British Cycling National Time Trial Championships 2016

Stockton-On-Tees

Dowsett, Simmonds And Davies Back Up Their Twenty-Fifteen Titles Here In Stockton-On-Tees In The National Time Trial Championships 2016 Defending champion Alex Dowsett [Movistar] successfully reclaims his Time Trial National Jersey in Stockton-On-Tees for an impressive fifth senior title. Setting the quickest first split, Dowsett was the odd-on favorite around the circuit through the High Street, along the Riverside and out of town before returning for another three laps. James Gullen [Pedal Heaven] posted the closest time for Silver over a minute down and Ryan Perry [Langdale Lightweights RT] the Bronze. Talking in-front of the assembled cheering crowd Dowsett praised Stockton Council on their circuit layout and organization.

The whole Town Centre aspect of time-trialing is really something quite incredible. (Last year’s circuit was on a partly closed circuit at Cadwell Park Racing circuit near Louth, Lincolnshire) The atmosphere was really great, even out of town there were a lot of people watching. I think the course suited the spectator crowd, so Stockton should be proud of what they put on today.

For me personally I paced it I’d say, as perfectly as I could.

The gap to second last year was a lot bigger. I’ve seen these guys at 10s this year and it’s great to see British time-trialing really coming up.

Alex Dowsett

British National Time Trial Champion 2016, Movistar

When Alex was asked about another hour record attempt in the near future:  I hope so, the bar has been set quite high by Wiggins (Bradley). I know I’m capable of it from the numbers from the last attempt. It’s just a question of when. 54k is not a distance to taking lightly. It’s a huge ask from my team [Movistar] as well to set it up. It takes months to set up. I can’t see it happening this year, but possibly for next year.

 

Hayley Simmonds successfully defended her first National title from twenty-fifteen backing up her win having spent most of the year riding abroad riding her first professional contract.

Back on her beloved Cervelo P5, Simmonds put over half a minute on her closest on-form rival Claire Rose [Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa] who took Silver, with Team-mate Dame Sarah Storey close behind for Bronze.

Cycling Shorts: What have you been up to recently?

SimmondsWith-in the last couple of weeks I’ve recently changed Teams. I was riding professionally for Unitedhealthcare, I made the decision when they offered me, to be let out of my contract, so I accepted that. I made the decision to ride for Aerocoach. 

It was a really hard decision to leave the team. I had to weigh-up in my mind, was I prepared to potentially sacrifice defending my title today to remain on the team.

I decided that I wasn’t and that defending my title today probably meant more to me.

I want to return to a UCI team, I want to be a professional bike rider.

Hopefully I’ll be able to find a UCI team for next year.

I’m lucky that I managed to find some guest rides in UCI races for the later part of the year. So I will still be keeping my hand in UCI races.

Cycling Shorts: How did you find the course here in Stockton-On-Tees and did it suit you?

SimmondsI didn’t think it suited me. When I looked at the course before, I didn’t think it suited me as much as last year’s course did. But it was a good course. It was a really interesting course. It was a course of two parts.

It had a technical bit in the town centre and the dual carriageway section that was more of a traditional time trial course.

The bit in the town centre was actually really good in terms of support from local people and I was lucky enough to meet some of the local people a couple of weeks ago when I first came to look at the course.

The support was great and yeh! It suited me enough.

 

Interview – Hayley Simmonds 2016 National TT Champion by Cycling Shorts

Haley Simmonds talks to CyclingShorts.cc writer / Photographer Chris Maher after taking the 2016 National TT Champion title in Stockton.

In the U23 Time Trial, Scott Davies [Team Wiggins] also defended his twenty-fifteen title beating Tao Geoghegen Hart [Axeon Hagens Berman CT] for Silver by nineteen seconds with Gabriel Cullaigh [100%ME] a further thirty seconds back off the pace.

