Image 1 of 60 2012 Under 23 world champion Alexey Lutsenko (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 2 of 60 The peloton in action during the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 3 of 60 U23 road race silver medalist Bryan Coquard (France) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 4 of 60 U23 road race world champion Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 5 of 60 Bronze medalist Tom Van Asbroeck (Belgium) on the podium. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 6 of 60 Bryan Coquard (France) had a fast finish but had to settle for silver. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 7 of 60 Inside of 100 meters remain in the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 8 of 60 U23 road race world champion Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) on the podium (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 9 of 60 An ecstatic Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) has just won the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 10 of 60 Claudio Corti, left, accompanied by UCI president Pat McQuaid at the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 11 of 60 The U23 men's peloton in hot pursuit of a five-man break late in the race. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 12 of 60 A five-man break of Andrea Fedi (Italy), Lukas Postlberger (Austria), Eduardo Sepulveda (Argentina), Anton Vorobyev (Russia) and Pawel Bernas (Poland) on the attack late in the U23 men's race. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 13 of 60 The U23 men's peloton begins its ascent of the Cauberg. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 14 of 60 The peloton doesn't seem concerned about the early three-rider break up the road. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 15 of 60 Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) sprinted up the left edge of the road to win the 2012 U23 world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 16 of 60 U23 road Worlds podium (L-R): Bryan Coquard (France), 2nd; Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan), 1st; Tom Van Asbroeck (Belgium), 3rd (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 17 of 60 Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) on the podium to receive his rainbow jersey and gold medal. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 18 of 60 The peloton in action during the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 19 of 60 The peloton in action during the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 20 of 60 Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) is the 2012 U23 men's road race world champion. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 21 of 60 The U23 men begin their ascent of the Cauberg. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 22 of 60 The U23 men begin their ascent of the Cauberg. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 23 of 60 The peloton in action during the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 24 of 60 Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) is the 2012 U23 men's road race world champion. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 25 of 60 The peloton in action during the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 26 of 60 The peloton in action during the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 27 of 60 A field sprint decided the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 28 of 60 Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) with his world championship gold medal. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 29 of 60 Arms aloft for Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan), winner of the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 30 of 60 The early 3-rider break included Michael Freiberg (Australia), Tomohiro Kinoshita(Japan) and Jesper Dahlstrom (Sweden) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 31 of 60 The peloton in action during the U23 men's road race world championship. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 32 of 60 Riders show the strain of climbing the Cauberg. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 33 of 60 2012 U23 men's road race world champion Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 34 of 60 Bryan Coquard (France) earned the silver medal in the U23 world championship road race. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 35 of 60 2012 U23 Worlds road race bronze medalist Tom Van Asbroeck (Belgium) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 36 of 60 U23 Worlds road race podium (L-R): Bryan Coquard, silver; Alexey Lutsenko, gold; Tom Van Asbroeck, bronze (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 37 of 60 2012 U23 Worlds road race podium (L-R): Bryan Coquard (France), Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) and Tom Van Asbroeck (Belgium) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 38 of 60 U23 Worlds road race silver medalist Bryan Coquard (France) at the finish line. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 39 of 60 Bryan Coquard (France) finished second, Tom Van Asbroeck (Belgium) finished third, followed by Hugo Houle (Canada) in fourth for the U23 Worlds road race. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 40 of 60 Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) celebrates victory in the U23 road race world championship. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 41 of 60 Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan), right, timed his sprint to perfection and begins his victory salute. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 42 of 60 Bryan Coquard (France), far left, looks across at the finish line to see how he's finished. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 43 of 60 Newly crowned U23 road race world champion Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) listens to his national anthem. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 44 of 60 Alexey Lutsenko is the first rider from Kazakhstan to win a U23 men's world championship. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 45 of 60 2012 U23 Worlds road race podium (L-R): Bryan Coquard (France), Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) and Tom Van Asbroeck (Belgium) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 46 of 60 Riders attack the peloton on an early ascent of the Cauberg. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 47 of 60 The U23 men on the Cauberg. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 48 of 60 The U23 men's peloton acends the Cauberg early in their world championship road race. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 49 of 60 A bunched peloton early in the U23 men's road race. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 50 of 60 The U23 men in action during the 2012 world championship road race. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 51 of 60 The U23 Worlds peloton rolls along early in the race. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 52 of 60 Jesper Dahlstrom (Sweden) and Tomohiro Kinoshita (Japan) on the attack early. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 53 of 60 U23 Worlds bronze medalist Tom Van Asbroeck (Belgium) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 54 of 60 U23 Worlds road race silver medalist Bryan Coquard (France) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 55 of 60 World champion Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) shows off his gold medal. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 56 of 60 Your new U23 road race world champion - Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 57 of 60 Alexey Lutsenko celebrates winning the sprint (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 58 of 60 Alexey Lutsenko in his rainbow jersey (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 59 of 60 The podium: Bryan Coquard (France), Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan) and Tom Van Asbroeck (Belgium) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 60 of 60 Lutsenko sprints up the far side of the road (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Alexey Lutsenko gave Kazakhstan its first ever Under 23 men’s world road race title with an audacious but perfectly timed sprint along the barriers.

