In Geelong, Australia, 178 riders including Mark Cavendish, David Millar and Jeremy Hunt rode for their countries rather than their teams in the battle to ride in the rainbow jersey next season.
Team Great Britain (Mark Cavendish, David Millar and Jeremy Hunt)
The 259km race started in Melbourne and went for 83kms before it reached Geelong where the riders completed eleven 15.9 km circuits.
Ireland's Matthew Brammeier along with Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukraine), Diego Alejandro Tamayo Martinez (Colombia) and Jackson Rodriguez (Venezuela) went clear early on.
45 riders split the peleton in two, leaving the British riders in the second group. However, they soon got back into the field and Jeremy Hunt took Cavendish up towards the front with seven laps to go.
A lap later and the leaders were 13 mins and forty seconds ahead of a field of 159 riders following the withdrawal of fifteen riders including Cardoso who crashed.
More riders including the British trio started to retire as 31 riders including Champion Cadel Evans (pictured below) went on a charge to bring back the escapees.
Australia and Italy controlled the race and by lap nine, Ukraine's Oleksandr Kvachuk, who dropped his fellow escapees and gone for broke was caught after 220km out in front.
Now, it was up to the sprinters in the race for the line. Phillipe Gilbert had built a 22 second lead but he was caught by a group including Evans and with 500 metres to go it was anyone's race.
Norway's Thor Hushovd (pictured below) went with 150 metres and held on to get over the line first and become the World Champion.
Seocnd was Denmark's Matti Breschel with Australian Allan Davis third and Italy's Filippo Pozzato fourth and Belgium's Greg Van Avermaet in fifth.
"I think I rode a good race, I didn't panic and of course I paid with this in the end. Hushovd said to our friends at cyclingnews.com after the race. "Of course, the last lap was really hard when Belgium attacked with Philippe Gilbert, but I think the wind was too strong out there, so it was too hard to stay in front alone. In the sprint I just focused on myself and to not make any mistakes. 'Just don't mess it up' I said to myself so many times in the last kilometre and, yeah, I think I did the perfect race out there today."
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'Chasing Legends', the acclaimed documentary about the Tour de France, is to be released in cinemas across Europe, accompanied by a Q&A session beamed live via satellite from London's O2 Cinema. The Gripped Films production is being distributed by Arts Alliance Media, in association with Evans Cycles and Creative Direction.
The exclusive live Q&A will feature the 'fastest man on two wheels', the HTC-Columbia British cycling star Mark Cavendish, who stars in the film, as well as the film's director Jason Berry, and legendary cycling commentator Phil Liggett. Audience members will get the chance to submit questions for the panel in advance via the film's website or AAM's Twitter page.
'Chasing Legends' documents the intense journey through the most arduous bike race on the planet, the Tour de France, and follows the story of the 2009 Team HTC-Columbia from the Monaco Prologue into the Pyrenees, via the Alps and finally into Paris. Narrated by Phil Liggett, the film features a cast of the sport's most venerated heroes, including Eddy Merckx and Lance Armstrong, as well as stars of today including George Hincapie and Jens Voigt. The film delves into the rich history, passion and true grit of The Tour, as seen through the eyes of Team HTC-Columbia and protagonist sprinter Mark Cavendish, and shows the highs, lows, triumphs and tragedies of those that make it through three long weeks of blood, sweat and tears to the fanfare and glory that awaits on the Champs Elysees.
Using completely original footage and a stunning array of HD cameras mounted on bikes, cars, helicopters and helmets, 'Chasing Legends' takes viewers inside the pro peloton on a roller coaster ride of action, history and emotion. The movie tracks the humble but no-less heroic origins of 'Le Tour', from the inaugural 1903 event to what has become the modern-day epic, turning Team HTC- Columbia 'inside out' during the 2009 Tour.
Presented in stunning 2k digital cinema, with a fully orchestrated original soundtrack composed by Haik Naltchayan, 'Chasing Legends', already acclaimed in the US, will be shown in cinemas for one night only, on Thursday 21st October.
A complete and up-to-date list of cinemas in Europe screening the film can be seen on the official website: http://chasinglegends.com/film_tour/.
Pictures copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM