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World Road Race Champs - Road race Men

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  1. 0km - Thank you for following eurosport.yahoo.com's live text commentary. No rainbow jerseys wil be changing hands this year - they remain firmly on the shoulders of Fabian Cancellara and Paolo Bettini.

  2. 0km - Bettini is thrilled! He is in tears!

  3. 0km - Bettini will wear the rainbow jersey for another season! Kolobnev was second, with Schumacher third.

  4. 0km - Schumacher's trying desperately to stay with the Italian....but Bettini has it!!!!

  5. 0.5km - They into the final 500 metres, Bettini is poised behind Schumacher, the German's looking over his shoulder, Kolovnev attacks!!!!

  6. 1km - They pass the 1km to go banner and Evans attacks!!! Schumacher is on his wheel!!!

  7. 1.5km - It looks like Shcumacher and Bettini will fight out a a sprint. Both Evans and Schleck have failed to go clear.

  8. 1.5km - Bettini takes over at the front as they take on the final climb. Now Kolobnev attacks, but can't go clear.

  9. 1.5km - Frank Schleck makes a big dig! It doesn't look like the chasers will catch them.

  10. 1.5km - Bettini is getting frustrated. He knows they're being caught.

  11. 1.5km - It looks like the eight chasing riders are going to bring it back together.

  12. 1.5km - So we now have a lead five. Bettini, Evans, Kolobnev, Schumacher and Frank Schleck. The chasing group is doing exactly that, and is closing!

  13. 1.5km - David Millar is still just in the group behind.

  14. 1.5km - Kolobnev goes straight to the front and Bettini gets onto his trail!

  15. 1.5km - Bettini goes yet again, he has done big damage now! Kolobnev is on his trail!!

  16. 1.5km - Frank Schleck attacks! He has made his move and Cadel Evans has bridged the gap along with one other rider!!

  17. 1.5km - Schumacher and Schleck are grimly hanging on!

  18. 1.5km - Can any of the others get back onto the trail of Bettini and the other two?

  19. 1.5km - Schumacher is third in line, Frank Schleck's there too!!

  20. 1.5km - Bettini is going clear!!! Schumacher can't follow!!!

  21. 2km - The Italians are in a perfect position with both Pozzatto and Bettini's sprinting ability. Now Boogerd attacks again, Bettini counters and kicks!!

  22. 2km - Manuel Beltran is doing the work in the chasing pack, while Rebellin is at the front of the lead group!

  23. 2km - The Italian can't quite get clear, Pozzato and Rebellin are with him, as is Schumacher.

  24. 3km - Martin Elmiger is still there too! Now Bettini attacks!!!!!

  25. 3km - This is the elite group of 15 that will fight it out for the win!

  26. 4km - Sanchez brings them under the underpass. Wegmann's in his wheel, Rebellin a few further back as is Bettini.

  27. 7km - Schumacher is well set. He has Fabian Wegmann for company.

  28. 7km - Freire is gone! He's been dropped, Schumacher is still there, as is Sanchez and Evans.

  29. 9km - Michael Boogerd attacks, followed by Wegmann. The German won't let him go clear. Frank Schleck is still in there, as is Pozzatto and Dekker and Kroon!!! We're down to a 15 or so!!!

  30. 11km - Stefan Schumacher is looking comfortable, Kolobnev is still at the front, though peels away now.

  31. 12km - Fabian Wegmann and Phillippe GIlbert have attacked!

  32. 14km - It's all over for the lead duo as the peloton bears its teeth and closes in.

  33. 17km - Kolobnev is burying himself. Rebellin, who is with him, may be working for Bettini and Pozzato, though you get the feeling he'd love to win this.

  34. 18km - This should be a blockbuster final lap. Manuel Beltran brings them through now!

  35. 19km - Denis Menchov is still in there, along Cadel Evand and David Millar and a lot of Spaniards and Italians and Germans.

  36. 19km - Our two leaders enter the final lap! The peloton cross the start/finish line 16 seconds back!!

  37. 20km - 24 seconds is the latest split. Rebellin and Kolobnev are working well together. This is an ideal situation for the Italian.

  38. 20km - Four Spanish riders are doing everything they can to reel this back in. This could be dangerous.

  39. 20km - Suddenly the gap has grown to 35 seconds, and the Spaniards have taken up the chase!!

  40. 20km - The Italian team at the front are taking advice from their sporting director. Cadel Evand then takes advantage of the lull to go clear, though the reaction to his move is immediate.