Lutsenko let other riders start their sprints early and then came from behind to hit the line first at exactly the right time. France’s Bryan Coquard also came up late to take second, with Belgium’s Tom Van Asbroeck taking third. Hugo Houle (Canada) was fourth and Luke Pibernik (Slovenia) was fifth.

As expected, the final climb of the Cauberg, just 1.5km from the finish, sparked attacks but Lutsenko was able to get back to the front and fight for victory.





Lutsenko was overjoyed to win the world title. Bryan Coquard was not so happy to lose by less than a wheel.

“The dominant feeling is one of disappointment, even it’s nice to have silver at least,” he said.

“(Teammate) Warren Barguil was fantastic, he helped to pace me back on after the Cauberg all the way up to the last kilometre, but maybe I needed someone in those next 500 metres. I put in a long sprint and went 350 metres from the line. I went then because I found and opening and I was worried if I waited that I would get blocked in.





A fast and furious race

As always with Under 23 world championship road races, the 177km race was fast and furious, with riders attacking and chasing each other throughout its duration.

Tomohiro Kinoshita of Japan, Jesper Dahlstrom of Sweden and Australia’s Michael Freiberg. formed the early move, opening an eight-minute gap. They were chased down and eight riders later joined them to create an 11-rider front group after five laps, before a general regrouping. Other attacks came but the peloton responded time and time again during the next three laps.

Italy’s Andrea Fedi was especially aggressive and he and four other riders managed to form a breakaway with a lap and a half to go. The five were: Andrea Fedi (Italy), Lukas Postlberger (Austria), Eduardo Sepulveda (Argentina), Anton Vorobyev (Russia) and Pawel Bernas (Poland).

As the bell rang at the finish line, signalling a lap to go, the quintet had a 15-second lead but it was not going to be enough. The peloton quickly closed the gap and then the Kazakhstan team also chased down a few solo attack on the back of the circuit.

The final climb of the Cauberg would be decisive and confirm if this year’s world championships are better suited to the attackers and climbers, or for the sprinters who opted to wait for the dash to the finish.

Austria’s Georg Preidler and Australia’s Jay McCarthy were the first to attack on the Cauberg and got a gap as the gradient eased. They were joined by a handful of other riders and for an instant they seemed to have a chance of going all the way to the finish. However some of the riders hesitated and refused to work. That slowed the attack, hit their determination and allowed the chasers to close the gap. Although the Cauberg left many struggling, 52 riders made it into the front group and drove towards the finish.

The Belgian team led-out the sprint but they went a little too early into the headwind - it was going to be a hectic sprint. Tom Van Asbroeck (Belgium) came through and probably thought he was going to win after hitting the front in the final 100 metres. But Lutsenko came past him on his left and then Coquard came past him on the right of the road to take first and second.

Lutsenko was overjoyed to win but will not wear the rainbow jersey in 2013. Instead he will join the pro ranks, as the heir to Alexandre Vinokourov’s crown of best Kazakhstan rider in cycling.

“You never know what can happen, many things are possible in a career,” he said when asked if he was ready to take over from Vinokourov.

“All season I’ve tried to stay in good condition to get wins and last month I signed a deal with Pro Team Astana. I hope I can continue to ride well as a professional next season and maybe even get a win along the way.”