Revolution 56 – Preview

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Forget the fireworks bringing in the New Year. The real fireworks begin this weekend on the boards at the penultimate round of the #RevolutionSeries.

Revolution 56 in the National Cycling Centre at Manchester will set the scene for the final push to represent Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Big names are beginning show their intent to get on the long-list of potential athletes that will be in with a look at boarding that plane to Rio this Summer, but who will going?

Before we can answer that question, we need to tie up the Revolution Elite Championship.

Team Pedalsure top the table with the final round only a couple of weeks or so away, also in Manchester.

Andrew Tennant and Chris Latham will be defending their lead, but Official TEAMIES Jon Dibben and Owain Doull are hot on their wheels for Team WIGGINS.

Joining the party are last years Champions Christian Grasmann and David Muntaner for Maloja Pushbikers RT sitting in third position at the moment.

Mark Cavendish makes a return to the track for Telegraph Allstars bolstering up his desire to represent Team GB at Rio. He along with Wood, Gibson and Latham will race against Team WIGGINS Tennant, Burke, Doull and Dibben in a special Team Pursuit Challenge.

Fred Wright returns to take up the HOY Future Star Boys competition challenge for the Telegraph Allstars, but he’s going to find it hard to catch series leader Lewis Stewart from Team Scotland who has an eight-two point lead over him.

Revolution53_2124BMeanwhile in the Girls competition, Jessica Roberts, Team USN still holds a comfortable forty-one point lead with two rounds remaining.

Big names in the men’s Sprint competition are set to grace the boards in Manchester once more, none bigger than Robert Fӧrstemann. Joining him to push our lads to their limits are American Dominic Suozzie, Netherland’s Sam Ligtlee and Alex Joliffe.

Pushing our best female Olympic Hero Laura Trott in the Elite Women’s events this time round is no other than the current Scratch Race World Champion Kirsten Wild. Wild finished third place behind Trott’s Silver in the Omnium Event at the Worlds, to be held in two months time in London, and she is joined by Poland’s Gosia Wrotya along with regulars Leire Olaberria, Emily Kay and Elinor Barker.

Revolution53_2111BAnother big name for Rio 2016, in attendance at the #RevolutionSeries riding for Team Sky is Italy’s Elia Viviani. We spoke to Elia back at the first stage of the Aviva TOB after beating Cavendish and Griepel. Check out what he said after the win and what his plans where for in 2016, here.

Revolution Season 13 – Round 2 Report & Gallery

All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc

 

Tennant and Keisse take Team Pedalsure to the top in the first round of the Revolution Championship 2015/16 in Manchester.

 

Revolution 53

Andrew Tennant and Iljo Keisse consistently rode well in the five Race Events taking Team Pedalsure to the top of the Championship League after the first full round of the 2015-16 Winter Season.

Revolution 53 - Series 13 - Manchester Round 2There was thrilling four-way sprint across the line of the UCI Scratch Race for Tennant beating Wiggins, Wood and Viviani. Mark Stewart had set off early, but was soon caught by Elia Viviani. Approaching the final couple of corners Tennant, the Wiggins and Wood all took the longer path around the track, but it was Tennant that got there first. This provided the only victory for Team Pedalsure on the day. Keisse’s strong second place in the UCI Points Race and the teams second placement in the Revolution one-kilometre Madison Time Trial added valuable points to their tally.

Last years Champions Maloja Pushbikers pushed all the way, winning the 1km Madison Time Trial in the final heat, after Team Pedalsure set the initial 56.875 time that looked unbeatable on the night. Most of the other teams challenged with around the 58s time, but Maloja set the only sub 56s time with a 55.907, they are determined to beat Oli Wood and Ed Clancy’s record of 54.537 this season by all accounts.

 

HOY Future Star Events

Revolution 53 - Series 13 - Manchester Round 2The HOY future Star Championship got off to a great start for Rhys Britton and Jessica Roberts whom both lead into round three at the Lee Valley Velodrome in early November.

Rhys pulled the triple off, winning the Scratch, Points and Six-Lap Dash, giving him a clear lead over Fred Wright for the next round.

Roberts won both the Points and the Six-Lap Dash, winning the bunch sprint in the Scratch Race after a gutsy solo victory by Maddie Gammons (Maloja Pushbikers).