  41. 21km - Spain's Joaquin Rodriguez is trying to come across to police this lead duo, who have a lead of 10 seconds on the group.

  42. 23km - Kolobnev quite obviously is gunning it for glory, though Rebellin is just sitting nicely in his wheel.

  43. 25km - Rebellin's burst has split the pack to pieces. Kolobnev now comes up and joing Rebellin at the front. Robert Gesink is struggling to maintain contact at the back.

  44. 26km - Siutsou is reeled back in and Davide Rebellin hits the front.

  45. 28km - Kanstantin Siutsou is off the front at the moment, though just a couple of yards ahead of the field. The tempo has definitely slowed in the field.

  46. 30km - Denis Menchov is to the fore too. Could the Vuelta winner spring a surprise today?

  47. 33km - Have the Italians played this right? Surely if they want victory then they have to launch Bettini as they go up Herdweg on this lap.

  48. 36km - Hushovd doing the work at the front at the moment. Frank Schleck is there too, as is Wegmann and the big favourite, Oscar Freire.

  49. 39km - Bertolini brings them through with two laps to go!

  50. 47km - Bettini, Hushovd and Evans are all still in the mix just a few riders back!

  51. 49km - Ballan launches an attack, quickly followed by Ludovic Turpin, but the peloton swallows them again hastily!

  52. 51km - Fabian Cancellara is beginning to feel the pace now.

  53. 52km - The peloton is now down to 60 or so riders. So many have already been dropped.

  54. 53km - The Italian trio has moved to the front again - they are giving their all for Bettini.

  55. 54km - There has been a split in the group, with 20 or so riders moving clear, though it comes back together immediately.

  56. 55km - German champions Fabian Wegmann is there too, together with Philippe Gilbert. Meanwhile, two riders have broken clear out front. Vladimir Borisov has gone clear, together with Martin Elmiger, though they drop back, aware they will not preserve their lead.

  57. 56km - Burghardt moves to the front now, with Stefan Schumacher just a few riders back. Bettini is still biding his time.

  58. 56km - Roger Hammond has lost contact! He's three minutes adrift.

  59. 56km - Jens Voigt takes over at the front as they hit Herdweg again, and now big Thor Hushovd brings them through! What's he doing there?

  60. 57km - Even former world tim-trial champion Michael Rogers has been spat out the back now.

  61. 58km - The average speed continues to rise on lap 11 - 42.16 km/h! Just three laps to go.

  62. 59km - The Italian three man train is keeping the pace high in the pack. Bertolini has done a stirling job for Bettini this afternoon. Matteo Tossati is leading them through now.

  63. 60km - Millar is still having a good ride, placed in the front third of the field. He will carry the British hopes now after Cavendish dropped out and Roger Hammond seemed to be suffering.

  64. 62km - Oscar Freire has a quick word with his team-mate, who then relays the information back to his team-manager via his micro-phone.

  65. 64km - The peloton has the breakaway in its sights now. This will all come back together within seconds.

  66. 65km - Karsten Kroon launches another attack, he's shadowed very closely by Bertolini.

  67. 66km - Germany's David Kopp has been spat out the back of the main field.

  68. 68km - The Spaniards have now come to the head of the field and have injected some pace there. They're not happy with the situation.

  69. 69km - Marcus Ljungqvist has gone ahead of the main field. The breakaway's advantage has been cut by quite a bit. As soon as we get the latest split I'll relay it to you. The Italians aren't prepared to work in the breakaway.

  70. 70km - Bettini has yet to make a move. He has kept his powder dry so far. Around 3.5 laps remaining.

  71. 73km - Pfannberger is at the front of the lead group now, beckoning people to come through adn work with him, though the Italians seem reluctant to do so.

  72. 74km' - Kartsen Kroon has launched a big attack on Herdweg!! Bruseghin has a broken chain and loses contact! Stijn Devolder is cooked, he dropes back!

  73. 76km - It's all beginning to explode after five hours of racing! One of the Italians attacks on Herdweg, followed by Gesink! David Millar is very well placed in the pack!

  74. 78km - 43 seconds is the gap! Four laps to go as the peloton crosses the start finish line at the top of Herdweg.

  75. 80km - The speed over the tenth lap has risen - 39.3 km/h now!

  76. 83km - Andrea Tonti puts in a burst of acceleration at the front of the peloton!

  77. 83km - Big Kim Kirchen is powering up a climb, and the gap has gone out to 42 seconds again!!

  78. 83km - Britain's Roger Hammond is right at the very back of the bunch. He seems to be feeling the pace too.

