo Bettini (2006, 2007) and Michal Kwiatkowski (2014) – dedicated Sunday’s triumph to his late father:

“It’s hard for me to describe how I am feeling right now, there are so many things I think of now, so many feelings. This is my greatest victory, a win which I promised to my father I will get one day. Once I attacked with 12 kilometres to go and opened a gap, I was focused on staying at the front and going close to my limit. When I arrived alone at the finish, I couldn’t believe that my dream came true. The coveted rainbow jersey is the most beautiful one in cycling and to know that I will wear it for twelve months gives me huge pride.”

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Two Irish riders, Ryan Mullan and Nicolas Roche will race the elite men’s time trial tomorrow, Friday, 25 September. The largely flat 31.7-kilometre route starts and finishes at the Imola autodrome and passes through the town of Borgo at the halfway mark. Unlike the road race, the time trial course has just 200m of elevation gain meaning it is expected riders will need to average in excess of 50kph to be in contention.

Roche suffered a crash on stage 10 of this year’s Tour however recovered well to feature in multiple breakaways and secure his 64^th top 10 stage finish in a Grand Tour.

Mullan is a 4-time Irish National Champion in the time trial and bronze medallist at the 2017 European Championships while Roche has 2 TT National titles to his name.

Both Roche and Mullen will also compete in the men’s road race over an arduous 258.2 kilometres featuring 9 loops and 5,000m of climbing on Sunday, 27 September. They will be joined in the race by Ben Healy and Dan Martin.

Martin started the Tour de France just 2 weeks after fracturing a bone in his lower back. The injury forced Martin to maintain a low profile in the early stages of the race however he sprung into the limelight on stage 13 in a long-range breakaway finishing 11^th and again on stage 17. With the Israel Start-Up Nation cycling team member coming into form, the 2020 UCI Road World Championships course looks to suit the punchy climber.

Ireland Squad for UCI Road World Championships, Imola, 25-27 September

Elite Men road race: Dan Martin, Nicolas Roche, Ben Healy, Ryan Mullen.

Elite Men Time Trial: Nicolas Roche, Ryan Mullen.

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