Matej Mohoric claims solo win in under-23 World Champs road race

Slovenian Matej Mohoric took a hard-fought solo win in the under-23 men's road race at the 2013 Road World Championships in Italy on Friday.

Mohoric caught and passed Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe on the penultimate lap of the testing, hilly circuit around Florence, then motored away on the descent of the Fiesole climb to take the win.

The 18-year-old Slovenian adopted an unusual, but evidently effective, position on his bike to time trial solo on the descents and final flatter run-in to the line to claim victory and the rainbow jersey.

Louis Meintjes of South Africa chased Mohoric to the line to secure silver, with Norwegian Sondre Enger leading in the remnants of the bunch at 13 seconds.

British brothers Simon and Adam Yates had kept themselves out of trouble in the peloton for much of the day, and were highly visible on the front on the climbs. They finished in the reduced peloton that came home 13 seconds adrift of Mohoric, Simon placing 17th and Adam 19th.

Result

Road World Championships 2013: Under-23 men's road race

1. Matej Mohoric (Slovenia) in 4-20-18

2. Louis Meintjes (RSA) at 3 secs

3. Sondre Enger (Norway) at 13 secs

4. Caleb Ewan (Australia)

5. Toms Skujins (Latvia)

6. Davide Villella (Italy)

7. Dylan Van Baarle (Netherlands)

8. Silvio Herklotz (Germany)

9. Julian Alaphilippe (France)

10. Patrick Konrad (Austria) all same time

Other

17. Simon Yates (Great Britain) at 13 secs

19. Adam Yates (Great Britain) at 13 secs

Matej Mohoric celebrates taking the under-23 men's road race title