2013 Cycling Thread

[Smallville22]

Wiggins to skip Tour of Spain after toiling in Polish opener

Bradley Wiggins said he will not compete at the Vuelta a Espana after struggling on his return to racing at the Tour of Poland.
Britain’s 2012 Tour de France and Olympic time trial champion missed this season’s Tour through injury, having withdrawn from the Giro d’Italia with a chest infection.
And after being dropped on one of the climbs to finish nine minutes and 13 seconds back in Saturday’s first stage of the Tour of Poland, the 33-year-old said he would not contest the Spanish Grand Tour as he works his way back to fitness.
"I won't do the Vuelta, that's for sure," Wiggins said. "The World Championships is what I'm aiming for.
"It's just small steps at the moment. I'm just focused on the present, not thinking about next year."
British cycling showed it was still in rude health as Wiggins's team-mate Chris Froome dominated to win this summer's Tour, but Sky will want their star man back near his peak in time for next season's big races.
Wiggins, however, recently admitted he may lack the motivation to contest another gruelling Tour de France having won it once and earned a knighthood.
After his comeback, he admitted he did not watch Le Tour, saying it was "too painful".
Diego Ulissi won the first stage of the Tour of Poland, which was held in his native Italy.
The Lampre-Merida rider sprinted to his second stage victory of the season, having won stage two in topping the General Classification at the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali.
The 24-year-old led the charge as 18 riders swept up Orica-GreenEdge’s Peter Weening, who himself had reeled in a two-man breakaway of Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Bartosz Huzarski (Team NetApp).
The UCI has deemed this year’s tour – which is televised on Eurosport – an experimental race, with six-man teams and up to 30-second bonuses for breakaway riders in order to encourage aggressive riding.

 

[Smallville22]

Riblon attacks up mountain to win Tour of Poland stage two

Christophe Riblon produced a scintillating ****** on the climb to the finish to win the second stage of the Tour of Poland in the Italian Dolomites.
French Ag2r-La Mondiale rider Riblon provoked memories of his win on the Alpe d'Huez during the recent Tour de France as he escaped from a breakaway eight kilometres from the summit finish 2,239m above sea level to win by a minute and two seconds.
“I was really motivated to take part in this Tour of Poland,” said Riblon. “I wanted to take advantage of my present good shape and also win some World Tour points which are very important for the team.
“It is a reward after a week with many sacrifices because it is never easy to compete immediately after the Tour.
“I’m third overall and there’s still a great week of racing ahead. The next stages are difficult but considering my good shape, I’m pretty confident.”
Thomas Rohregger (RadioShack-Leopard) was second, just a few metres ahead of Georg Preidler (Argos-Shimano), on the 206.5km stage from Marilleva Val di Sole to the Passo Pordoi Val di Fassa.
Lampre-Merida rider Diego Ulissi’s yellow jersey from the opening stage was taken by Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) after the Pole battled to finish fifth behind Team Sky’s Sergio Henao, who is now second on GC with Riblon third.
Team Sky's British star Bradley Wiggins was 53rd on the day, 15:40 off the lead and over 23 minutes off the yellow jersey in 49th overall.
Wiggins, who is returning from illness and injury, said he would not compete at the Vuelta a Espana this season.
Monday is a rest day, with the teams and riders completing a transfer from the Dolomites to Krakow as the race moves into Poland, then Tuesday will see a hilly 226km stage to Rzeszow.
The seven-stage race ends on Saturday back in Krakow.

 

[Smallville22]

Sprint legend Zabel admits to seven-year doping programme

Former sprint cyclist Erik Zabel has admitted to years of doping, including EPO, cortisone and ***** doping, days after he was named in a French Senate inquiry as a ***** offender.
Until Sunday, Zabel, who was among the finest sprinters in his sport, had previously admitted to only a brief experimental week with the ***** booster EPO in 1996.
But in an interview of Monday's edition of Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the German, who topped the points classification of the Tour six times until his retirement in 2008, said he had used ****** ***** and ******* methods from 1996 until 2003.
"It was doping for much longer, for many years. I never had a structured doping plan, never had any experts around me and I never saw myself as a super doper," Zabel told the newspaper.
"When you take everything together - EPO, cortisone (a steroid hormone) and even ***** doping, then it's quite a lot," he said.
Zabel was named in the French report along with several other riders including the top two in the 1998 Tour de France - Italian Marco Pantani, who died of a **** overdose in 2004, and German Jan Ullrich.
Ullrich himself ended years of vehement denials in June, admitting he underwent ***** doping procedures.
"As a young rider I did not really think about what big a step this was. But it is clear that I knew very well, this is not allowed and no one ****** me to take EPO. It was my decision," Zabel, who *** Rick is also a professional rider, said.
"I wanted to keep my life, my ***** life as a professional. I loved that, this sport, the trips. This selfishness was just stronger."
Cycling's credibility has been pummelled by high-profile doping confessions with Lance Armstrong, the popular face of professional cycling who beat cancer to win the Tour seven times, having his titles stripped after a sophisticated doping program was uncovered in October by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
He later admitted having taken performance-enhancing *****.

