Michal Kwiatkowski crowned what has been an excellent season for him by breaking away on the penultimate descent and holding off the chasing group to become the World Road Race Champion. It was the Poles eighth win in 2014.

The peloton took off in rain for the biggest one-day race of the year, the right to wear the rainbow jersey, and on the first lap, after an early flurry of attacks and a puncture for one of the favourites, Fabian Cancellara, a break was quickly established comprising of Carols Quintero of Colombia, Polivoda of Ukraine, Savickas of Lithuania and Kvasina of Croatia. They worked well and had a gap of 11’40 with 205km still to go.

Meanwhile the peloton, who were content to let the break go, were nervous and there was a small spill in a corner and this caused a crash for Navardauskas, Valgren and Nibali but all got up unhurt.

Once the break’s gap reached 15 minutes, Germany with Greipel and a few Polish riders began to work away to bring it down.

100km into the race, the gap was 9’50 and the Australians, Spaniards had all massed together behind the few Polish riders working for Kwiatkowski and Andre Greipel.

With 76km remaining, Fabio Aru hit the front for the Itlains and instantly shelled riders like Betancur, Evans, Froome, Niemiec, van Garderen and Bodnar. The gap was coming rapidly down and by 63km to go, the move was done and was replaced with a new break containing Juul Jensen (Denmark), Geschke (Germany), Visconti (Italy), Albasini (Switzerland), Vanmarcke (Belgium). 

However, they never gained much time and with a little over 40km to the line there advantage was gone and they were back in the bunch. Later attacks went that included Visconti and Britain’s Kennaugh but the next move to stick comprised France’s Cyril Gautier, Denmark’s Michael Valgren, De Marchi (Italy). Belarussian Vasil Kiriyenka attacked from the field a while after and the trio waited for him heading into the final lap and they had a gap of 45 seconds.

Paterski of Poland was working hard and with a little over 10km to go, they had got the gap to within 10 seconds. It was on the descent from the Confederacion climb that Kwiatkowski went, using his great descending skills to get a gap and catching his rivals by surprise. He bridged up to the break and sat in the wheels as they went onto the final ascent of the Mirador climb and then, just as the bunch closed in, he went again.

Valgren tried to hold on but couldn’t keep up and Kwiatkowski went on his own. In the bunch no more than 10 seconds behind, Rodriguez attacked but didn’t get a real gap before Gilbert went, dragging Gerrans, Valverde, Breschel, Gallopin and teammate van Avermaet with him. The group dint look to work that well and at the top of the climb, Kwiatkowski had 10 seconds, a gap he virtually maintained all the way down the descent. 

Gilbert went to the front and put down a big turn for almost a kilometre to help van Avermaet but it was not enough and Kwiatkowski had time to celebrate his crowning moment as he won by a second from fast finishers Gerrans and Valverde. Breschel was fourth, van Avermaet fifth and Gallopin sixth. Gilbert came across the line a further three seconds back and Kristoff led home the “peloton” ahead of Degenkold, Bouhanni, Cancellara, Swift, Colbrelli and Matthews. Navardauskas completed the top fifteen. That group that included all the sprinters was 8 seconds behind Kwiatkowski. Defending champion Rui Costa was 23rd, 8 seconds down. Other favourite Sagan was 43rd, 42 seconds down.

Kwiatkowski gained his revenge on Gerrans and Valverde, who had beaten him in all three Ardennes Classics but he has rightfully earned his stint in the Rainbow Jersey for the next 12 months.