 

Revolution 53 - Series 13 - Manchester Round 2Elite Women’s Endurance Events

Matrix Fitness’s Laura Trott took a double win in the Elite Women’s UCI Events winning both the Points and Elimination Races.

Team USN’s Emily Nelson was the only rider to lap the field, to win the UCI Scratch Race.

 

Women’s Sprint Events

Belgium’s Nicky Degrendele proved too strong to beat in the Women’s UCI Sprint racing. Winning the initial 200m Flying Start Qualifying in the Sprint Competition, set a time of 11.477 against her closest rival, GB’s Sophie Capewell with a 11.786.

Degrendele went on the reach the finals against Capewell, with a convincing two heat victory.

Degrendele’s strenght also proved too powerful in both heats of the Keirin, winning easily against all her rivals.

 

 

UCI Sprint – Qualification 200m Time Trial  Women

  1. Nicky Grendele BEL 11.447
  2. Sophie Capewell GBR 11.786
  3. Bernette Beyers RSA 11.797
  4. Robyn Stewart SCO 12.128
  5. Neah Evans SCO 12.213
  6. Emma Baird SCO 12.412
  7. Odette Van Deventer RSA 12.883
  8. Shanaze Reade DNS

 

Elite Championship Flying Lap  Men

  1. Oli Wood JLT 13.692
  2. Marcel Kalz MAL 13.821
  3. Elia Viviani SKY 14.080
  4. Chris Latham VCU 14.094
  5. Andy Tennant PED 14.112
  6. Joe Holt USN 14.364
  7. Angus Claxton SCO 14.379
  8. Owain Doull WIG 14.762
  9. Marc Hester ONE 14.933
  10. Adam Blythe OGE 14.939
  11. Alastair Rutherford NAB 14.941
  12. Melvin Van Zijl TAL 15.042

 

UCI Points Race (20km)  Women

  1. Laura Trott Matrix Fitness
  2. Katie Archibald Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l
  3. Emily Kay Team USN
  4. Elinor Barker Matrix Fitness
  5. Manon Lloyd Team USN
  6. Megan Barker 100%ME
  7. Abbie Dentus 100%ME
  8. Henrietta Colbourne Team Jadan
  9. Emily Nelson Team USN
  10. Rebecca Raybould PWH
  11. Annasley Park 100%ME
  12. Sophie Black Isle of MAN
  13. Melissa Lowther Matrix Fitness
  14. Ellen McDermott Team Jadan

 

Australian Pursuit (2km)  Women

Emily Kay, Emily Nelson, Megan Barker, Abbie Dentus

 

Elite Championship Points Race (30km)   Men

  1. Elia Viviani Team Sky
  2. Iljo Keisse Team Pedalsure
  3. Mark Stewart Scotland
  4. Christian Grasmann Maloja Pushbikers
  5. Marc Hester ONE Pro Cycling
  6. Pim Lighart ONE Pro Cycling
  7. Anny Tennant Team Pedalsure
  8. Adam Blythe Orica GreenEdge
  9. Bradley Wiggins Team WIGGINS
  10. Alistair Rutherford The NAB Racing
  11. Yoeri Havik JLT Condor p/b
  12. Melvin Van Zijl Telegraph Allstars

 

Elite Championship Scratch Race (15km) Men

  1. Andy Tennant Team Pedalsure
  2. Bradley Wiggins Team WIGGINS
  3. Oli Wood JLT Condor p/b Mavic
  4. Elia Viviani Team Sky
  5. Mark Stewart Team Scotland
  6. Yoeri Havik JLT Condor p/b Mavic
  7. Christian Grasmann Maloja Pushbikers RT
  8. Alastair Rutherford The NAB Racing
  9. Matt Bostock Team USN
  10. Reece Wood The NAB Racing
  11. Adam Blythe Orica GreenEdge
  12. Iljo Keisse Team Pedalsure

 

Elimination Race Women

Laura Trott, Emily Kay, Katie Archibald, Manon Lloyd

 

Elite Championship 1km Madison Time Trial -1 Men

  1. Maloja Pushbikers RT 55.907
  2. Team Pedalsure 56.875
  3. Team WIGGINS 57.135
  4. VCUK – Champion Systems 57.765
  5. Telegraph Allstars 58.054
  6. JLT Condor p/b Mavic
  7. Orica GreenEdge
  8. Team Scotland
  9. Team Sky
  10. Team USN
  11. ONE Pro Cycling
  12. The NAB Racing