 

[Smallville22]

Zabel resigns from advisory group after doping confession

Former sprinter Erik Zabel, who admitted on Sunday to years of doping, has resigned from the Professional Cycling Council, an advisory body to the UCI.
The German said he was "no longer the right person" to be a part of the CCP after coming clean about his past in an interview in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
He admitted using ****** ***** and ******* methods, including EPO, cortisone and ***** doping, from 1996 until 2003.
The UCI said in a statement that Zabel had contacted the body's president on Monday to offer his resignation and to express his "deep regret for having lied for so long about taking performance enhancing substances".
Zabel was among the finest sprinters in his sport and topped the points classification of the Tour de France six times until his retirement in 2008.
He was recently named in a French Senate inquiry as a ***** offender.
Zabel featured in the French report along with several other riders including the top two in the 1998 Tour de France - Italian Marco Pantani, who died of a **** overdose in 2004, and German Jan Ullrich.

 

[Smallville22]

Team Katusha suspends Zabel after doping admission

Former sprint specialist Erik Zabel has been suspended by Russian team Katusha after he admitted to persistent doping during his cycling career.
Zabel, widely regarded as one of the sport's finest sprinters, said he had consistently used ****** substances and methods to enhance his performance, ending years of insisting he had only briefly experimented with the ***** booster EPO in 1996.
"Russian team Katusha announces the suspension of the sprinter group coach Erik Zabel after new facts about doping during his cycling career having been revealed in news reports," it said in a statement.
The 43-year-old Zabel, whose *** is also a professional rider, was a coach on the Katusha team specialising in sprint training.
In an interview published in Monday's edition of Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the German, who topped the points classification of the Tour six times before his retirement in 2008, said he had used ****** ***** and ******* methods, including EPO, cortisone and ***** doping, from 1996 until 2003.
"These revelations refer to Zabel's career as an active racer from 1996 to 2003 and do not have any connection with team Katusha, whatsoever," it said.
"Katusha Team management has decided to suspend Erik Zabel, who joined the team in 2012. As a member of Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Credible (MPCC), Katusha follows a strong anti-doping policy."
Zabel was named in a French Senate report last week as a doping offender, along with several other riders, including the top two in the 1998 Tour de France - Italian Marco Pantani, who died of a **** overdoes in 2004, and German Jan Ullrich.
Ullrich himself ended years of vehement denials in June, admitting he underwent ***** doping procedures.
Zabel has also resigned his post on the Professional Cycling Council (CCP), an advisory body to the international federation UCI, and he has lost his job as sporting director at two German races.
Cycling's credibility has been pummelled by high-profile doping confessions.
American Lance Armstrong, the popular face of professional cycling who beat cancer to win the Tour seven times, had his titles stripped last year after a sophisticated doping program was uncovered by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
He later admitted having taken performance-enhancing *****.

 

[Smallville22]

Hushovd pips Aussie pair in Poland

Thor Hushovd was quickest as stage three of the Tour of Poland came down to a sprint finish.
The Norwegian champion, of BMC Racing Team, pipped Steele von Hoff of Garmin-Sharp by half a length on the line after an excellent lead-out by Taylor Phinney.
Mark Renshaw of Belkin was third in Rzeszow as the stage race came to Poland after two days in Italy.
Poland’s Saxo-Tinkoff rider Rafal Majka retains his lead of the General Classification.
After a steady start out of Krakow, a four-man escape of Alexsandr Dyachenko (Astana), Ricardo Mestre (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Mirko Selvaggi (Vacansoleil) and Bartlomiej Matysiak (CCC) sought to pick up the additional seconds available for breakaway riders in this experimental race, where the rules have been modified to reward aggressive riding.
But they were closed down on the final three-lap circuit into Rzeszow, with just 6km of 226km remaining.
In the later stages of the technical circuit the teams jostled for position, with pinch point of 5m at 1500m remaining meaning the power-riders came to the fore.
Hushovd proved the strongest after a great lead-out by Phinney, nicking victory ahead of Australian pair Renshaw and Von Hoff.
Stage four is another sprinters’ day from Tarnow to Katowice.

