World Cycling Championships - Missed attack: Lippert without a medal - Kopecky wins

By Stefan Tabeling, dpa

While Liane Lippert was still struggling through the labyrinth of Glasgow's winding alleyways, Lotte Kopecky had already completed the next Belgian coup in George Square.

After her fourth place a year ago, the German champion finished 19th at the end of the World Cycling Championships in Scotland, clearly missing out on a medal in the road race. Instead, Kopecky triumphed after 154.1 kilometres, giving Belgian cycling another major victory two days after young star Remco Evenepoel's triumph in the time trial. Second and third place went to Dutch Tour winner Demi Vollering and Cecilie Ludwig from Denmark.

Lippert missed the decisive attack

"I'm very disappointed with the race. The expectations were higher than 19th place. We were here for the podium, but we didn't make it," said Lippert, who missed the decisive attack of the group of favourites 33 kilometres before the finish. She also didn't feel well physically. The German team is therefore still waiting for its first medal in the road race since 2014, when Lisa Brennauer finished in second place. The last of five titles was 18 years ago. Back then, Regina Schleicher won in Madrid.

In the U23 class, which was held as part of the women's competition, the hopes of time trial world champion Antonia Niedermaier for another medal were not realised either. The 20-year-old missed the connection to the peloton early on and therefore also to some of her direct rivals.

Kopecky: "It's been an incredible year"

Kopecky, who pulled away alone five kilometres before the finish, has thus become the big star at the World Cycling Championships. She had already won two world championship titles on the track in the points race and the elimination race as well as bronze in the omnium. "This is an incredible year. This title means a lot to me. It's a dream come true," said Kopecky.

"But the road is more important," emphasised Kopecky, who caused a furore at the Tour de France just a few weeks ago. After winning the opening stage, she rode six days in the yellow jersey and finished second overall. She has now won the first Belgian title in 50 years.

There was no happy ending for the defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten, who took part in her last big race. Two faults cost the grand dame of cycling all her chances. The 40-year-old had cleaned up big time in the past: two world championship titles each in the road race and the time trial, round trip victories in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta as well as numerous classics successes.

Third place for Germany in mixed relay

The starting position for Lippert was not the best anyway. The field had barely arrived in Glasgow when the Friedrichshafen native was already on her own. A larger field of 40 riders had formed, but none of the five German helpers were still there. Lippert was still in a leading position on the climbs at the time. "The course is perfect for Liane. The short climbs are exactly what she will love and what she can do," Ricarda Bauernfeind had given her colleague hope before the race. But it was not to be enough.

This meant that the German haul in the elite races at the title fights in Scotland was manageable. The only result was a third place in the mixed relay, which many nations still pay little attention to. There were also three further medals in the junior events.

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