'I think this is her best win' - Adam Blythe on Annemiek Van Vleuten's surprise road race victory at World Championships

By taking her second set of rainbows in such a surprise fashion, Annemiek van Vleuten achieved the «best win» of her career, said Adam Blythe afterwards on the latest edition of The Breakaway. Having suffered a broken elbow in the team time trial on Wednesday, Van Vleuten was not expected to be able to contest the victory. She said before the race that she was unable to ride from out of the saddle, which meant she would neither be able to climb in her customary fashion, nor engage in a full-throated sprint, should the race come down to it.

Ad The Dutch star was therefore expected to ride in service to Marianne Vos, but Vos was dropped on the final climb while Van Vleuten was able to stay with the second group on the road, and was ultimately near the front when the race came back together. World ChampionshipsHighlights: Watch all the action from women's road race at World ChampionshipsAN HOUR AGO Nonetheless, her difficulties on the climbs were visible for all to see. She did not attack the only time the race tackled Mount Keira, as she might have, and then was not with the gront group of five climbers who got themselves a gap on both the last ascents of Mount Pleasant.

When two groups became one at the flamme rouge, she was at the back before sailing by them all with five hundred metres to go. They hesitated, she suddenly had enough of a gap, and the race was over. «We’ve never seen her ride like that,» said Blythe.