1972 UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships 1972 took place in the French Gap on 5 and 6 August. Due to the Olympic Games in Munich in the same year only two competitions were held, the race of the professionals and the women. For the amateurs of the Olympic cycle race counted at the same time as the World Cup.
Racing
The track at Gap led a 15.142 km long circuit, the professionals 18 times and the women had to undergo four times.
In the race of professionals 89 riders took to the start, of which less than half - 42 - finished the race. The race was decided by a sprint from one ten -man lead group. Favorite Eddy Merckx, whose two helpers had to give up, tried several times in vain to settle forward. A few meters before the finish of the Italian Franco Bitossi already looked like the sure winner, but was still practically obsolete at the last second by his compatriot Marino Basso. Best German was Karl -Heinz Muddemann than 13
In the women won the French Geneviève Gambillon who himself was surprised by the strong Soviet riders, including the two-time world champion Anna Konkina to have left behind. The cycling wrote approvingly: " The young French Gambillon liked by a rational driving and tactical cleverness. "
Results
Women
Street single race over 60.572 km
Men - professionals
Street single race over 272.574 km