 

Revolution Longest Lap  Men

Chris Latham, Reece Wood, Chris Lawless, Marc Hester

 

HOY Future Stars 6 Lap Dash (1.5km) Boys

  1. Reece Britton Team USN
  2. Fred Wright Telegraph Allstars
  3. Jake Stewart Team WIGGINS
  4. Lewis Stewart Team Scotland
  5. Matthew Burke Team USN

 

 

Elite Championship Team Elimination Men

  1. Team WIGGINS
  2. Team Pedalsure
  3. VCUK – Champion Systems
  4. Maloja Pushbikers RT
  5. ONE Pro Cycling
  6. JLT Condor p/b Mavic
  7. Telegraph Allstars
  8. Orica GreenEdge
  9. The NAB Racing
  10. Team Scotland
  11. Team Sky
  12. Team USN

 

HOY Future Stars 6 Lap Dash (1.5km) Girls

  1. Jessica Roberts Team USN
  2. Rachel Jary Telegraph Allstars
  3. Rhona Callander Team Scotland
  4. Lauren Dolan ONE Pro Cycling
  5. Elizabeth Bennett Team USN

 

Elite Championship Presentations – Winning Team

Andrew Tennant and Iljo Kiesse, Team Pedalsure

 

UCI Scratch Race – (10km) Women

  1. Emily Nelson Team USN
  2. Emily Kay Team USN
  3. Megan Barker
  4. Katie Archibald
  5. Elinor Barker
  6. Laura Trott
  7. Henrietta Colbourne
  8. Abbie Dentus
  9. Manon Lloyd
  10. Annasley Park
  11. Rebecca Raybould
  12. Sophie Black
  13. Melissa Lowther

 

HOY Future Stars Points Race (5km) Boys

  1. Reece Britton Team USN
  2. Jake Stewart Team WIGGINS
  3. Fred Wright Telegraph Allstars
  4. Lewis Stewart Team Scotland
  5. Ben Hardwick JLT Condor p/b Mavic

 

UCI Sprint Keirin – First Round  Women

Nicky Degrendele, Neah Evans, Robyn Stewart, Emma Baird

 

HOY Future Stars Scratch Race (5km)  Girls

  1. Maddie Gammons Maloja Pushbikers RT
  2. Jessica Roberts Team USN
  3. Georgia Hilliard Team WIGGINS
  4. Sophie Williams Orica GreenEdge
  5. Pfieffer Georgi ONE Pro Cycling

 

HOY Future Stars Scratch Race (5km) Boys

  1. Reece Britton Team USN
  2. Fred Wright Telegraph Allstars
  3. Anthony Anderson Telegraph Allstars
  4. Jim Brown ONE Pro Cycling
  5. Matthew Shaw Maloja Pushbikers RT

 

UCI Keirin Final  Women

Nicky Degrendele, Robyn Stewart, Sophie Capewell, Emma Baird.

 

HOY Future Stars Points Race (5km) Girls

  1. Jessica Roberts Team USN
  2. Charlotte Cole-Hossain VCUK – Champion Systems
  3. Sophie Williams Orica GreenEdge
  4. Rhona Callander Team Scotland
  5. Lauren Dolan ONE Pro Cycling

 

Team Sprint  Women

Team Scotland beat the Republic of South Africa.

 

HOY Future Stars

Reece Britton & Jessica Roberts

 

 

The next round:

Round 3: 14 November London

Round 4: 28 November Glasgow

Round 5: 02 January Manchester

Round 6: 23 January Manchester

Edvald Boasson Hagen clinches second Aviva Tour of Britain title

All images ©CyclingShorts.cc / wwwchrismaher.co.uk

Edvald Boasson Hagen of MTN Qhubeka became the first rider to win the modern Aviva Tour of Britain twice when he successfully defended his 13 second lead on the final stage, an 86.8km circuit race around some of central London’s iconic landmarks.

The Norwegian sprinted to fifth on the stage, which was upgraded to fourth when Andre Greipel was relegated for impeding Elia Viviani in the final sprint up Regent Street St James, handing the Italian his third stage win of the week.

Viviani’s victories in Wrexham, Floors Castle and now London also mean he is only the fifth rider to win three stages in one edition of the race, and joins Mark Cavendish as one of only two riders to win Tour of Britain stages in England, Scotland and Wales.

