The UCI Road World Championships were predicted to be decided on the steep climb up Montrose Street – and while it was on West George Street that Mathieu van der Poel launched his race-winning attack to claim the elite men’s title, Montrose still proved decisive because of a corner leading into the climb.
It was on this corner that Van der Poel crashed while on his successful solo move, sliding out as rain soaked the course and breaking off one of the fasteners on his shoe. After ripping off the broken part, he stormed off up the climb and re-opened his unassailable lead.
Alberto Bettiol (Italy), while on his ultimately unsuccessful earlier solo attack, lost his bidon in the turn and clipped the fallen bottle with his rear wheel, nearly sliding out. One of the hundreds of spectators who crammed themselves on the sidelines captured his amazing save on video.
The moment Bettiol comes flying round and his own water bottle almost takes him out 👀 how he managed to stay upright…wow 👏🏻 #GlasgowScotland2023 pic.twitter.com/M5pQJC07oQAugust 6, 2023
In the elite chasing group behind the Italian, Jhonatan Narvaez (Ecuador) crashed in the same spot, splitting the group and leaving Wout van Aert (Belgium), Mads Pedersen (Denmark), Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) and Van der Poel to fly up the climb and create an unclosable gap.
Eerste rang. #Glasgow2023 #UCIWorldChampionships pic.twitter.com/ScOtGo5gmsAugust 6, 2023
Montrose Street might not have been the site of the race-winning move, but it certainly ended the hopes of riders like Neilson Powless (USA) who tried to close the gap but fell just short, and the other Belgian hopeful Remco Evenepoel who couldn’t chase with Van Aert up the road.
The atmosphere on the climb was electric as fans from around the world cheered on their favourite riders. Expect no less for the upcoming road races for under-23 men and elite women.
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