Copenhagen - France continued its impressive campaign at the road world championships on Saturday when Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier secured the junior men's road race title.
A day after a French one-two in the under-23 men's race, 18-year-old Lecuisinier finished ahead of Belgian Martijn Degreve and Dutchman Steven Lammertink after 126 km of racing.
Lecuisinier had fought his way into a six-man lead group which broke free from the peloton on the eighth and penultimate lap of the mainly flat 14 km circuit, which is hosting all the road races this week.
Belgian Rob Leemans attacked solo with two kms left to race, but thanks to the pursuit efforts of Frenchman Guillaume Martin he was caught on the 500m long rise leading to the finish line.
Lecuisinier, the European champion, then punched ahead to leave the rest of the field in his wake, claiming the gold to succeed countryman Olivier Le Gac.
Another Frenchman, Florian Senechal, finished fourth, ahead of Rick Zabel - the son of four-time Milan-SanRemo winner Erik.
On Friday, Arnaud Demare took gold in the under-23 men's race, with Arnaud Petit winning the silver.
Results from the sixth day of the road world championships on Saturday:
Junior men
Road race (126 km)
1. Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier (FRA) 2hr 48min 58sec, 2. Martijn Degreve (BEL) same time, 3. Steven Lammertink (NED) s.t., 4. Florian Senechal (FRA) at 3sec, 5. Rick Zabel (GER) s.t., 6. Roman Ivlev (RUS) s.t., 7. Daniel Hoelgaard (NOR) s.t., 8. Nicolas Marini (ITA) s.t., 9. Stan Godrie (NED) s.t., 10. Frederik Plesner (DEN) s.t.