Elite Mens Road Race World Championship, 272kms
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The race is neutralised as it leaves the walled city of Lucca - the conditions are too bad for a normal start today..
Tunisia's Raafa Chtiou leads a Polish rider in an early escape - they'll be joined by three others very shortly
Within minutes of the real start, Sarmiento and Tvetcov have crashed in a deep puddle...
Ivan Santaromita is the next to crash - he's hurt but recovers for Team Italia...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Mark Cavendish leads the GB team in pursuit of the five escapers - they already have an eight-minute lead...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Chris Horner looks as strong as when he won the Vuelta, but can he survive today's weather and win again..?
Horner just avoids a crash with the fallen Kanstantsin Siutsou...
Many of the roads are flooded, making the racing difficult at such high speeds...
Anacona Winner won't win today if he cannot stay on his bike...
A terrifying 'Shark' lines the roadside - we're in Nibali country here..!
The Shark himself, Vincenzo Nibali, is struggling to pull on a new and dry rain-jacket...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Alberto Contador is the 'star water-carrier for the Spanish team today...
Bradley Wiggins is strugglng off the back of the peloton - once again, the British 'star has lost his nerve in such conditions...
Bozic is getting some advice from jani Brajkovic after falling on the approach to Florence...
Bagdonas picks himself up from a fall on the slippery streets of Florence...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Stormy skies and slick roads welcome the peloton to Florence...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
The Duomo signals the start of more serious racing for the peloton, as ten laps of the ciruit await...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
The escape has about seven-minutes lead as it climbs the steeper hill for the second time...
The Italian team emerges in front now, but where has Team GB gone to..?
Bob Jungels has been caught in a nasty 20-man pile-up that also involves Cadel Evans and Sammy Sanchez...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
David Tanner has crashed too - he's comforted by Australian manager, Bradley McGee...
Huzarski leads the five-men on another lap of the circuit - but they'll soon split up...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Fabian Cancellara is in the midst of a peloton considering its options as night seems to have fallen on the race...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Serge Pauwels leads the Belgian team in pursuit with about seven laps to go...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Peter Stetina attacks, he's the first American rider to show himself in today's race...
Huzarski and Barta are still out in-front after almost 200-kilometres - and they're not going to be caught for a while yet..!
Giovanni Visconti has been sent to cross the gap and then await the arrival of his Italian teamates...
Chris-Anker Sorensen is going after Visconti with Latvia's Saramotins, but they won't make it across...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
There's drama as Nibali crashes with Paolini as Italy were closing in on the fugitives...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Nibali's grazed and hurt, but soon recovers to re-start...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Nibali is chasing back like a madman, his whole team are waiting up ahead...
Visconti has made it across to Huzarski, forcing the other teams to chase him...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
The riders of Spain, Germany and Switzerland line-up to race, with both Visconti and Huzarski now caught...
Jan Bakelandts winds up the pace now, Belgium are again showing a strong interest to take the initiative...
The Colombian team start to wind-up the pace, they've got their money on Rigoberto Uran today..!
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Sorensen accelerates for Jacob Fuglsang and Denmark with one lap to go...
Michele Scarponi launches an attack ahead of Fuglsang...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Joaquin Rodriguez now attacks, breaking his and Spain's rivals apart behind...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Rodriguez leads Scarponi and Henao, with Rui Costa behind and Valverde coming across too...
World Road Championship - Mens Road Race
Nibali leads Rodriguez, Rui Costa, Uran and Valverde on the penultimate climb of the race...
