A group of 12 riders determined a great part of the race. They escaped early in the race and had a maximum advantage
of 15 minutes. In this headgroup the Belgian Van Goolen, the Spaniard Perez, the Dutchman De Groot, the Frenchman Voeckler
and the Italians Nocentini and Tosatto. After losing a Columbian the other 11 riders were caught by the second group at 3
rounds for the finishline.
This second escape was made undone at 40 km from the finishline. Afterwards followed the final with a strong
Bettini. The Italian tried solo after the last mount, but realised soon it was a suicide-attempt. The Olympic champion
let the group catch by and focused from the last km.
In Salzburg the sprint with a large peloton was prepared. In the nerveous last km the Spaniard Sanchez got away, but had
to take Valverde, Zabel and Bettini with him.
Zabel was to soon to get the lead and was countered by Bettini, who realised his greatest dream. The result of a perfect
preparation that started right after the Giro.
Results World Championship
1 Paolo Bettini (Italy)
2 Erik Zabel (Germany)
3 Alessandro Valverde (Spain)
4 Samuel Sanchez
(Spain
5 Robbie McEwen (Australia)
6 Stuart O'Grady (Australia)
7 Uros Murn (Slovenia)
8 A Botsjarov (Russia)
9
Tom Boonen (Belgium)
10 Vladimir Gusev (Russia)