 

[Smallville22]

Vacansoleil name Vuelta squad

Vacansoleil-DCM have announced their preliminary squad for the Vuelta a Espana, which starts next month.
The World Tour team have included six Dutch and three Belgian riders in their selection, with Barry Markus and Wesley Kreder in line to make their Grand Tour debuts.
"The group of riders is very motivated and all riders have a strong motivation to start the race," sporting director Aart Vierhouten said.
"With, for example, Thomas De Gendt still wanting to show something in 2013, Wout Poels looking forward to follow-up on his Tour de France and Juan Antonio Flecha eager to race to his hometown.
"For the team it is great to have Tomasz Marczynski (who finished 13th in last year's race) back after a lot of injury; I believe we are ready for a great race.”
The Vuelta begins Pamplona on August 18 and runs for three weeks before finishing in Madrid.

Squad: Johnny Hoogerland, Wesley Kreder, Barry Markus, Wouter Mol, Wout Poels, Lieuwe Westra (all Netherlands), Thomas De Gendt, Willem Wauters, Frederik Veuchelen (all Belgium), Juan Antonio Flecha, Rafael Valls (both Spain), Grega Bole (Slovenia) and Sergey Lagutin (Uzbekistan)

 

[Smallville22]

Trott proposes women's day at the Tour de France

British cycling star Laura Trott thinks a full-blown women’s Tour de France could be too much too soon, but that a one-off day-race during the men's Tour would be a great way to start.
Recent weeks have seen plenty of discussion about bringing back the women’s Tour, which was last raced in 2009.
Multiple Olympic champion Trott had previously gone on record saying it would be a good idea, but that it should be shorter than the men’s edition, with work needed to promote and televise existing races.
More specifically, Trott is concerned about the impact on the women’s Giro d’Italia, which takes place at around the same time as the men’s Tour.
“The first thing is to shorten the stages, but more importantly not to run it at the same time as the men’s tour,” the 21-year-old told Eurosport-Yahoo!.
“We would lose other events like the women’s Giro, which runs at the same time. The Giro is a huge event for women’s cycling and it would show a lack of respect to run the Tour at the same time.
“It would have to be after the men’s tour due to the way the calendar is, and I’d have it shorter – 5-7 days perhaps.”
But this is a longer-term proposal from Trott, who thinks an initial solution could be to use the existing popularity – and television profile – of the men’s Tour to promote women’s cycling.
“The men’s tour wasn’t massive straight away, it took a while to settle in. It was never huge to start with and got to the size it is over a number of years.
“So a shorter women’s Tour – or maybe even a single stage – would be a way to raise awareness. The events we have at the minute aren’t televised, which is why the interest is low. We need to get it on telly a bit more.
“Women’s track cycling is huge, but there must be a reason why road cycling isn’t, and the only reason is the lack of TV coverage. With TV comes sponsors, and that’s what we’re lacking – sponsors.
“So why not do something alongside the men’s Tour to promote women’s cycling? There’s enough space in the calendar to have one day at the Tour without disrespecting the Giro.
“Maybe the women could compete the Paris stage or – even though it’s massive task – Alpe d’Huez, while the men’s Tour is being broadcast.”
Given her huge success at the London Olympic Games last year, it can be hard to believe that Trott is only 21. As such, she was competing at the European U23 Championships last week, where she predictably was in dominant form.
“I won three golds out of four events, then had a week off, having not had one since the Worlds, so I could put my feet up and concentrate for the World Cup.
“Next we have a Team Pursuit camp so it’s the first time we’re doing 4k as opposed to 3k, which will be interesting.”
Outside of training and competition, Trott has noticed a huge change in the way she is perceived since London 2012, saying she finds the attention “difficult” at times.
“I’m an idol now and I wasn’t before. It’s getting used to that which is difficult – people look up to me, and I find that weird at 21.
“People do treat me differently, although less so than straight after the Games. My lifestyle is a lot more busy now, doing a lot more involvement in campaigns.”
Campaigns such as First Choice’s ‘balanceability’ bikes, which aims to help time-starved parents teach their ******** to ride bikes while on holiday.
“Something like 40% of **** aged two-and-a-half to six can’t ride a bike because their parents don’t have time to teach them,” Trott said.
“So First Choice is taking it to Majorca when everyone’s on holiday, so parents do have time – and the weather’s great too.”

