Svetsko prvenstvo - TOP 5

1. Bernar Ino 1980

Trasa na Svetskom prvenstvu 1980.godine u francuskim Alpima je široko poznata kao najteža svih vremena. Sastavljena od 20 krugova i 20 uspona, bila je podesna za Bernara Inoa. Žak Anketil je rekao da je toliko teška da bi samo 15 vozača moglo da je završi. Odlazeći na trku bilo je velike sumnje oko Inove forme nakon njegovog odustajanja sa Tur d'Fransa zbog upale tetiva. Njegov napad je izazvao prvo cepanje grupe, ostavljajući pored sebe samo četiri rivala: Italijana Baronkelija, Danca Markusena, Belgijanca Polantjea i Britanca Roberta Milera. Kako je Ino nastavio da vrši pritisak, Polantje je posustao, za njim i Markusen, a onda je u pretposlednjem krugu Miler otpao. Baronkeli je poslednji otpao a Ino je završio trku sa više od jednog minuta prednosti. Španac Huan Fernandez je zauzeo treću poziciju sa više od četiri minuta zaostatka.

2. Lens Armstrong 1993

Iako je bio pobednik etape na Tur d'Fransu tog leta i američki drumski šampion, Lens Armstrong je posmatran kao autsajder na Svetskom prvenstvu u Oslu 1993.godine. Kao što je već bio slučaj u Kolumbiji dve godine kasnije, Migel Indurian je bio favorit, ali loši uslovi su trku učinili nepredvidivom dok se španski tim borio da kontroliše svoje rivale. Istrajavši u prvom cepanju grupe tokom kasnije faze trke, Indurian je predvodio poteru za trojicom begunaca na poslednjem usponu u Reinbergu. Kada je grupa uhvatila Olaf Ludviga, Dag-Oto-Laricena i Frans Masena, Armstrong je uzvratio.

Indurian i druga velika imena su verovali da mogu da uhvate dvadesetdvogodišnjeg Amerikanca na spustu ali je Armstrong pokazao da im je dorastao prkosivši podmiklim putevima i finiširao sa 19 sekundi ispred Induriana i Ludviga.

3. Abraham Olano 1995

Jedino Svetsko prvenstvo koje je održano u Kolumbiji bilo je nesumnjivo jedno od najtežih u istoriji.  Trka je postavljena tako da se vodi borba između Migel Induriana i Marka Pantanija.

Španac se pripremao mesec dana pre trke u Koloradu sa nekoliko svojih vozača. Abraham Olano nije bio među njima, vozio je Vueltu, gde je dobio sva tri hronometra i otišao pravo u Kolumbiju fokusirajući se na hronometar. Olano je osvojio srebro iza Induriana na hronometru ali je iznenadio sve na drumskoj trci. Španska taktika je bila da Fernando Eskartin i Olano omekšaju jak italijanski i švajcarski tim sa kasnim napadima nakon čega bi Indurian povukao svoj potez.

Eskartin je napao u četvrtom krugu ali se brzo vratio. Sa Indurianom na oku, Olano je skočio na 14km pre cilja. Dok su svi gledali u Induriana, Olano je otišao u lažni napad i stekao  40 sekundi prednosti, ali je Pantani napao na usponu i smanjio prednost na 16 sekundi u šestom kilometru pre cilja. Italijan, međutim, nije mogao otresti Induriana i njegova potera za Olanom je stala. Španac se još jednom naoštrio,  njegov jedini nervozni momenat je nastupio kada mu je pukla guma na 1800m pre cilja. Nervozno je podigao ruku da proslavi prvu špansku titulu na Svetskom prvenstvu, dok je Indurian stigao ispred Pantanija.

4. Oskar Freire 1999

Španski selektor Pako Antekera  je bio izuzetno kritikovan kada je za Svetsko prvenstvo u Veroni odabrao povređenog vozača koji je iza sebe imao samo jednu pobedu i 18 trkačkih dana u 1999.godini.

Oskar Freire je osećao da mu težak krug odgovara iako nije verovao da ima mnogo šansi za podijum. Jan Ulrih je bio favorit, Nemac koji je podsticao pobednički beg napadom na poslednjem usponu. Frančesko  Kazagrande i Frenk Vandenbruk, koji je polomio zglob u ranijem padu, otišli su za Nemcem i na spustu stigli do vodećeg tria.

Kao manje iskusan, izgladalo je da je Freire zanemaren od strane svojih rivala, naročito nakon kasnog napada Španca kada je branilac titule, Oskar Kamencind, bio neutralizovan. Ulazeći u poslednji kilometar, Freire je čekao sprint ali je na 500m pre linije cilja odlučio da iznenadi svoje iskusnije rivale još jednim napadom. Dok su Ulrih i drugi favoriti čekali jedni druge na odgovor, Freire je odsprintao do svoje prve od ukupno tri titule svetskog šampiona.

5. Kadel Evans 2009

Sve je ukazivalo na to da će Fabijan Kanćelara postati prvi vozač u istoriji koji se dvaput takmiči i na hronometrau i na drumskoj trci na Svetskom prvenstvu.Vozeći na svom terenu u Mendrisu, Švajcarac je bio nezaustavljiv na hronometru i izgledalo je da će biti podjednako jak i  u završnici drumske trke. U pretposlednjem krugu je napao ali je posle odvajanja bio na oku četvorici Španskih vozača.

