Adam Blythe won a battle of the Brits to win the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic in central London today beating his old friend and sparring partner Ben Swift in a dramatic sprint finish on The Mall.
The two Sheffield-born cyclists were part of a five-strong group that screamed up Whitehall and under Admiralty Arch after 200 kilometres of hard racing over the wet and muddy roads of the Surrey Hills.
Team Cannondale’s Slovenian rider Kristijan Koren led them up The Mall with the finish line and Buckingham Palace in the distance. But Blythe launched his attack with 50 metres to go, surprising Swift, Team Sky’s pre-race favourite, to take a hard-earned victory for the unfancied NFTO Procycling team.
Blythe threw his arms in the air as he crossed the line, a roar of triumph breaking out from his mud-spattered face.
“It’s hard to say how much this means to me,” said Blythe afterwards. “But you could see how emotional it was as my face said it all.”
“OK, it’s not like I won the worlds or anything, but this is very big race for a British rider to win, especially in this setting in front of the Queen’s house. I hope she was watching.”
Swift was one the race favourites and appeared to be in a perfect position to show his famed finishing speed after five Sky teammates, including 2012 Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins, had worked hard in the middle part of the race to get him into a breakaway group.
“It would have been nice to have won but I am really happy with second,” said Swift. “I’ve known Adam since I was seven years old and we’ve got a lot of history, so I knew he was the one to watch.”
“I knew I needed to keep an eye on him and I could see he was looking for me on the run-in. I tried to react to his move but he’s a really fast sprinter and once he got the jump on me he was away.”
Koren’s challenge faded as the two Britons raced away and Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe took third for Omega Pharma-Quick-Step ahead of Philippe Gilbert, Belgium’s former world champion from the BMC Racing Team.
Seventy kilometres earlier it was Gilbert who had made the decisive move of the race on the approach to Box Hill.
There had been a number of early attacks from the 147-man field as the riders set off under the welcome warming sun, which had moved in to replace the morning deluge.
The first significant break came in Richmond Park after 13km when six riders got away and established a gap of just over a minute, an advantage they held through the early stretches out into Surrey’s narrow country roads, many of them still smeared with rain wash.
Wiggins and teammate Ian Stannard did much of the work as Sky took control of the peloton, their intention to close the gap and get Swift into contention for any later break. The plan worked perfectly, and when Gilbert made his move, Swift was one of 10 men who leapt to his wheel.
As Sky stepped off the gas, Cannondale were forced to do the bulk of the work at the front of the chasing group as they tried to get their sprinter Elia Viviani back in touch. But with less 50km to go the leading 11 had stretched their gap to more than a minute and it began to look as if they would never be caught.
They charged down Headley Heath and into Leatherhead, Gilbert and Swift keeping the pressure on at the front. Then Gilbert attacked again between Raynes Park and Wimbledon, splitting the group and dragging five clear of the rest.
The Belgian appeared to be on a mission to win with a long run for home and another kick briefly took him and Alaphilippe away from Swift and Blythe with Koren in tow behind.
But the trio closed the gap by the time they reached Putney High Street and it was five riders who crossed Putney Bridge for the run alongside the River Thames towards Westminster.
At this point it looked like anyone’s race, though the smart money was on Swift. Blythe had other ideas, however, and he timed his final push to perfection.
“In the last kilometre I knew I had plenty in the tank,” he said afterwards. “I just wanted to make sure I got everything out and didn’t leave it too late to make my move.”
“I knew that if I was close to Swifty I’d have a chance. I hugged close to the barriers and had a go. Now I feel like I can mix it with the big boys.”
Two of the early breakaway riders won the day’s other honours. Steve Lampier of Node4 Velosure made it a great day for British cycling by claiming the King of the Mountains title, while Dutchman Steven Lammertink, Team Giant-Shimano’s stagiaire, won the sprint contest.
It was Blythe, however, who won the most important sprint of the day.
The Koppenbergcross will be the first European cyclocross race to give equal prize money, reported in a press release today.
In co-operation with Twenty20 Cycling, the Koppenbergcross in Oudenaarde sets a new milestone in the history of cyclocross as they become the first European cyclocross race to provide equal prize money for elite men and women. This brings the Koppenbergcross in line with the World Championships, the only other cyclocross event to offer matched prize money, where previously events have seen a gap as big as €5,000 for men versus women in first category races.
