World Championships Live – Pogacar, Evenepoel, Van der Poel battle in elite men’s road race

Marc Hirschi (Switzerland) drops back to his team car – he has had a couple of problems in these early phases. He’s happy to collect his own bottles despite being one of the favourites today. His 2020 exploits had felt like a long time ago but Hirschi has built quite the palmares of one-day success. Most of his wins have come in lower-level races but this summer he put together a run of five successive wins, including the Clasica San Sebastian and Bretagne Classic, both well over 200km. 

The leaders head onto the Witikon climb now, which is longer but steadier, measuring 2.6km at 5.3%.

Photodump complete, the bunch hit that Zurichbergstraase climb for the second time and it’s Campenaerts still on the front, with the Slovenians still muscling alongside. 

Meanwhile, this is the start of the Zurichbergstraase climb, which is where most of the fans seem to have gathered.

And here’s a look at a kicker that comes later on the lap.

One of the steeper ramps on the circuit.

Pajur and Gonzalez have ridden remarkably since being dropped from the break 40km ago, but they are now caught by the peloton as they come through the finish line now, 3:21 behind the break.

161km to go

Foss leads the break across the line, their lead down to 3:40 with six laps remaining.

Bike change for Dillier, who works his way back to the break alongside Geshcke with a minimum of fuss. The six leaders head into the final kilometre of the first lap of the Zurich course, but they’re losing time due to Campenaert’s pace-making behind.

We’ve had a fair few abandons, most notably Mattias Skjelmose, a Danish dark horse and the stronger climber to former world champ Mads Pedersen’s thoroughbred Classics credentials. Spaniard Mikel Landa has also exited the race.

The increase in pace has seen the gap to the break come down to four minutes as we head onto the final part of this opening lap.

Belgium have taken over from Slovenia with their whole team now on the front as the bunch lines out through a series of bends. Campenaerts is doing the early work for the Belgians.

The gap stands steady at five minutes as we tick through what is a…