  1.  40 Davies Scott Team Wiggins 44: 44:10.43
  2.  39 Geoghegan Hart Tao Axeon Hagens Berman CT 44:29.81 @9.38
  3.  34 Cullaigh Gabriel 100% ME 44:40.24 @29.81
  4.  35 Hetherington Ben Planet X – Northside Cycling 44:[email protected]
  5.  38 Baylis Thomas One Pro Cycling 44:53.39 @42.96
  6.  37 Shaw James Lotto Soudal U23 45:12.22 @01:01.8
  7.  12 Fry Joseph Pedal Heaven 45:24.97 @01:14.5
  8.  28 Kelly Jake Team Wiggins 45:42.33 @01:31.8
  9.  36 Stewart Mark 100% ME 45:54.37 @01:43.9
  10.  30 Latham Christopher Team Wiggins 45:54.60 @01:44.2
  1.  50 Hayley Simmonds Aerocoach 47:33.36
  2.  44 Claire Rose Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 48:06.32  @0:32.96
  3.  47 Dame Sarah Storey Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 48:12.47 @0:06.15
  4.  49 Emma Pooley 48:33.46 @0:20.99
  5.  45 Hannah Barnes Canyon – SRAM 49:29.28 @0:55.82
  6.  40 Julia Shaw 49:39.92 @0:10.64
  7.  48 Molly Weaver Liv-Plantur 49:53.32 @0:13.40
  8.  11 Elizabeth-Jane Harris Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 50:56.20 @1:02.88
  9.  9 Angela Hibbs Fusion RT Fierlan 51:03.12 @0:06.92
  10.  42 Abby-Mae Parkinson Servetto Footon 51:13.39 @0:10.27
  1.  40 Alex Dowsett Movistar Team 0:55:38.52
  2.  35 James Gullen Pedal Heaven 0:56:54.83
  3.  38 Ryan Perry Langdale Lightweights Racing Team 0:57:52.53
  4.  32 Peter Williams One Pro Cycling 0:58:15.36
  5.  26 Richard Handley One Pro Cycling 0:59:09.39
  6.  33 Samuel Harrison Team Wiggins 0:59:11.87
  7.  37 Lloyd Chapman Pedal Heaven 0:59:36.73
  8.  20 Ashley Cox CC Luton 0:59:45.70
  9.  36 Andrew Tennant Team Wiggins 0:59:59.87
  10.  34 Rhys Howells Richardsons-Trek RT 1:00:04.48

Revolution 56 – Preview

Revolution52_3169Csat

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.

Tickhill Grand Prix Time

It’s Yesss Tickhill GP time! With just over an hour to go to today’s event where we will see over 450 riders take to the streets of the small South Yorkshire town of Tickhill the atmosphere is hotting up.

Tickhill GP organiser Rich Stoodley has worked his socks off to make sure this event brings equality to the men and women riding providing them with the equal status and value of prizes, the largest prize fund awarded on the UK racing calendar. With the race day in it’s third year; this is the second year the women have been given this status, and the quality of riders attending proves Tickhill GP is an outstanding success.

WATCH LIVE - DATE tgp-watch-live-button-2The racing kicks off with the youth and junior riders leading up to the elite category of riders including Team WIGGINS in the mens race, the women are represented by teams like Les Filles RT  and our very own Racing Chance Foundation and Team Jadan amongst others. It’s unusual for such a large event to give riders of all levels a chance to race the same circuit and mingle with their rivals and cycling stars.

The whole village and surrounding area get into the spirit of the day with local pubs serving the official Tickhill Grand Prix Ale, you can pick up a race programme with all the information you need; riders, teams, sponsors, food and attractions. Riders will be available to sign autographs and there is a merchandise village and you can test yourself against the clock or other spectators and riders at the Rollapaluza stand. The whole event is shown on large screens around the circuit with a full commentary of the action. This year Anna Glowinski will join Matt Stephens for commentary.

The racing starts at 11.30am on the closed race circuit, get yourself down to Tickhill for a great family day of street food and top notch cycling if you can’t make it down then don’t fret, Cycling Shorts.cc are proud to be official sponsors of Tickhill GP and you can watch it live all day here on CyclingShorts.cc! Just pull up a chair, click on the link and tuck in to your Sunday lunch while you watch the action unfold.

You can find more details at: www.tickhillgp.com

 

Race Programme

11:30 U12 (Mixed) 15mins
11:55 U14 Boys 30mins
12:35 U16/U14 Girls 25mins
13:20 U16 Boys 40mins
14:10 Cats. 3/4 Women 50mins
15:10 Cats. 3/4 Men 50mins
16:25 E/1/2 Women 1hr
17:35 E/1/2 Men 1hr

WATCH LIVE - DATE tgp-watch-live-button-2

Revolution 52 – Round 1 – Saturday & Sunday

SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION:

Great Britain’s Matthew Gibson set the quickest qualifying time in the 4000m Individual Pursuit setting a time of 4.23.212 holding a perfect line around the boards of Derby Arena. His closest competitor Owain Doull will ride in the finals later in the day.

