Elite Road Race World Championship 2013 – Clever Rui Costa

Just about everyone named Rodriguez, Valverde, Nibali, Sagan, Gilbert and Cancellara as favourites – but I didn’t see one mention of Portugal’s Rui Costa’s name before the race.

But he was there with the best at the death and played his hand as coolly as Paul Newman in ‘The Sting.’

Martin and I watched him win a Tour stage back in the summer and he really does ride with his head as well as legs – one smart rider.

He’s won the Tour de Suisse twice so it’s obvious he can get over the climbs; but he’s also won the Four Days of Dunkirk – there are no wimps on that role of honour.

A good head coupled with good climbing skills and toughness – just about all the ingredients you need to be a top roadman.

The day was gruesome; it rained from before the riders made the first pass of the circuit until two laps to go.

At best a drizzle, at worst a torrent which had little streams running down the climb and drain covers bubbling.

By the end my camera was misted up and my notebook was mush – thankfully the sun came out at the end and I was able to improvise, taking pictures with the BlackBerry.

The Italians did a power of work – too much, I think with Nibali isolated at the end.

Nibali rode a man’s race; he could rightly have expected some help from Costa in the finale but the Portuguese was playing his poker game to perfection.

It also looked to me that Valverde was perhaps playing his role for Movistar, not just Spain.

Even although Costa leaves Movistar for Lampre for 2014 it’s still a huge boost for the Spanish team until the end of this year for Costa to wear the rainbow stripes.

If Valverde had played it differently and Costa or Nibali had won then it wouldn’t have looked good.

Rodriguez was shattered after the line, I grabbed a quick picture as he was marshalled towards the ‘controle’ – head hung, tight lipped.

It’s passion with men like Rodriguez, not just objectives, plans and formula.

‘The Shark’ was close to tears as he wheeled through the madness that is a Worlds finish.

Had he not crashed then it just might have been different…

He was lucky to escape the Media frenzy – riders are pounced upon and asked detailed questions practically before they’ve unclipped.

Some, like Serge Pauwels were showing a bit of stress; those Belgian journos don’t miss you.

But others, like Zdeněk Štybar look remarkably, ‘neither up nor down with’ with it all – the last thing the Czech looked like was a man who’d just finished a 7 hour 25 minute death race in the rain.

Phil Gilbert finished ninth, not a bad ride but total failure as far as the Belgian Media are concerned; but he has to stand and answer those questions – it’s part of his job.

But if ninth was failure, then how do you describe an entire team being DNF?

‘Total disaster’ is one way.

I was doing my usual ‘walk the circuit’ thing when I came upon this work of art.

There was also a ‘Go Froomey Go!’ banner; but when the squalls which preceded the storm began to blow in, there was a loud ‘crack’ and it was gone.

‘A portent’ I thought to myself – and sure enough he lost contact and quit. Wiggins had actually gone by this stage, creeping past the banner dedicated to him whilst back among the cars.

There’s two ways you can look at it; once their leader Froome was gone then there was no job for the rest of the team to do – so why suffer and risk crash and/or illness?

But look at Simon Clarke for Aussie – he didn’t chuck it when Porte and Evans crashed out, he put his head down and ‘honoured the race’ taking seventh spot and doing his reputation no harm.

Doubtless it was a horrible day – but not just for GB, for all 60 finishers.

It can also be argued that it’s been a long season for some of the GB guys, but again, you can say the same of the rest of the peloton.

Whilst GB and Sky have mastered the art of stage racing – which centres round time trials and control, the one day game is altogether different and much less easy to control.

Watts are watts; tactics and grinta are quite different things.

But it’s easy for me to say, I wasn’t on the bike in that rain.

I did win a personal battle, though – after my morning cappuccino and pour over the Gazzetta, I came upon a hardware store.

‘Raid’ is what it said on the tin and that’s exactly what I launched upon the blood thirsty aphids which have made my last two nights such a torment.

I slept like a baby and woke without one bite on me – a nice way to end my Worlds.

Result - Elite Men Road Race World Championship 2013