U poslednjem krugu Kanćelara je ponovo napao i ovog puta je jedino Samjuel Sančez mogao da ga prati. Ali olimpijski šampion je odbio da radi sa Švajcarcem i formirla se grupa od devet vozača, sa četiri dominantna Španca. Joakim Rodrigez je bio prvi koji je napao pre poslednjeg uspona. Uskoro ga je dostigao Rus Aleksandar Kolobnev. Osećajući da niko drugi neće da ide u poteru, Evans je skočio preko Kolobneva i Rodrigeza i solo otišao do pobede kojom je započeo seriju uspeha.

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1. Bernard Hinault 1980

The course for the 1980 Worlds at Sallanches in the French Alps was widely viewed as the toughest of all time. Comprising 20 laps and 20 ascents of the Domency climb, it had been set up for Bernard Hinault. Jacques Anquetil declared it so tough that only 15 riders would finish. Going into the race there were huge doubts about Hinault’s fitness after his abandon from the Tour de France due to tendonitis. His attack produced the first selection, leaving him with just four rivals: Italy’s Baronchelli, Denmark’s Marcussen, Belgium’s Pollentier and Britain’s Robert Millar. As Hinault continued to press, Pollentier yielded, then Marcussen, then, with two laps remaining, Millar slipped back. Baronchelli was the last to fall away as Hinault finished more than a minute clear, with Spain’s Juan Fernández more than four minutes back in third.

2. Lance Armstrong 1993

Although a winner of a stage at the Tour de France earlier that summer and already the American road champion, Lance Armstrong was viewed as an outsider when the Worlds went to Oslo in 1993. As would be the case in Colombia two years later, Miguel Induráin was very much the favourite, but the atrocious conditions made the race more unpredictable as the Spanish team struggled to contain their rivals. Having forced an initial selection during the latter stages of the race, Induráin led the chase up to three breakaway riders on the final ascent of the Ryenberg. As the group reached Olaf Ludwig, Dag-Otto Lauritzen and Frans Maassen, Armstrong countered.

Induráin and the other big names may have believed they would catch the 22-year-old American on the descent, but Armstrong showed he had the handling skills to match any of them as he defied to treacherous roads to finish 19 seconds ahead of Induráin and Ludwig.

3. Abraham Olano 1995

The only World Championship ever to take place in Colombia was undoubtedly one of the toughest of all time. The race had been set up as a head-to-head between Miguel Induráin and Marco Pantani.

The Spaniard spent the month before the race preparing at altitude in Colorado with several team-mates. Abraham Olano was not among them, as he was riding the Vuelta, where he won all three time trials and went straight to Colombia with his focus on the time trial crown. Olano took silver behind Induráin in the TT, but surprised everyone by reversing those positions in the road race. The Spanish tactic was for Fernando Escartín and Olano to soften up the strong Italian and Swiss teams with attacks late on in the race, after which Induráin would make his move.

Escartín attacked with four laps to go, but was brought back. With Induráin very tightly marked, Olano jumped clear with 14km remaining. With everyone watching Induráin, Olano forged clear, gaining 40 seconds, but on the climb Pantani opened up, cutting his advantage back to 16 seconds with 6km remaining. The Italian, though, could not shake Induráin and his pursuit of Olano faltered. The Spaniard edged away once again, his only nervous moment coming when he punctured with 1800m to the line. He rode in on a flat tubular, nervously raising one arm to celebrate Spain’s first world title, while Induráin pipped Pantani for second.

4. Oscar Freire 1999

Spanish selector Paco Antequera was hugely criticised when he picked an injury-hit with just one win to his credit and 18 days of racing under his belt in 1999 for that year’s World Championships in Verona.

Oscar Freire felt that the tough circuit suited him, although he didn’t believe he had much chance of contending for the podium. Jan Ullrich was the favourite, and it was the German who instigated the winning break with an attack on the final ascent of the Torricelle climb. Francesco Casagrange and Frank Vandenbroucke, who had broken in a wrist in an earlier crash, went with the German, and on the descent half a dozen more riders got across to the leading trio.

As the least experienced, it seems Freire was discounted by his rivals, particularly after the Spaniard’s late attack with defending champion Oscar Camenzind had been neutralised. Going into the final kilometre, Freire dropped to the back of the line, waiting for the sprint, but with 500m left he decided to surprise his more experienced rivals with another attack. As Ullrich and co waited for each other to respond, Freire sped clear to the first of his three world titles.

5. Cadel Evans 2009

Everything pointed towards Fabian Cancellara becoming the first rider in history to complete the road and time trial double at the Worlds. Riding on home ground at Mendrisio, the Swiss was unstoppable in the time trial and looked equally strong going into the closing stages of the road race. On the penultimate lap he made his move, but after splitting the field found himself closely marked by four Spanish riders.

On the final lap Cancellara went again and this time only Samuel Sánchez could follow, but the Olympic champion refused to work with the Swiss and a nine-man group formed, with the four Spaniards dominating it. Joaquim Rodríguez was the first of them to make move just before the final ascent. He was quickly followed by Russia’s Alexandr Kolobnev. Sensing that no one else was going to chase, Evans jumped across to Kolobnev, and these two moved up to Rodríguez. At the foot of the final climb, Evans launched his attack, dropping Kolobnev and Rodríguez and soloing away to a victory on which he has subsequently built with a series of career-defining successes.

(BiciSvet.com/izvor:cyclingnews.com/Dragana Petrović)