Speaking afterwards he said “After yesterday I saw I had good speed in the legs after a really hard week, so we thought we could win today. 

“(Ben) Swifty and Andy (Fenn) put me in a perfect position for the last corner. We saw the road go up and I knew we couldn’t start the sprint too early. When I saw Greipel go I went directly on his left-hand side. He came across a little bit, a little bit and that edged me towards the barriers. I’m disappointed because it is better to win without this. He is a big champion and I’ve never seen him do this before. But we won in London and that is the main thing.”

“This week has been really good with lots of stages over 200 kilometres,” he added. “It has given me a very good base for the worlds and I am really confident. I think the Tour of Britain is the perfect roads for the worlds this year.”

After the stage Greipel insisted the incident was accidental: “I didn’t see Viviani coming. I was just concentrating on my sprint and suddenly he was next to me. The final straight wasn’t that wide, I had to look for space to overtake. Everybody was on the limit on the final corner. I didn’t do anything for purpose that’s for sure. That’s sprinting.” 

Boasson Hagen’s fourth place on the day was more than enough to see him win the Aviva Yellow Jersey outright thirteen seconds ahead of Team Sky’s Wout Poels with young British rider Owain Doull capping an outstanding week’s work by moving up to third place overall thanks to a time bonus, the best result of his road career to date.

Doull also claimed the Chain Reaction Cycles Points jersey, having finished in the top ten on all but one stage (the finish at Hartside where he came 11th) and the Premier Inn Best British Rider award.

Boasson Hagen, who won three stages in 2008 and four in 2009, didn’t take a stage victory in 2015, but arguably his overall victory was all the more impressive, having to fight off a determined effort from Team Sky, working for the in-form Poels.

“I am very happy with that win,” said Boasson Hagen who joined MTN Qhubeka at the start of this season from Team Sky. “The object today was simply to defend the jersey and my team did a great job all day. Team WIGGINS took it out very fast at the start looking for the intermediate Sprint and seconds for their rider and it was very hard but then the race settled down a little. I always like to race to win. I had my chances with Sky but perhaps I get more chances with MTN Qhubeka. I think perhaps this year it was harder to win the GC than back in 2009, the course was tougher and Sky were very strong.”

Boasson Hagen now goes onto the World Championships in Richmond, Virginia where he will be riding primarily for Alexander Kristoff although on this form he clearly represents a viable Plan B. Both Greipel and Viviani have also expressed their hopes of taking the title and it could yet be that the Aviva Tour of Britain again acts as ideal build up for the eventual champion, as it did last year with Michel Kwiatkowski.

With a new look circuit hosting 14-laps of racing, the early interest in the final stage centred mainly on Team WIGGINS trying to secure two vital seconds for Doull to move him from fourth place onto the podium in third ahead of Rasmus Guldhammer of Cult Energy Pro Cycling.

For a team consisting of Great Britain’s best team pursuiters that was a pleasing scenario and provided a fine spectacle for a large crowd as Team WIGGINS went to the front half way around the first lap and bossed the race for the first three laps right up to the first intermediate YodelDirect Sprint.

A huge turn on lap three from Sir Bradley Wiggins set Doull up nicely although Russ Downing, riding for Cult Energy did manage to infiltrate the Team WIGGINS train and take the line honours to deny Doull the full three seconds. Doull, however, comfortably collected two seconds for second place to move into third on the road, a position he was able to defend.

After the first sprint an eight man break went up the road which meant Cult had to chase in an attempt to get Guldhammer into the second YodelDirect Sprint. Ultimately it was in vain with the peloton unable to get on terms in time, last year’s overall winner Dylan van Baarle taking both the second and third YodelDirect Sprints, on his way to finishing eighth overall.

Elsewhere Peter Williams of ONE Pro Cycling completed an excellent week’s riding – both individually and in the team context – by taking both the SKODA King of the Mountains title and YodelDirect Sprint jersey, only the third time that feat has ever been achieved in Aviva Tour of Britain history

Williams, from Southport, had cinched the Skoda King of the Mountains title on Saturday when he took maximum points on the final climb of the day up Brantham Hill in Suffolk and started today’s stage seven points up from Conor Dunne in the YodelDirect Sprints classification. With neither rider contesting the first sprint of the day Williams’ lead became unassailable and the celebrations could start.

