LEUVEN, Belgium (AP) — Julian Alaphilippe escaped from a breakaway group to claim a second straight gold medal at cycling’s road world championship on Sunday.

The Frenchman relentlessly attacked and made his decisive move on a sharp climb, with 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) to go. Alaphilippe then took all the risks in the technical bends and short downhills scattered across the finale to retain the world champion’s rainbow jersey he claimed last year.

Alaphilippe, who ruined the Belgian fans’ hopes of seeing hot favorite Wout van Aert winning on home soil, received a few boos as he dashed toward the finish line.

Dutch rider Dylan Van Baarle finished runner-up ahead of Michael Valgren of Denmark.

The challenging 268.3-kilometer course starting in Antwerp and finishing in Leuven took riders across the cycling-mad Flanders region of Belgium. The route switched multiple times between two circuits featuring a myriad of punchy short climbs and several cobbled sectors suiting one-day classics specialists.

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