The winner of the GP Twenty20 Cycling on Saturday November 1st 2014 will now be rewarded €1667, exactly the same as the winner of the GP Willy Naessens for men elite, and further matched prize money through the ranks.
British rider, Helen Wyman – European Champion cyclocross, member of the cyclocross committee of the International Cycling Federation, triple winner of the race and resident of Oudenaarde is obviously happy with this step in women’s cross and cycling, quoted saying: “In my eyes, this is a huge step. It is a very significant moment for women’s cycling. This allows women to make one step up the ladder towards equality. I spend a lot of my free time trying to advance women’s cyclocross and I hope this will lead to a chain reaction of races who do the same, as I know the support is there from sponsors, supporters and riders. To be a part of this development for the sport is fantastic for me.”
Kristopher Auer, manager of Twenty20 Cycling, is proud to connect the name of his company to the women’s race of the Koppenbergcross, stating “Twenty20 Cycling Co. is a small two-store bicycle shop located in Baltimore and Savage, Maryland in the United States. One of the things that makes our business unique is how it developed from a cyclocross background. Since before we opened our business I have been supporting the growth of cyclocross in America. I was promoting UCI cyclocross races in Baltimore nearly a decade ago when I met my future business partners. Growing the sport has always been on our agenda and I’ve always looked to ensure both women and men can race with equal opportunity.”
To be part of this landmark event not only for Cyclocross but women’s cycling, make sure to mark your diaries for the GP Twenty20 Cycling women’s race on Saturday November 1st 2014. Who will take the first equal prize? We’ll just have to wait and see!
For more on Helen’s thoughts head over to her blog.
Hayley Davies
Writer
Riding since Feb 2011 Hayley is a 30 year old female who loves adventures. If she’s not on one of her many bikes or in the water on a bodyboard/surfboard, then Hayley is probably out looking for something new to keep the adrenaline pumping! Website: www.hjdonline.co.uk
Kenny De Ketele and Jasper De Buyst will begin the final day of the Rotterdam Six-Day as overall leaders. After five days, the two Belgians hold a one-lap lead three rival teams – all set to take a bonus lap and create a four-way fight.
“Our one-lap advantage doesn’t really count because all our rivals will take one as well tomorrow,” said De Buyst. “It will come down to a points’ battle. Or one couple needs to be so strong that they can take another lap. I think Niki Terpstra and Iljo Keisse are our biggest opponents, but we will also have to watch the others.”
Terpstra and Keisse count 295 points and sit in second behind the Belgians at 308 points. Danes Michael Mørkøv and Alex Rasmussen hold third place with 292 and Jens Mouris and Wim Stroetinga fourth with 185. Once a pair reaches a 100 multiple, it takes a bonus lap. The standings should guarantee a thrilling final on Tuesday night.
Best position
Terpstra and Keisse proved how strong they are in the second Madison. They took control by taking an early lap. They were able to wait after that and just countered every attack by their rivals. Eventually, the chase ended in a sprint that Mørkøv narrowly won over Terpstra.
“It was a really tough race but I’m glad we could finish it off with a strong sprint,” said Rasmussen. “This was the penultimate day so everyone tried to get in the best position possible. That’s why this win was so important.”
Belkin Boys
Theo Bos and Graeme Brown scored their first victory of the week in the opening Madison. The team Belkin riders worked hard to form the lead group and Brown won the four-way sprint. Given they lost seven laps on day one, their win failed to change the top end of the standings.
Sprint Masters
Jeffrey Hoogland enjoyed the day and the Sprint Masters title battle. With a second place in the sprint final and a victory in the handicap sprint, the Dutchman increased his overall lead. Teun Mulder finished second and third, and saw the difference grow to three points. Hoogland appears likely to win the overall tomorrow in Rotterdam. Elite | General classification after day 5:
Sprint Masters | General classification after day 5:
Kenny De Ketele and Jasper De Buyst reclaimed the lead from Niki Terpstra and Iljo Keisse during day four of the Rotterdam Six-Day. However, two couples joined the overall fight: Jens Mouris and Wim Stroetinga, winners of the big chase, and Michael Mørkøv and Alex Rasmussen.
“It’s going to be a real fight now,” said De Ketele.
“It’s hard to control with four teams,” added team-mate De Buyst. “And the other three duos are very strong as well.”
Only points
The second Madison began as a battle between De Ketele/De Buyst and Terpstra/Keisse. However, gruelling attacks helped duos Mouris/Stroetinga and Danes Mørkøv/Rasmussen move ahead. Thanks to the lap they each gained, four couples sit on the lead lap with only points separating them.