“It’s a massive achievement for ONE Pro Cycling. This time last year it was just a few conversations and the ball had just started to role so it was a really new team. To come away with two leaders’ jerseys on our Tour debut is a brilliant achievement.

“I feel like I’ve been in good form all year, the setup is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before and it helps get the best out of all the riders. It’s a really good environment. Coming into the Tour of Britain we had prepared well and felt ready to come here and do something.”

For full results and standings, please click here.

Stage 3 – Aviva Tour of Britain second stage win for Elia Viviani

All images ©CyclingShorts.cc / www.chrismaher.co.uk

Team Sky’s Elia Viviani sprinted to his second win of the Aviva Tour of Britain, heading to victory at Floors Castle as Juan Jose Lobato moved into the race leader’s Aviva Yellow Jersey.

The Movistar Team rider took second on the road behind Viviani, and moved into the race lead after overnight leader Petr Vakoc crashed with just over three kilometres to go, losing ten minutes.

Having won Stage One in Wrexham on Sunday with no room for celebration, at Kelso the Italian had time to celebrate in style his victory outside the home of the Duke of Roxburghe.

Viviani kept his cool in a complicated finish after the peloton had caught a dangerous three man break consisting of Tyler Farrar, Marcin Bialoblocki and Matt Cronshaw with about five kilometres remaining.

As the peloton headed towards the twisty, fast finish into the grounds of Floors Castle, Lotto Soudal seemed to be dictating proceedings at the head of the bunch with Andre Greipel providing a lead out for Jens Debusschere.

Viviani, who had taken station just behind the Lotto Soudal train, was best positioned to take advantage. He accelerated smoothly and won comfortably, with his arms aloft, from Lobato with Matteo Trentin in third place.
Lobato’s lead at the top of the standings is ten seconds over MTN Qhubeka’s Edvald Boasson Hagen, with Floris Gerts of the BMC Racing Team another two seconds back. Team Sky’s Wout Poels lies fourth, while last year’s winner Dylan Van Baarle is fifth, just 13 seconds off the race lead.

Elia Viviani – Stage 3 winner – Aviva Tour of Britain 2015 Interview by Cycling Shorts

Elia Viviani of Team Sky took his second stage win of the Aviva Tour of Britain on Stage 3. He talks to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc and the assembled press at the finish.

“When the break at the end went out from 2-minutes 30 to 4-minutes 20 I did wonder if we would pull it back for a sprint finish,” admitted Elia Viviani afterwards. “The problem was that we needed to do the last climb very quickly and if we did that I was not sure if I would be able to stay in the first group of not.

“We decided to try and when your teammates work so hard – Peter Kennaugh, Ian Stannard, Andy Fenn – in the front you try your very best. Then at the end I saw that Mark Cavendish was not in the group after the crash and Andre Greipel was working for a teammate so thought perhaps it is a good sprint for me, it was a stage I can win.

“Andy Fenn positioned me perfectly and then I had to wait a little bit. After nearly 220-kilometres it is not the same as 170-kilometres, you don’t have the same legs. It was a very good test for the World and the climb at full gas with 20-kilometres to go was also very good.”

The win in the grounds of Floors Castle is Viviani’s second Aviva Tour of Britain victory at a Scottish castle, having also triumphed at Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries & Galloway in 2013.

In addition to becoming the third race leader in three days, Lobato also keeps the Chain Reactions Cycles Points Jersey.

Juan Jose Lobato – Yellow Jersey Stage 3 Aviva Tour of Britain 2015 Interview by Cycling Shorts

Juan Jose Lobato talks to the media after taking control of the Yellow Jersey in the Aviva Tour of Britain 2015 on stage 3. In addition to becoming the third race leader in three days, Lobato also keeps the Chain Reactions Cycles Points Jersey.

“My main objective is still stage wins, if I keep the yellow jersey that will be a bonus. Our plan has been to race each stage day by day until the hilltop finish on Thursday and then we will have a look at how the GC is. The Tour of Britain is not an easy race to defend the jersey but we will have a better idea of the race by the end of Thursday stage.”

Lobato praised Britain’s Alex Dowsett, who is based in Essex, for the work on his behalf today ensuring he was in a good position to contest the finish but isn’t sure that local knowledge was the factor: “I’m not sure there is that much local advantage to be had with Alex Dowsett – he is from the south of the England, not the North, he doesn’t know these roads!”