 

[Smallville22]

Phinney wins Poland stage four with breakaway

Taylor Phinney soloed to a superb victory on the fourth stage of the Tour of Poland.
The BMC rider broke away with 7km remaining of the 232km stage from Tarnow to Katowice, and held on to claim the second victory in as many days for his team.
The American 23-year-old led by 15 seconds at one point as he effectively raced a time trial over the final kilometres. The peloton got close enough to be credited with the same time as the winner, but Phinney held on for the win.
Garmin-Sharp's Steele Von Hoff won the bunch sprint to claim second place while Yauheni Hutarovich (AG2R La Mondiale) came third.
Von Hoff's second place leaves him top of the points standings with three stages left, while home favourite Rafal Majka of Saxo-Tinkoff still leads the general classification by four seconds from Sky's Sergio Henao.

 

[Smallville22]

British Eurosport to screen Tour of Britain

British Eurosport will show every stage of the Tour of Britain live following an agreement with Sweet Spot Group and MP & Silva.
The race covers just over 1,000 kilometres over eight days and starts on Sunday 15th September with the stage from Peebles to Drumlanrig Castle. In a deal brokered by the international media company MP & Silva, British Eurosport will be the only UK broadcaster to cover all eight stages live, culminating in the iconic finish on Whitehall in the heart of London on Sunday 22nd September.
The race was won last year by British rider Jonathan Tiernan-Locke for Endura Racing, a win that helped him clinch a move to Team Sky.
This year the race is part of Sir Bradley Wiggins’ plans to return from injury and illness that saw him withdraw prematurely from the Giro d’Italia and precluded his participation in the Tour de France.
On 25th June Wiggins told www.teamsky.com, “My main focus for the rest of this year is the World Time Trial Championships at the end of September. I’ll be riding the Tour of Britain before that as preparation, and I’m really pleased about that. The Tour of Britain is getting bigger every year and the crowds that come there make it a lovely race to compete in. We had looked at the possibility of riding the Vuelta a España instead, but the Tour of Britain was too much of a call for me. I love riding that race and I’d like to do well in it.”
British Eurosport Managing Director David Kerr said, “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to show every stage of the Tour of Britain live. The event continues to grow in stature every year and Sir Bradley Wiggins’ stated intention to ride in the race this year will only add to that.
“The Tour of Britain is one of over 30 cycling events we will show live this year, including 24 of the 28 UCI World Tour races and all three Grand Tours and it confirms our position as the Home of Cycling”
Alongside coverage of every stage live in the UK, Eurosport will also be the exclusive broadcaster* of the Tour of Britain on an international basis. The race will be exclusive in approximately 120m homes across 53 countries in Europe and also broadcast by Eurosport Asia-Pacific to 19 countries.
Andrea Radrizzani, Group CEO, MP & Silva, said: “We are very pleased to have reached an agreement between Sweet Spot Group and Eurosport to broadcast the 2013 Tour of Britain in a total of 72 countries in Europe and Asia. Cycling is a growing sport in those regions with an increasing number of fans worldwide.”
British Eurosport will also show the inaugural Ride London Classic event, a UCI European Tour race on the streets of London and Surrey, including the famous climb of Box Hill and finishing on The Mall. The Ride London Classic takes place on Sunday 4th August.

 

[Smallville22]

Renshaw back with Cav at Omega Pharma, Uran also signs

Omega Pharma-Quick Step have also recruited Australian leadout man Mark Renshaw in order to reunite him with his former team mate and sprinter Mark Cavendish.
The pair forged a formidable partnership when they raced together for three years at HTC-Highroad between 2009 and 2011 before going their separate ways when the team disbanded.
Olympic silver medallist Rigoberto Uran has left Team Sky to join Omega Pharma-Quick Step, the Belgian team have also announced.
The 26-year-old Colombian, who finished second in the road race at last year's London Games, was also runner-up in this year's Giro D'Italia after taking over the team leader's role from Bradley Wiggins.
"Rigoberto's arrival reinforces our team as far as the major tours are concerned," team manager Patrick Lefevere said in a statement. "Uran is a top rider and his talent on climbs goes without saying."