De Ketele and De Buyst count the most at 250. Terpstra and Keisse with 243 and Mørkøv and Rasmussen with 222 stand close by. Mouris and Stroetinga count only 156 but seem to be improving.
Small chase
An exciting Madison kicked off Sunday. The lead couples kept cool and left the lower-ranked teams battle. After a fierce fight that included Kreder cousins, Vivien Brisse and Marc Hester took the win.
Sprint Masters
Jeffrey Hoogland was lucky on Sunday. Fellow overall leader Teun Mulder participated in the tandem sprint demonstration and beat Hoogland in the sprint final. However, he clearly ran out of power in the handicap sprint. He finished fourth and last.
Hoogland placed second behind Bart Hommes and reclaimed the lead. Only, one point separates the two. Elite | General classification after day 4:
Sprint Masters | General classification after day 4:
You can watch live each day here on Cycling Shorts, action starts tonight at 19:00 until 23:00 CET or watch our edited highlights of each night posted daily with full round up and results.
Niki Terpstra and Iljo Keisse recaptured the Rotterdam Six-Day lead during the third night. The Dutch-Belgian duo lost their first spot to Kenny De Ketele and Jasper De Buyst on day two but rebounded during Saturday’s final Madison.
The defending champions sat one lap down going into final 250-lap Madison but managed to turn the tables. They won thanks to a one-lap advantage but also cracked the 200-point barrier to earn a bonus lap and to take the overall lead. They’re now one lap ahead and have more points, 204, than their closest rival De Ketele and De Buyst, 197, and Stroetinga and Mouris, 111.
Enough power
“With 250 laps it was a tough race,” said Keisse. “De Ketele and De Buyst wanted to level us and tried to take a lap in the final but fortunately we had enough power to keep up with them. In the end we kept our lead on them intact and also took an additional lap on the rest of the field.”
Easy
The leading couples took it easy during the first Madison of the night. Barry Markus and Leif Lampater won the chase. The Dutch-German duo collected enough points along the way to stay ahead of the other four couples who also took a lap.
Sprint Masters
Jeffrey Hoogland no longer sits alone on the Sprint Masters leader board. The swift Dutchman won the sprint final, but was caught by surprise in the handicap sprint. Teun Mulder attacked early and bagged the win, while Hoogland only finished third. Both men count 12 points. Mickaël Bourgain and Bart Hommes sit far behind, both with 18 points. Elite | General classification after day 3:
Sprint Masters | General classification after day 3:
You can watch live each day at: http://www.sixdayracing.com/tv from around 7pm (CET) or watch our edited highlights of each night here on Cycling Shorts daily.
Belgians Kenny De Ketele and Jasper Buyst took the lead from Niki Terpstra and Iljo Keisse in the Rotterdam Six-Day. Despite their rivals’ doublette, they advanced with the 200-lap Madison win in the second night of racing at the Ahoy Arena.
“We took an early lap which gave us the advantage”, said De Ketele. “We were in control for a long time but the double lap by Terpstra and Keisse put us under pressure. Fortunately, we were able to straighten things up with a late attack.”
Four couples
Four couples compete for the overall victory after two days. Terpstra and Keisse count 143 points, Mørkøv and Rasmussen 112 and Mouris and Stroetinga 68. However, they all sit one lap behind De Ketele and De Buyst, who have 151.
Bad change
De Ketele and De Buyst missed an opportunity to take the lead earlier in the night due to a bad hand sling in the super sprint. Their rivals eliminated them halfway in the race. Terpstra and Keisse were already out of the event at that time.
Sprint Masters
Jeffrey Hoogland heads into the weekend as the leader in the Sprint Masters. The Dutchman retained his top spot thanks to a second place in the sprint final. Frenchman Mickaël Bourgain claimed the win. Teun Mulder is Hoogland’s biggest challenger. Hoogland, who won the keirin bronze medal at the Olympics, sits only one point down. Bart Hommes occupies the third place with a two-point gap.
Elite | General classification after day 2:
Sprint Masters | General classification after day 2:
You can watch live each day at: http://www.sixdayracing.com/tv from around 7pm (CET) or watch our edited highlights of each night here on Cycling Shorts daily.
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“It’s hard to say how much this means to me,” said Blythe afterwards. “But you could see how emotional it was as my face said it all.”
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