Elsewhere there was another promising ride from young Welsh rider Owain Duoll, this time finishing sixth, which also takes him to sixth on the Aviva General Classification. That not only makes him the Premier Inn Best British RIder at present but with Lobato wearing the Aviva Yellow Jersey he also inherits the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey to wear on Stage Four from Edinburgh to Blyth.

Like most of the riders in Team WIGGINS Doull’s main focus is the Team Pursuit on the track at Rio 2016 but he has always shown real class on the road and will be one of the riders to watch in the Under-23 road events in Richmond, Virginia, later this month where he will be contesting both the Road Race and the Time Trial at the World Championship.

Owain Doull – Stage 3 Aviva Tour of Britain 2015 Interview by Cycling Shorts

Owain Doull chats after stage 3 of the Aviva Tour of Britain. Like most of the riders in Team WIGGINS Doull’s main focus is the Team Pursuit on the track at Rio 2016 but he has always shown real class on the road and will be one of the riders to watch in the Under-23 road events in Richmond, Virginia, later this month where he will be contesting both the Road Race and the Time Trial at the World Championship.

“I didn’t know quite what to expect coming into the race to be honest,” says Doull. “We had done quite a big block of training at altitude in Livigno so I was carrying quite a bit of fatigue and I thought I might be lacking a bit of top end speed. 

“It’s been a bit surreal having Sir Bradley pulling on the front for me. It adds a bit of pressure but good pressure I guess. I’ve also been sharing a room with him so I’ve been thrown in at the deep end a bit. It’s a good laugh to be fair. Before this year I didn’t really know Brad so you have to pinch yourself sometimes because he was my hero growing up.

“We exist as team with the Rio team pursuit as our big aim but we do like to get stuck in and its nice in such a high profile race to show what we are all about”

In the YodelDirect Sprint competition Peter Williams leads Pim Ligthart an Aidis Kruopis by one point with the latter enjoying a profitable day having got into the early break, while Tom Stewart also retained his lead in the SKODA King of the Mountain competition. MTN Qhubeka’s Tyler Farrar claimed the Stage Three Rouleur Combativity Award.

For full results, please click here.

Stage Four sees the Aviva Tour of Britain visit Edinburgh for the first time in the history of the modern Tour, starting from Holyrood Park at 10am before heading through East Lothian and the Scottish Borders for the finish at Blyth in Northumberland.

Elia Viviani – Stage 3 Winner Aviva Tour of Britain

Elia Viviani – Stage 3 winner – Aviva Tour of Britain 2015 Interview by Cycling Shorts

Elia Viviani of Team Sky took his second stage win of the Aviva Tour of Britain on Stage 3. He talks to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc and the assembled press at the finish.

Elia Viviani of Team Sky took his second stage win of the Aviva Tour of Britain on Stage 3. He talks to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc and the assembled press at the finish.

Elia Viviani wins Stage 1 of the Aviva Tour of Britain

All images ©CyclingShorts.cc / www.chrismaher.co.uk

Team Sky’s versatile Italian sprinter Elia Viviani timed his late challenge perfectly to inch past big guns Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel to win a nail biting opening stage of the Aviva Tour of Britain in Wrexham.

The sprint is about seconds, you wait a second and you lose.

Victory in Stage One puts Viviani into the race leader’s Aviva Yellow Jersey, with a four second lead, thanks to time bonuses, over Cavendish.

The win is Viviani’s second Aviva Tour of Britain stage win, and also the second occasion that he has won the opening stage of the race, having claimed victory at Drumlanrig Castle in 2013.

On a twisting, technical finish in Wrexham town centre the Etixx Quick-Step team caught the day’s breakaway inside the final two kilometres, setting things up perfectly for Cavendish who started his sprint with some conviction at about 200-metres out.

The big danger at that stage seemed to be old rival Greipel who had tracked Cavendish and opened up his own attack to the right of the road as they swept around the final bend at pace about 100-metres from the finish.
Cavendish had quickly glanced over his right shoulder, saw Greipel’s familiar red shirt and anticipated the German’s attack but at that precise moment Viviani roared through on the blindside to win by scarcely and inch.

The Italian rider wasn’t sure if he had won or not but Cavendish, a veteran of scores of close finishes, knew instantly that he had lost, thumping his handlebar in frustration.

Viviani’s performance was Team Sky’s just reward for an outstanding team performance aimed specifically at giving the Italian a sporting shot against two of the great modern day speed merchants.

