Road World Championships: Matej Mohoric makes history by winning men's under-23 title

Matej Mohoric has now won the junior and under-23 world titles in consecutive years

The 18-year-old, who has already agreed to join Cannondale for the 2014 season, produced a mature and powerful performance to add the under-23 gold medal to the junior crown he won last year.

British twins Simon and Adam Yates were prominent at the head of the peloton throughout the 173.2km race but fell away in the closing stages and eventually finished 17th and 19th respectively.

Mohoric escaped from the peloton on second last of seven laps around a hilly, 16.6km finishing circuit and soon caught up with France's Julian Alaphilippe, who was the last remaining member of an earlier breakaway.

Late escape

The duo were then joined by South Africa's Louis Meintjes on the first of two climbs on the circuit, the 4.3km Fiesole, but Alaphilippe was by now exhausted and fell away.

Mohoric and Meintjes crested the top of the climb together, but Mohoric then exhibited his superb descending skills down the other side to open up a 10-second gap.

He consolidated the lead over the second climb, the steep Via Salviati, and then powered on to the finish line to complete an impressive and historic win.

Meintjes follow three seconds later to claim the silver medal, while Norwary's Sondre Enger won a bunch sprint for third.

'Can't believe it'

Mohoric said afterwards: "I knew that I was well prepared and I knew that the course is perfect for me, but since I didn't do too well in the time trial, I didn't know quite what to expect.

"I knew the competition from the Tour de l'Avenir and I knew that I was among the best guys on the climb. I still can't believe what has happened. I did more than one lap of time trial."

Earlier in the day, Denmark's Amalie Dideriksen won the women's junior road race title after edging out Russia's Anastasia Iakovenko, with Ukraine's Olena Demydova taking the bronze.

Britain's Bethany Hayward and Anna Christian finished 20th and 25th respectively.

Men's under-23 road race result

1 Matej Mohoric (Slo), 4:20:18
2 Louis Meintjes (RSA), +3secs
3 Sondre Enger (Nor), +13
4 Caleb Ewan (Aus), same time
5 Toms Skujins (Lat), st
6 Davide Villella (Ita), st
7 Dylan van Baarle (Ned), st
8 Silvio Herklotz (Ger), st
9 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra), st
10 Patrick Konrad (Aut), st
Selected others
17 Simon Yates (GB), st
Selected others
19 Adam Yates (GB), st

Women's junior road race result

1 Amalie Dideriksen (Den), 2:32:23
2 Anastasia Iakovenko (Rus), same time
3 Olena Demydova +3
4 Jessenia Meneses (Col), +18
5 Milda Jankauskaite (Lit), +34
6 Tereza Medvedova (Svk), st
7 Severine Eraud (Fra), st
8 Alexandra Manly (Aus), st
9 Kelly Catlin (USA), st
10 Jeanne Korevaar (Ned), st
Selected others
20 Bethany Hayward (GB), st
25 Anna Christian (GB), +1:59