 

Event 1  Individual Pursuit – Qualifying  Men

  1. Matt Gibson 04.23.212
  2. Owain Doull 04.25.420
  3. Germain Burton 04.25.664
  4. Dion Beukeboom 04.26.345
  5. Andrew Tennant 04.28.841
  6. Julien Morice 04.29.653
  7. Aleksandr Lisouski 04.32.144
  8. Jan-Willem Van Schip 04.33.110
  9. Jake Kelly 04.36.610
  10. Steven Burke 04.36.610
  11. Fintan Ryan 04.44.052
  12. Dennis Wauch 04.44.679
  13. Ivan Kovalev 04.45.562
  14. Mark Downey 04.46.751
  15. Roy Pieters 04.51.377

 

Event 2  Sprint Qualification Time Trial  Men

  1. Lewis Oliva 10.067
  2. Callum Skinner 10.088
  3. Quentin Lafague 10.108
  4. Jason Kenny 10.109
  5. Francois Pervis 10.188
  6. Hugo Haak 10.327
  7. Philip Hindes 10.343
  8. Christos Volikakis 10.345
  9. Matthew Crampton 10.419
  10. Eoin Mullen 10.423
  11. Zafeiros Volikakis 10.508
  12. Matt Rotherham 10.530
  13. Jose Moreno Sanchez10.633

 

Event 3  Sprint Qualification Time Trial  Women

  1. Katy Marchant 11.163
  2. Jessica Varnish 11.276
  3. Dannielle Khan 11.286
  4. Victoria Williamson 11.333
  5. Tania Calvo 11.465
  6. Rebecca James 11.617
  7. Yesna Rijkhoff 11.644
  8. Olivia Montauban 11.662
  9. Sandie Clair 11.744
  10. Laurine Van Riessen 11.831
  11. Nicky Degrendele 11.942
  12. Shanaze Reade 12.043

The first Women’s Omnium event a forty lap Scratch Race, saw the first thirty laps run at a steady pace staying all together. With no one willing to commit early on the pace didn’t lift until around ten laps remaining.

As the race intensified, Ciara Horne attacked off the front of the pack with three laps to go, but faded in the final few hundred meters as the battle for the overall title began to take shape.

The crowd, already whipped up into a frenzy by Horne, we delighted to see Laura Trott cross the line first, with Jolien D’Hoore second and Laurie Berthon third in the bunch sprint.

A good start to Laura Trott’s Omnium campaign, but her biggest rivals were still looming within striking distance. The next event in this session will be the 3000m IP.

 

Event 4  The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – 10Km Scratch Race Women

  1. TROTT, Laura GBR
  2. D’HOORE, Jolien BEL
  3. BERTHON, Laurie FRA
  4. JEULAND, Pascale FRA
  5. KAY, Emily GBR
  6. WOJTYRA, Malgorzata POL
  7. OLABERRIA, Leire ESP
  8. ARCHIBALD, Katie GBR
  9. NELSON, Emily GBR
  10. STEEL, Elizabeth NZL
  11. BOYLAN, Lydia IRL
  12. HORNE, Ciara GBR
  13. REYBOULD, Rebecca GBR
  14. LLOYD, Manon GBR

 

Event 5  Sprint – First Round  Men

Oliva, Skinner, Lafargue, Kenny, Volikakis (C) & Hindes progress through.

 

Event 6  Sprint – First Round  Women

Marchant, Varnish, Khan, Williamson, Calvo & Rijkhoff progress through.

 

The first Men’s Omnium event a sixty lap Scratch Race couldn’t have been any different to that of the Women’s event. An energetic start with small attacks from the start including Chris Latham whom managed a spell out-front.

It wasn’t long before a six man break got free to take a lap, with Clancy & Cavendish making the move. Seeing the danger, De Ketele and two others joined the front of the race also gaining a lap.

De Ketele and Lisouski manage to gain another lap on the field in the chaos as the race drew to it’s conclusion, with Dibben going for a long solo victory to cross the line first.

Clancy turned up the heat to take the bunch sprint for second placement, but both Brits were down a lap on De Ketele & Lisouski who lead the Men’s Omnium going into round two, the 4000m IP.