  79. 85km - The Australian trio at the front has whittled the gap down to 0'50" now. The breakaway looks fairly doomed.

  80. 87km - Mark Cavendish has been dropped. He has lost contact with the main group.

  81. 87km - A cohort of Italians have positioned themselves neatly behind the Australians in the peloton.

  82. 89km - The front group has lost four riders from the original 24 as the pace begins to take its toll.

  83. 91km - 1'50" is the gap now, and the tempo has increased significantly in our lead group! They powered up the final hill that time.

  84. 94km - 2'13" the gap at the moment. Australia's Matthew Hayman has taken up the work on the front of the peloton. The Aussies are keen to see this gap closed down.

  85. 96km - The lead group cross the start/finish line for the ninth time. Five laps to go. 38.4km/h was the average speed over the last lap.

  86. 104km - This is a highly tactical affair. Marcus Burghardt is at the front of the lead group now as they come to the end of lap 9. They have been on the road for 4 hours 18 minutes.

  87. 109km - The Dutch have stopped pulling in the peloton as the gap continues to creep up. 1'47" now.

  88. 109km - Bobby Julich, Jens Voit, Damiano Cunego, Juan Antonio Flecha, Alessandro Ballan, Sandy Casar, Kim Kirchen, Marcus Burghardt, Robert Gesink and Philippe Gilbert are some of those in the lead group.

  89. 110km - 1'45" is the latest split. The gap continues to grow.

  90. 111km - France have the excellent Sandy Casar in the break, though it remains to be seen whether the Germans will be happy with Burghardt and Voigt in there, and whether the Spanish will be happy with Flecha and Rodriguez.

  91. 114km - The Italians seem happy with Ballan in there, Gessink and Kroon are in there for the Dutch - though would they be satisfied with that? Six laps to go!

  92. 119km - I stand corrected. It looks like there are two Spaniards in the breakaway - among them Oscar Friere! And in the peloton, the Dutch have started chasing again. No, I apologise, it's not Freire, it's Joaquin Rodriguez.

  93. 120km - 1'20" is the gap now. It has grown by jsut ten seconds. We haven't had pictures of the peloton for a while now, so it's difficult to tell what's going on there.

  94. 122km - It seems like it's the Spaniards who have missed the boat on this breakaway. They don't seem to have any representatives in there.

  95. 124km - Things have picked up in the counter-attack now. We're just waiting for the latest split back to the peleton...it's 1'10" Could the peloton be caught out again?

  96. 125km - Another counter-attack has come, though the pace again is not there. Alssandro Ballan is amongst the group of 30 or so riders who have moved away, along with Voigt, Devolder, Vansummeren, Burghardt and others.

  97. 127km - Vladimir Efimkin and Jens Vogit are out on their own now, just a few seconds clear of the pack.

  98. 129km - The Italians and Germans are keeping the pace high. Jens Voigt at the front now as they come past Podgornyy.

  99. 130km - Stijn Devolder is pushing things along on the front of the group now, Marcus Burghardt just beside him.

  100. 132km - The counter-attacks have started already! Podgornyy will be caught very, very soon, though his advantage at the moment is 44 seconds.

  101. 133km - The two big groups have come back together.

  102. 138km - The tempo has dropped a little again. The group out in front know they are going to be caught, so have slowed up. The peloton will just move up gradually now. Meanwhile, Dmitry Fofonov has had a very hard chase after a puncture at the worst possible moment.

  103. 140km - It will all come together again before too long. Podgornyy has a 30 second lead over the chasing group, who in turn are 30 seconds behind the peloton.

  104. 147km - 1'30" is the latest split. The gap is coming down thanks to the efforts of the Dutch team.

  105. 147km - Jens Voigt is using all his vast experience to try to get the big breakaway organised. He would love to see this group stay away, as would George Hincapie of course.

  106. 149km - The lead group have Podgornyy in their sights. His time out in front is coming to an end.

  107. 150km - You would expect the Spaniards to be worried too. I didn't see either of their lead men, Alejandro Valverde or Oscar Freire, in the lead group. Should the Dutch really not be able to get this gap down then they wil probably take over some of the work.

  108. 152km - Two Colombians are to the fore in the chasing group as the Dutch continue to pull it back. Thomas Dekker is at the back end of the train. Maybe he will lead the Dutch today, though Michael Boogerd could also be the main. 2'04" is the latest gap!! The leading group have got themselves organised, and the orange shirts have a real gard task on their hands now!!!

  109. 156km - Podgornyy has a 30 second lead over the chasing group at the moment.

