1974 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race
| 1974 UCI Road World Championships | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||
| Race details | |||||||||||||
| Dates | August 25, 1974 | ||||||||||||
| Stages | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Distance | 262.5 km (163.1 mi) | ||||||||||||
| Winning time | 6h 52' 22" | ||||||||||||
| Medalists | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
 Gold
|
 Eddy Merckx (BEL)
|
(Belgium) | |
 Silver
|
 Raymond Poulidor (FRA)
|
(France) | |
 Bronze
|
Mariano Martínez (FRA)
|
(France) |
The Men's Individual Road Race of the 1974 UCI Road World Championships cycling event took place on August 25 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The route consisted of twenty-one laps around a circuit that contained two climbs within it, totaling to a length of 262.5 km (163.1 mi). Belgian Eddy Merckx won the race, while French riders Raymond Poulidor and Mariano Martínez finished second and third, respectively. This was Merckx's third victory in the men's road race at the UCI Road World Championships, equaling the record. In addition, he also completed the Triple Crown of Cycling, which consists of winning two Grand Tour races and the men's road race at the UCI Road World Championships in a calendar year.
The day of racing was highlighted by two large solo efforts on the part of the French riders Francis Campaner and Bernard Thévenet. Campaner attacked during the race's second lap and rode solo until being joined in the tenth lap by Gerard Vianen. The two were caught in the twelfth ciruit and shortly after their capture, Thévenet attacked on his own and rode on his own through most of the final lap. Merckx initiated a chase group during the seventeenth lap that managed to catch and pass Thévenet with seven kilometers remaining. The group then splintered into two groups of two, with Merckx and Poulidor riding into the finish together. Merckx took victory in the two-man sprint.
The route for the race consisted of 21 laps that totaled for 262.5 km (163.1 mi) of racing, with each lap being 12.5 km (7.8 mi) in length. Each circuit featured two climbs within it, including a cross of Mount Royal. The route for the race navigated through the Université de Montréal campus. Several sports writers deemed the route to be difficult. The race began at 9 AM local time.
...
Wikipedia