 

Event 7  The Sir Brailsford Omnium – Scratch Race  Men

  1. DE KETELE, Kenny BEL
  2. LISOUSKI, Aleksandr BLR
  3. DIBBEN, Jonathan GBR -1
  4. CLANCY , Ed GBR -1
  5. STEWART, Mark GBR -1
  6. ELLORIAGA, Unai ESP -1
  7. THOMAS, Benjamin FRA -1
  8. EEFTING, Roy NED -1
  9. WOOD, Oliver GBR -1
  10. RODRIGUES, Gideoni BRA -1
  11. CAVENDISH, Mark GBR -1
  12. KNEISKY, Morgan FRA -1
  13. DE PAUW, Moreno BEL -1
  14. VELDT, Tim NED -1
  15. KOVALEV, Ivan RUS -1
  16. RYAN, Fintan IRL -2
  17. WAUCH, Tobias AUT -2
  18. DOWNEY, Mark IRL -2
  19. MATZNER, Stefan AUT -2
  20. LATHAM, Christopher GBR -2
  21. MASTALLER, Stefan AUT -2
  22. DOULL, Owain GBR DNF

 

Event 8  The Sir Brailsford Omnium – 3000m Individual Pursuit  Women

  1. Jolien D’Hoore 03.36.130
  2. Laura Trott 03.38.769
  3. Katie Archibald 03.41.177
  4. Pascale Jeuland 03.44.607
  5. Ciara Horne 03.44.628
  6. Emily Kay 03.45.217
  7. Leire Olaberria 03.47.647
  8. Lydia Boyland 03.48.749
  9. Emily Nelson 03.48.935
  10. Manon Lloyd 03.49.707
  11. Laurie Berthon 03.50.325
  12. Malgorzata Wojtyra 03.51.420
  13. Elizabeth Steele 03.57.303
  14. Rebecca Raybould 03.59.550

 

Event 9  Sprint – Quarter Final  Men

Oliva, Skinner, Hindes & Kenny progress through.

 

Event 10   Sprint – Quarter Final Women

Marchant, Varnish, Rijkhoff & Calvo progress through.

 

Event 11  The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – 4000m Individual Pursuit  Men

  1. Chris Latham 04.26.073
  2. Mark Cavendish 04.26.822
  3. Jon Dibben 04.27.335
  4. Ed Clancy 04.29.208
  5. Mark Stewart 04.29.502
  6. Kenny de Ketele 04.30.886
  7. Gideoni Rodrigues 04.32.437
  8. Aleksandr Lisouki 04.34.138
  9. Unai Elloriaga 04.34.258
  10. Oli Wood 04.35.182
  11. Benjamin Thomas 04.35.755
  12. Tim Veldt 04.35.971
  13. Morgan Kniesky 04.36.161
  14. Moreno de Pauw 04.40.976
  15. Roy Eefing 04.41.085
  16. Ivan Kovalev 04.41.916

 

SATURDAY EVENING SESSION:

Doors open at 18:00. Racing from 19:00 to 22:00.

 

Event 12  Sprint – 5-8th Finals  Men

Volikakis, Haak, Lafargue & Pervis

 

Event 13  Sprint – 5-8th Finals  Women

Williamson, Khan, Clair & Montauban.

 

Event 14  The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Elimination   Women

  1. TROTT, Laura GBR
  2. D’HOORE, Jolien BEL
  3. ARCHIBALD, Katie GBR
  4. JEULAND, Pascale FRA
  5. KAY, Emily GBR
  6. NELSON, Emily GBR
  7. OLABERRIA, Leire ESP
  8. BERTHON, Laurie FRA
  9. WOJTYRA, Malgorzata POL
  10. STEEL, Elizabeth NZL
  11. BOYLAN, Lydia IRL
  12. REYBOULD, Rebecca GBR
  13. LLOYD, Manon GBR
  14. HORNE, Ciara GBR

 

Event 15  Sprint – Semi Final (Match A)  Men

Lewis Oliva beat Jason Kenny in the semis. Callum Skinner beat Philip Hindes in a three round tie breaker to join Oliva.

 

Event 16  Sprint – Semi Final (Match A)  Women

Katy Marchant beat Tania Calvo in the semis. Jessica Varnish beat Yesna Rijkhoff to join Marchant.

 

Event 17  Individual Pursuit – Finals   Men

Matthew Gibson continued his impressive qualifying performance to win the 4000 Individual Pursuit, passing Owain Doull in the closing stages of the race. Germain Burton squeezed a marginal win over Netherland’s Dion Beukeboom for third place.

 

Event 20  The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Elimination   Men

A fast start in the final Omnium Session from the day came to a halt as a collision on the home straight neutralized the race. The race then re-started and it wasn’t long before the pace intensified. Another crash, once again neutralized the race involving the same rider Rodrigues, this time with Jon Dibben.