After a strong four man break went early in the day it was Sky who took control of the chase with Andy Fenn burying himself for the cause along with timely contributions from his teammates and Etixx Quick-Step and Lotto Soudal.

Elia Viviani Stage 1 Winner ToB 2015 by Cycling Shorts

Elia Viviani of Team Sky wins stage 1 of the Aviva Tour of Britain in a final sprint against Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel. Elia talks to CyclingShorts.cc and the assembled media after the race.

“It was difficult to control the break but we worked all day for that finish,” said Viviani who is already a stage winner at the Giro and Eneco Tour this season. “Andy Fenn did some fantastic work he was so strong today, I think he is in very good condition. Ben Swift also took some perfect decisions, deciding when we work, when to close the gap.

“With 100-metres to go I was thinking it was too late but Greipel came in between the middle of me and Cav. Then Cav went in the middle of the road I saw a little space on the left and I sprinted hard. It was very close. I didn’t know if I had won but when Cav shouted “oh no” that’s when I understood. The sprint is about seconds, you wait a second and you lose.”

Second placed Cavendish, the Premier Inn Best British Rider, was gracious in defeat: “I was I was super nervous actually because the guys who were staying round this way re-conned it yesterday and said it was sketchy. The last sharp left-hander it was a bit technical, the wind was blowing down through the buildings there, in the last straight, and I knew I had to lay off Mark Renshaw. It was going to be uphill, it was going to be a slog, and actually when I kicked off Mark I kicked really well.

“The line was just not coming quick enough. I looked over, could sense Greipel there and I think I sensed too much of Greipel. If I’d kept the left hand shut maybe I would have got it, but I was too concerned with the right and Elia came through on the line. Actually I’m pretty happy. I’m super happy with the team but obviously it’s disappointing not to win.

“This is the best race to prepare for the Worlds; it’s hard, it’s heavy roads, long stages. People come here to prepare for the worlds now. And I just hope Mick and the organisers keep it like this, and don’t make it crazy, stupid hard. I like to race in front of the home fans. And I do like to win but unfortunately that didn’t happen today.”

The sprint drama at the end of the day came after one of the most determined of breaks featuring some familiar names from Britain’s top domestic teams who between them drove it all the way into Wrexham where they were only caught by the charging peloton with just over one kilometre to go.

Kristian House of JLT Condor presented by Mavic, Tom Stewart of Madison Genesis and Peter Williams of ONE Pro Cycling usually manage to leave their imprint on the Aviva Tour of Britain and on this occasion were joined by Conor Dunne of An Post Chain Reaction.

Together they comprised the almost perfect break riding strongly as a quartet for the best part of 170-kilometres from Anglesey, over the Menai Bridge and through Snowdonia and the six counties of North Wales, at one stage running up a nine-minute lead.

The experienced House jumped to jump away on the final climb to take the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey while Dunne mopped up enough sprint points to earn the YodelDirect Sprint jerseys

Kristian House KoM – Stage 1 Aviva ToB 2015 by Cycling Shorts

Kristian House takes the King of the Mountains Jersey at the end of Stage one of the 2015 Aviva Tour of Britain. Kristian talks to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc and the assembled press after the stage.

“We worked well and although I couldn’t recall all of the climbs from our recce but I did remember the final one which is why I hit out when I did and took a long one,” says House who won the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey overall in 2012 is riding his tenth Aviva Tour of Britain.

“When the break went back up from a minute to 1-minute 24 with 10km to go for a minute we thought this might actually work – funnily enough we were going through a town called Hope at the time! In my head though it was always going to come back.

“This race has always been important to the domestic teams. Going back to my first start in 2005, it was more important to us than the bigger teams. That’s levelled out now – people look at it is preparation for the worlds. This is our worlds, this and the national championships; we can show on home turf what we’re capable of.”

ONE Pro Cycling’s Peter Williams earned himself the Rouleur Combativity Award for Stage One, while the opening day victory helped Viviani also take the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey.

For full results and standings, please click here.

Stage Two on Monday 7 September sees the race head to the Lancashire hills, racing from Ribble Valley to Pendle over 160-kilometres of undulating roads between Clitheroe and Colne. The stage starts from the centre of Clitheroe at 11:15am, with live coverage on ITV4 from 1pm. You can find a video preview of the Stage Two route here.

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