Slovakian Peter Sagan is the new World Elite Mens Road Race Champion
The mens road race in Richmond, Virginia was a stage of 261kms with a super strong field including eight British riders and saw Andriy Khripta (Ukraine), Jesse Sergent (NZL), Ivan Stevic (Srb), Park Sung Baek (Kor), Conor Dunne (Irl). go straight on the attack as soon as the flag dropped.
Having been joined by Sergei Tvetcov (Romania), Ben King (USA) and Carlos Alzate (Colombia), this group were quickly 3.30 clear with fifteen laps of a course which included much of the course used by the women's race, won by Brit Lizzie Armitstead, to go.
After two laps, the gap went out to 4.12 for the leaders who were all kept in check by the peloton and with ten laps to go, the gap to the eight out front stood at 3.25.
In front of big crowds, the gap came down to 1.03 with just over 137kms to go and with eight laps remaining, only Sergent, King, Tvetcov, Dunne, Alzate and Stevic were out in front with a lead of 1.54.
The Netherlands were on the front trying to bring back the escapers who had Irishman Conor Dunne leading the way.
A lap later and Stevic was taking the applause of the crowd on the finish line as he dropped back towards the peloton.
Drucker, Oss and Breen were involved in a crash with some barriers which appeared to have been moved with just over six laps to go as the gap came down to 32 seconds.
The pace ramped up again and the escapers were caught with 91.9kms to go.
Fourteen kilometres later and there was a new break which included Guillaume Boivin, Jarlinson Pantano from Colombia, American Taylor Phinney and Siutsou.
Phinney led them over the line with four laps to go and a lead of 32 seconds over Sep Vanmarcke and the rest of the peloton.
There was a big pile up with 55.8kms in the feedzone but everyone got back on their way.
With three laps to go, the break was caught and the British riders came to the fore before Bauke Mollema started a new move on Govenor Street.
Britain's Ian Stannard, Tom Boonen, Michal Kwiatkowski, the 2014 winner, Moreno, Viviani and Amador were in the group which was allowed to get clear with two laps to go.
With the lead at 32 seconds, Andre Greipel of Germany led the chase of the peloton to bring them back. The gap dropped slightly so Stannard took up the lead just before the penultimate climb of the cobbled Libby Hiil.
The peloton caught them and everyone was together as they took the bell for the final 16.2km lap.
Five riders including Oliveira, Amador and Van Avermaet took over on the front before they were all back together with 11.6kms to go.
American Tyler Farrar and Konstanstin Siutsou of Belarus took their turn on the front before they were caught. Stybar and Degenkolb led onto Libby Hill but on the descent a Dutch rider in Nicky Terpstra in the lead.
Up came Peter Sagan on the 23rd street with 2.5kms to go and he got a gap and so he went into time trialling mode.
Sagan sailed under the flam rouge but the peloton were after him with Rigoberto Uran in the front wheel. However, Sagan was away and he won in 6.14.37 ahead of Michael Matthews of Australia and Navardauskas of Lithuania, followed by Kristoff and Valverde, Gerrans, Gallopin, Kwiatkowski, Costa and Gilbert.
Ben Swift was 22nd with Ireland's Sam Bennett in 39th place.
Sagan said about his win, which he dedicated to the unfortunate people in the world: "The biggest victory I am very happy. After the Vuelta, I was not well. This was a very big motivation for me.
"Today, I was just waiting. I had my brother and team mates with me but after the last two laps, I thought thaty everyone was tired and hoping that I could take my chance on the last climb and it was full gas from there.
"There have been comments that I am not good for long distances but I have the rainbow jersey."