With Omnium leader De Ketele finding himself out of contention early on, second place man Lisouski went out soon after.

With four Brits left to battle the top slots, Cavendish found himself on the Cote Azure and relegated from the remainder of the race. Ed Clancy went on the win the second round, with Chris Latham second and Benjamin Thomas of France third.

 

Event 23  Madison Time Trial  Men

  • Great Britain’s Steven Burke & Owain Doull set the quickest time 0.55.240 in the Revolution Madison Time Trial, getting to close to the sub 55s Revolution record.
  • 100% ME 0.56.774
  • Austria 0.58.514
  • France 0.59.434
  • Belarus 1.00.316
  • Ireland 1.02.181
  • Belgium 1.21.760

 

Event 29  Revolution Longest Lap  Men

  • Matthew Gibson
  • Morgan Kniesky
  • Thomas Benjamin
  • Alekandr Lisouki
  • Ivan Kovalev
  • Roy Eefing

 

Event 30  Sprint – Final  Men

Lewis Oliva beat Callum Skinner to clinch the Sprint Title. Jason Kenny beat Philip Hindes.

 

Event 31  Sprint – Final  Women

Katy Marchant beat Jessica Varnish to take the Sprint Title. Tania Calvo beat Yesna Rijkhoff over three heats.

 

SUNDAY AFTERNOOON SESSION:

The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Time Trial  Women

  1. Trott, Laura
  2. D’Hoore, Jolien
  3. Berthon, Laurie
  4. Boylan, Lydia
  5. Olaberria, Leire
  6. Wojtyra, Malgorzata
  7. Archibald, Katie
  8. Jeuland, Pascale

 

The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Time Trial  Men

  1. Clancy, Ed
  2. Latham, Chris
  3. Eefting, Roy
  4. Veldt, Tim
  5. Cavendish, Mark
  6. Dibben, Jon
  7. De Pauw, Moreno
  8. De Ketele, Kenny
  9. Wood, Oliver
  10. Kneisky, Morgan

 

Keirin – First Round   Men

Volikakis, Olivia, Crampton, Kenny, Hindes & Haak go through from round one.

 

Keirin – First Round  Women

Khan, Marchant, Calvo, Clair, Van Riessen & Montauban go through from round one.

 

The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Flying Lap  Women

  1. Trott, Laura
  2. D’Hoore, Jolien
  3. Berthon, Laurie
  4. Jeuland, Pascale
  5. Archibald, Katie
  6. Wojtyra, Malgorzata
  7. Boylan, Lydia
  8. Olaberria, Leire
  9. Nelson, Emily
  10. Kay, Emily

 

 

The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Flying Lap  Men

  1. Clancy, Ed
  2. Eefting, Roy
  3. Cavendish, Mark
  4. Veldt, Tim
  5. Dibben, Jon
  6. De Pauw,Moreno
  7. Latham, Chris
  8. De Ketele,Kenny
  9. Thomas, Benjamin
  10. Elloriaga, Unai

 

The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Points Race     Women

  1. TROTT, Laura GBR
  2. D’HOORE, Jolien BEL
  3. JEULAND, Pascale FRA
  4. ARCHIBALD, Katie GBR
  5. BERTHON, Laurie FRA
  6. KAY, Emily GBR
  7. OLABERRIA, Leire ESP
  8. BOYLAN, Lydia IRL
  9. WOJTYRA, Malgorzata POL
  10. NELSON, Emily GBR
  11. REYBOULD, Rebecca GBR
  12. LLOYD, Manon GBR
  13. STEEL Elizabeth NZL

 

The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Points Race  Men

  1. Clancy, Ed
  2. Cavendish, Mark
  3. Latham, Chris
  4. Dibben, Jon
  5. Thomas, Benjamin
  6. De Ketele,Kenny
  7. Stewart, Mark
  8. Elloriaga, Unai
  9. Veldt, Tim
  10. Lisouski, Aleksandr

 

Keirin – Final  Men

  1. Kenny, Jason GBR
  2. Olivia, Lewis GBR
  3. Volikakis, Christos GRE
  4. Crampton, Matt GBR
  5. Haak, Hugo NED
  6. Hindes, Philip GBR

 

Keirin – Final   Women

  1. Marchant, Katy GBR
  2. Clair, Sandie FRA
  3. Khan, Dannielle GBR
  4. Calvo, Tania ESP
  5. Van Riessen, Laurine NED
  6. Montauban, Olivia FRA GBR

 

Madison    Men

  1. Great Britain – Bradley Wiggins / Mark Cavendish
  2. Belgium – Kenny De Ketele / Moreno De Pauw
  3. 100%ME – Chris Latham / Mark Stewart
  4. ODP – Germain Burton / Mathew Gibson
  5. WattBike – Roy Pieters / Stefan Matzner
  6. France – Morgan Kneisky / Benjamin Thomas

 

The next round of Revolution will be Race 53.