  110. 158km - Britain's Roger Hammond has tucked himself in right behind the long orange train of the Dutch.

  111. 160km - The fact that the lead group is so disorganised is proving their downfall. This is highly unlikely to suceed. Marzio Bruseghin is on the front of the leaders at the moment, with big Christian Knees in just behind.

  112. 163km - There's a lot of chatting going on in both the lead group and the peloton as to who should do the work. Jens Voigt is keen to see this breakaway really take off, while a huge train of the Dutch riders gradually reels them back in.

  113. 165km - Ukraine's Ruslan Podgornyy has attacked from the lead group and gone clear!

  114. 165km - The counter-attack has reached the lead trio! Perez Arango, Sergey Kolesnikov, Stéphane Auge, Mauricio Ardila, big George Hincapie, Carlos Sastre, Damiano Cunego, Laszlo Bodrogi Juan Antonio Flecha, Thor Hushovd, Andriy Grivko, Bram Tankink, Konstantin Siutsou and Stijn Devolder are in there among others! 2'40" now the gap!

  115. 167km - The 40 or so riders who broke away from the bunch have built up a 2'00" advantage already!!

  116. 169km - Britain's own David Millar is in there too, about 15 riders back.

  117. 171km - Suddenly the gap has been whittled down to 3'25". 9 laps to go and a large swathe of orange shirts belonging to the Dutch squad has come to the fore.

  118. 179km - The injection of pace has taken its toll on one or two of the riders at the back of the peloton, who have dropped away.

  119. 182km - One of the Iranian riders is giving his team-mate a quick bit of in-race help with his rear derailleur.

  120. 184km - 13 riders are in the counter-attack so far, with more joining all the time. Meanwhile, the gap from the bunch to the lead trio has fallen to 3'45"

  121. 185km - Some action in the peloton! A burst of acceleration from Italy's Andrea Tonti has set the cat among the pidgeons. Kim Kirchen and Marcus Burghardt are among those who have followed him.

  122. 190km - The peloton cross the start finish line 5'17" behind.

  123. 191km - Our leaders have completed the fourth lap of the course. 10 more to go as Kolesnikov has his front wheel adjusted for the third time! Their average speed over the fourth lap was 38.7km/h.

  124. 200km - Perez Arango, Auge and Kolesnikov now have a fourt minute lead over the bunch.

  125. 201km - German champion Fabian Wegmann is sitting at the back of the peloton happily chatting away with Fabian Cancellara.

  126. 202km - Perez Arango pulls his foot out of the pedal and stretches his thighs on the descent.

  127. 205km - Kolesnikov has made back the gap to Auge and Perez Arango again.

  128. 207km - The Italians and Germans are content to let this breakaway gain a bit of time. There are only three men out in front, and over a race of this length, they are bound to burn themselves out well before the race reaches its business end.

  129. 208km - Kolesnikov has had a puncture!! Luckily his team car is there to switch the wheel for him. After burying himself to make up the gap to the leaders, he's now going to have to do the same thing again, though the gap this time isn't quite as big.

  130. 210km - Kolesnikov has reached our lead duo! A good effort from the Russian. We now have three men out in front, and their advantage has grown to 2'30" over the bunch.

  131. 214km - A few riders are taking advantage of the leisurely pace at the moment to stop for a quick toilet break at the side of the road.

  132. 215km - Germany's Christian Knees and big Marzio Bruseghin of Italy are controlling the pace at the front of the peloton.

  133. 215km - The gap from the leaders to the peloton has dropped to 50 seconds, while Russia's Sergei Kolesnikov has gone off the front and is 25 seconds clear off the bunch.

  134. 220km - The final climb today is unlikely to weed out that many people. It starts about 2.5km from the finish, and there's a short flat bit about 1km from the line.

  135. 225km - The breakaway has moved out to 2'09" after the second lap as Paolo Bettini chases back to the peloton after having a word with his sporting director in the team car.

  136. 230km - The situation at the moment is that Stephane Augé (France) and Perez Arango (Colombia) have made an early breakaway and have a lead of 1'20" over the peloton, which is being driven by the Italians. 230 kilometres still to go.

  137. 10:05 - It's a sunny day here in South-West Germany, none of the teeming rain that we had in the time-trial.

  138. 10:05 - Can Paolo Bettini retain his rainbow jersey, or will we have a new world champion? The Italian is one of the hot favourites for victory, though the likes of Oscar Freire, Erik Zabel and Alejandro Valverde are also in the hunt.

  139. 10:00 - Welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's live text commentary of the men's road race from the World Championships in Stuttgart.