Rui Costa is World Champion as Froome & Co abandon rain-soaked race

Portugal's Rui Costa won the World Championships road title yesterday, chasing down Joaquin Rodriguez of Spain on the line in what was a thrilling finale to a rain-drenched race in Tuscany.

The title is a first for Costa and for Portugal, and it was hard-earned amid treacherous conditions that saw multiple riders crash out. Vicenzo Nibali recovered from a heavy fall to finish in fourth place, but Britain's riders were notable by their absence at the finish line. With a team boasting talent of the calibre of Tour champions Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, and former world champion Mark Cavendish, it was disappointing in the extreme that not a single Briton managed to complete the course.

Froome, who abandoned the race after lap 3 of 10 of the final circuit, blamed the weather for the result:

"The conditions are the same for everyone; we've got no excuse. We just weren't there. It's a big disappointment, especially having made it such a big objective, but with these conditions it just wasn't meant to be.

"The first three laps on the circuit, there were crashes everywhere. It's rained solidly all day. After three laps the split started happening and I looked around and realised I didn't have any team-mates left and it wasn't going to happen."

The champion, Costa, also acknowledged the weather, describing the World Championships as a "lottery...even more hard in a race like this with soaking rain."

On the sprint victory over his rival Joaquin 'Purito' Rodriguez, he added: "I know Purito well, and I never thought I could beat him. Now it's time to finish this season; I will have time to enjoy and taste this victory after that."

While an element of luck undoubtedly helps, there is no denying that that the superior tenacity and willpower of the Portuguese rider was a deciding factor on the day. As Costa confounded the race commentators to latch on to Rodriguez's wheel in the final straight the Spaniard sat up, turned to face his pursuer and spoke to him, as though throwing down a gauntlet for the sprint to come.

But it was not to be Rodriguez's day, as Costa edged past him on the line to secure the rainbow jersey.