Special Thanks to www.facepartnership.com

Official Website www.cyclingrevolution.com

Flickr Photo Gallery Updated Regularly throughout the Winter Season at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23913935@N07/sets/72157623276235092/

 

Yellow Jersey changes hands in Brighton, as Julien Vermote wins stage

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Julien Vermote wins Stage Seven in Brighton

The drama continued in the Friends Life Tour of Britain as the Friends Life Yellow Jersey changed hands yet again, as the end of a thrilling stage to Brighton, won by Julien Vermote.

A trio of testing SKODA King of the Mountains climbs in the final 60-kilometres took their toll on the peloton, and Friends Life Yellow Jersey Alex Dowsett in particular, with the Movistar Team rider losing 2 minutes 34 seconds and falling to tenth place overall.

Garmin Sharp’s Dylan Van Baarle held on from the break to take third, behind Ignatas Konovalovas, but more importantly to become the sixth Friends Life Yellow Jersey of the week, taking a 19-second lead over Michal Kwiatowski into the final stage.

At the head of the stage it was Vermote, with the Omega Pharma Quick-Step rider attacking from the break on Ditchling Beacon and soloing to victory on Brighton’s Madeira Drive.

With the race behind splitting to pieces, it was an attack from Vermote’s teammate Kwiatkowski, also on Ditchling Beacon, that detached Dowsett and sent a 22-rider group away, including the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Nicolas Roche and Edoardo Zardini.

Dowsett, assisted by Giovanni Visconti, chased, but in vain and with no further help, as the Bear Road climb and fast descent to the finish prevented them from regaining contact.

Vermote was able to win alone, with Konovalovas and Van Baarle following him home, before Kwiatkowski led in the group for fourth, rejigging the Friends Life General Classification dramatically.

Dylan van Baarle, Friends Life Yellow Jersey

Dylan van Baarle, Friends Life Yellow Jersey

Speaking afterwards on his dramatic rise into the Friends Life Yellow Jersey, Van Baarle said, “I possibly went under the radar a bit I was still I think 14th in GC but they don’t know my name for now, and hopefully they will remember me.

“I’m really tired. It was a pretty hard day, we went almost from start to finish full gas and when I crossed the line i was completely dead.

“I started to think we might do it when we had ten minutes in the break. Then some DS said there were only two Movistar guys riding and then we held the pace really high. Then Julien [Vermote] said he wasn’t going to ride anymore because OPQS are chasing. At that moment me and Konovalovas went full gas to the finish line.

“Before the start of this race I knew that I wanted to show my name a little bit, show myself maybe get a top ten or top fifteen but I didn’t expect to be wearing the yellow jersey. Now I’m thinking about the podium or maybe winning.

“I like the short prologue distances for time-trial. I’m not a Wiggins that needs 50km or whatever. I’m more a prologue specialist. I will do my best and we will see what happens tomorrow. I don’t know how the legs will feel tomorrow for the other guys and it will be hard tomorrow.”

Van Baarle’s nearest challenger is Kwiatkowski, with the Polish time trial champion 19 seconds in arrears

“As you see, it’s hard racing here at Tour of Britain! The peloton couldn’t control this breakaway. Luckily we had a strong Julien Vermote there. He really deserves this win. He pulled so much for us, for me every single day and today he took a beautiful victory. Congratulations to him. We’re really happy about it.

“Of course, I wanted to also take back the yellow jersey but Van Baarle was still in front. It’s hard to control everything in a race. We accelerated on the second-to-last climb and dropped Dowsett, but it was hard to close the gap on the group between Vermote and us. But OK, I’m only 19″ down. There is the time trial tomorrow which I said earlier in this race that it would be important, even if it’s short. Anything can happen. I have done well on short time trials like the one of tomorrow. So we will see. But today we are going to celebrate the big victory of Julien.”

Having received the congratulations of his Omega Pharma Quick-Step teammates, including Mark Cavendish, immediately after the line, 25-year-old Vermote admitted he hadn’t been expect the result.

