Widespread descriptions of Kigali's Road World Championships course as the 'hardest ever' were seemingly confirmed by the results sheet for the elite men on Sunday, as just 30 riders completed the course, the lowest total since 1995.
The last time so few riders were able to finish an elite men's road race was in Duitama, Colombia, in 1995, when just 20 riders crossed the final line, with Spain's Abraham Olano overcoming a late puncture to somehow stay upright in the closing kilometres and take the victory.
Prior to that, the lowest total came in one of the hardest-fought World Championships in history in 1980 in Sallanches, when Bernard Hinault's triumph on a very hilly Alpine circuit saw just 14 riders finish.
