Kevin Vermaquet (USA) had a realistic chance of a medal in the U23 men's race at the UCI Road World Championships on Friday.

Vermaquet finished 41st, more than three minutes behind winner Samuele Battistella (ITA), but was eliminated from contention before the race reached the finish circuit in Harrogate.

"It was a really tough race," Vermaquet told Cycling News after stopping in the mixed zone.

"We had a big break and we missed it. So the whole team went to the front and they sacrificed themselves for me. We all knew we were going to catch the break on the uphill and crosswind at the top.

Vermaerke was the best finisher, despite a valiant chase by the Americans.

"It's a real shame to lose the split because of a junior mistake when the team ran like that," Vermerke said.

"When you know that, it's pretty disappointing. I was leading on the climb and then the pace slowed down and then there was a huge battle. There is no excuse. I dug my grave at that point."

Despite the result, Vermaquet had a landmark season at the under-23 level.

The 18-year-old won Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April and continued his impressive run; he will focus on gaining experience in 2019, returning to Europe in 2020 with the Hagens Berman Axion team led by Axel Merckx, and in 2021 could move to the World Tour.

"I had a great season and this course was fantastic for me. The team supported me all day long. It's a positioning error. If you're not in the right position, your legs don't matter.

"I'm going to spend another year at Axeon. This was the first year I really focused on the road, so I still need to grow. Hopefully I can build off of this and come back and win some races. Overall, it was a really good season for me. I can't complain," he concluded.