Julien Vermote wins Stage Seven

Julien Vermote winning the stage

“I’m pretty surprised I had the energy for a breakaway win to be honest. Only one day this week I didn’t ride at the front of the peloton because five days out of the six I was pulling for either Kwiatkowski or Cav. I had given my all every time but every day I seem to have recovered well and I have felt very strong.

“Today we didn’t mention me getting in the break at the team meeting but at the beginning of the stage Kwia rode up to me and said maybe it would be a good idea for me to get in the break if I was able. He thought that perhaps I would then be in a position to help him in the final stages if the peloton caught the break.

“I got in the break and I immediately felt good and when out lead went to ten minutes I remembered from the previous day how hard it is to chase down a break like that. We rode very well as a group but at 140-kilometres I stopped contributing because still my main thought was Kwia for GC back in the peloton. Anyway when we rode through the second last climb it was clear we would stay away so I started to ride full gas again and then I really wanted to win. I know my place in the team with all the great riders we have, I love to help them, but also I like to ride to get one victory for the team as well

“My teammates were so happy for me after the finish and it shows that the work I do for all of them, and the team, includes big rewards for myself too.”

In addition to the stage win, Omega Pharma Quick-Step’s third of the week, Vermote also took the Stage Seven Rouleur Combativity Award.

Reacting to losing the Friends Life Yellow Jersey, Dowsett said afterwards; “I was disappointed. I thought I woke up feeling pretty fresh, but as soon as we hit those climbs, I knew I was suffering. I got as much food down my neck as I could, and looked after myself as best as I could. The team were amazing today, it’s difficult because we had three guys up there on GC. With the finish being as hard as it was, we knew we needed a back-up plan. We didn’t want to be using Giovanni [Visconti] or [Ion] Izaguirre to work. But the gap to the break went out so much, and the other teams said if you don’t put one more guy up there, we won’t help. Visco had to do a lot of work late on, he tried to help me save it.

“It’s been a good week. Hopefully I’ll have a good TT tomorrow. One minute is a lot to make up in 8km. I’ve worn yellow, and when I came into yesterday I didn’t expect that. It’s been a nice race, Friends Life have put a lot of effort into thiss, and Mick Bennett has produced one of the best Tour of Britain’s yet.”

Elsewhere An Post Chain Reaction rider Mark McNally sealed the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey, with a 21-point lead over double stage winner Matthias Brandle.  The Liverpudlian, who took the jersey in his home city on Stage One, still has to finish the London stages, but with no categorised SKODA King of the Mountains climbs, McNally is poised to keep the jersey for the entire week.

The destination of the YodelDirect Sprints Jersey, sponsored by parcel delivery company Yodel, will be decided in London, on lap five of the final circuit race, with just current wearer Sebastian Lander of BMC Racing and Dowsett in contention.  The Movistar Team rider is two points behind the Dane, with three points for the winner of the final YodelDirect Sprint.

The Friends Life Tour of Britain concludes in central London on Sunday, with a split stage including an 8.8 kilometre individual time trial before the traditional ten lap circuit race.
Great Britain’s Chris Lawless will get the time trial underway at 11:01, with riders heading off at one-minute intervals, including Steve Cummings at 11:52 and Mark Cavendish at 12:05, before the top ten riders go at two-minute intervals, led by Alex Dowsett at 12:39, with Friends Life Yellow Jersey Dylan Van Baarle last off at 12:57.

The full time trial start list is available here.

Highlights of Stage Seven are on ITV4 at 2000 on Saturday 13 September, with live coverage of Stage 8b and highlights of the Stage 8a individual time trial from 1500 on Sunday on ITV4. Full details of the television coverage of the Friends Life Tour of Britain, including British Eurosport’s live coverage, can be found here.

For full Stage Seven results, click here.

Kittel wins stage one of Friends Life Tour of Britain in Liverpool

KittelStageOneWinToB2014

Marcel Kittel claimed his fourth win in five races in the UK this year when he took flight under the Liver Birds down the Strand in Liverpool for victory in the opening stage of the Friends Life Tour of Britain.

The German outsprinted Nicola Ruffoni and Mark Cavendish in Liverpool, to win the stage and take the race lead and the first Friends Life Yellow Jersey of 2014.

The powerful Giant Shimano rider, making his debut in the race, has now tasted success in Belfast at the Giro d’Italia and took two of the three stages held in Britain during the Tour de France Depart as well as this latest win in Liverpool.

Kittel outsprinted Ruffoni and Cavendish, although it was Adam Blythe who had led the initial dash for the line, but the NFTO rider faded to finish well down the order.

Although finishing third, for Mark Cavendish it was another painful day on British roads in a season where ill fortune has increasingly dogged him.  Having already experienced a bizarre delay with a cleat problem on lap three of the 13.8km circuit, he then crashed three laps from the end after he and lead-out man Mark Renshaw were hurrying back to the peloton following a comfort break. Riding in the shadows on a blindingly sunny afternoon they went into the back of a team car and both fell to earth.

Both remounted and rode hard to regain contact with the peloton who slowed slightly to ease that process but Renshaw indicated he wouldn’t be able to help at the finish so Cavendish was alone at the death, narrowly beating Garmin Sharp’s Tyler Farrar for fourth.

Kittel meanwhile enjoyed a relatively drama free race although his team’s decision to hug the right hand barriers down the finishing straight was perhaps fortuitous thereby missing the disruption down the left caused by Ian Stannard’s spectacular crash, in the closing kilometre.

MarcelKittelToB2014“It was pretty messy but luckily we took the decision to stay right,” said Marcel Kittel following the stage.  “To start with I thought perhaps it was the wrong decision – we had  made it earlier in the race – because there were not too many gaps but then there was a crash on the left and that allowed us to move up to the front.

“Tom Veelers did a really good job keeping me out of the wind so I could save myself for the sprint and that made it possible. I don’t know how badly Mark [Cavendish] was hurt in the crash I didn’t see it but he still tried to sprint at the end.

“It is hard work with just six man teams. We saw that today When Mark crashed and the bunch stopped riding for a while – so we then had to work hard to get the breakaway back, luckily Sky helped us.”

Kittel clearly loves the British roads, while if you include his second Giro stage win in Dublin that is now five wins in six races in the UK and Ireland.

“I am really happy to see all the fans here and to get a warm welcome, it’s been pretty successful here for me.  Maintaining the form has been hard. The season is long, I started at the Tour Down Under in January and here I am at Tour of Britain nine months later. And I will be riding in the Team Time Trial at the World Championships and a couple of races after that.

“I have definitely had ups and down. It’s  really about keeping fresh and enjoying the time – sometimes I go mountain biking and just having some fun with the team and not to be too serious.”

The large Liverpool crowds also had some home success to cheer, with An Post Chain Reaction’s Mark McNally in the day’s break, collecting the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey.

MarkMcNallyToB2014“It was a nice day out – I probably had too many friends and relatives out there to count – my girlfriend, the whole gang. The plan was for one of us in the team in the team to go for the breakaway. That always has to be the aim on the first stage.  The first time I let the other guys in the break fight it out for the Sprints and it worked out quite nicely for me in the KOM. It’s local roads for me in Stage Two so I will be up for the breakaway again buts it’s a long week. We will see how it goes” 
 
McNally was joined in the break by fellow North West rider Richard Handley, of Rapha Condor JLT andNFTO Pro Cycling’s Jon Mould, plus Bardiani CSF’s Sonny Colbrelli who initiated the break, earning the day’s Rouleur Combativity Award, and the first YodelDirect Sprint Jersey of the week.

MarkCavendishToB2014Speaking afterwards to his Omega Pharma Quick-Step team, Mark Cavendish said; “I was coming back after and I was behind a car. Someone had to stop for a puncture so the car slammed on its brakes, and there was an island in the road. If I went right, I would hit a traffic island, so I went left and I whacked another car. I hit it with my left leg and I was down on the road. I felt immediately a lot of pain on my quadriceps. It took me a lap to come back even because our team car couldn’t assist me immediately because it was on the front. At that point I wasn’t planning to sprint either, it was painful. But after a couple of laps we decided to just try anyway, but sprint seated because I was in pain. I still got third, but it’s a shame because I really wanted to try and win in front of the British public. But accidents like this are a part of cycling and it’s just a matter of bad luck. I really hope that the luck turns in the next days…”

Stage Two sees the Friends Life Tour of Britain remain on Merseyside with Knowsley hosting the start of the second day of racing.  Riders will then tackle a 200-kilometre day through North
Wales, finishing on Llandudno seafront after a challenging finale, which includes a SKODA King of the Mountains climb on the Great Orme.

Highlights of Stage One are on ITV4 at 2100 on Sunday 7 September, with live coverage resuming from 1300 on Monday on ITV4, for Stage Two from Knowsley to Llandudno.  Full details of the television coverage of the Friends Life Tour of Britain, including British Eurosport’s live coverage, can be found here.

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