 

[Smallville22]

Hushovd wins another stage in Poland, Izaguirre Insausti in yellow

Thor Hushovd sprinted to stage five of the Tour of Poland to make it three wins from three stages for BMC.
Hushovd won stage three while team-mate Taylor Phinney took stage four – and the Norwegian did the business again on Thursday on the 160.5-kilometre run from Nowy Targ to Zakopane.
The 2010 world champion led home Frenchman Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ) and Italian Daniele Ratto (Cannondale).
Spanish Euskaltel rider Jon Izaguirre Insausti finished 13th in the front bunch and took a one-second lead on GC, with Saxo-Tinkoff’s Rafal Majka and Sky’s Sergio Henao dropping one place to second and third respectively.
A nine-man break dissolved within 10km of the final climb then there was a secondary break with 12km to go which failed as the riders failed to work together.
That teed up the bunch sprint – and Hushovd was fastest on the uphill ramp finish, attacking one kilometre from the line.

 

[Smallville22]

Aggrieved Atapuma climbs to Poland stage six

Darwin Atapuma gained revenge and victory on stage six of the Tour of Poland to hand his Colombia team their first win of 2013.
The Colombian’s squad complained that he was bullied out of Thursday’s break and he responded in style, winning the 192km stage from Bukovina Terma Hotel Spa to Bukowina Tatrzanska.
A breakaway stayed out for most of a stage featuring 10 Cat.1 climbs before being reeled in. Atapuma then launched an ****** on the last of the hills, with Christophe Riblon (AG2R La Mondiale) joining him.
Riblon won the double ascent up the Alpe d’Huez on the Tour de France this year as well as triumphing with a scintillating ****** to claim stage two of the current race up the Passo Pordoi in the Italian Dolomites.
His effort in finishing second on Friday, two seconds behind Atapuma, earns the Frenchman the yellow jersey with a 19-second lead over Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Euskaltel-Euskadi), who lost his one-second advantage by coming home seventh on the stage in the main group.
Saxo-Tinkoff's Rafal Majka is another second back on GC in third after recovering from a ***** crash late in the stage.
Saturday’s individual time trial will decide the winner of the 70th running of the Tour of Poland, with time-trial specialists Bradley Wiggins and Fabian Cancellara favourites on a lumpy 37km route.

 

[Smallville22]

Wiggins wins final Poland stage as Weening snatches GC triumph

Bradley Wiggins powered to time trial success on the final stage of the Tour de Pologne as Pieter Weening snatched the overall win from Christophe Riblon.
2012 Tour de France champion Wiggins was on amazing form to beat the world’s finest time trailers by a significant margin on the seventh and concluding stage from Wieliczka to Krakow.
The Sky rider had 56 seconds on Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack) over the 37km trial, with American Taylor Phinney (BMC) impressing with a third-best time a minute and 14 seconds behind ‘Wiggo’.
The Polish event was Wiggins' first competitive action since May.
But the day belonged to Weening, as the Dutch Orica-Greenedge man’s time trial performance saw him rise up from fifth in the General Classification and take the win on final day from AG2R’s Frenchman Riblon.
“It’s been a long, hard week,” added Weening. “This is a big win for me.
"Winning at a WorldTour race is always a really important result. I’m satisfied with what we achieved here.”
Weening previewed the time trial course ahead the stage start. He liked the look of the stage seven from the car window.
“We did a recon this morning in the car instead of on the bike because I have already done enough kilometres this week,” Weening explained.
“I saw from the beginning that it was a time trial that would be really good for me.
"It was always up and down, and I had to push a big gear all the time. That’s perfect for my capabilities.”

 

[Smallville22]

Trott leaves it late to claim RideLondon victory

Laura Trott secured a thrilling victory by a matter of inches from Hannah Barnes to claim the inaugural Prudential RideLondon Women's Grand Prix title.
The double Olympic champion and Wiggle Honda rider and her MG-Maxifuel rival were neck and neck as they raced towards the finish line in front of packed crowds on The Mall.
But Trott dug deepest and raised both arms aloft as she added another crown to her growing catalogue of wins.
In a race reduced to 45 minutes after an injury to a junior rider earlier in the afternoon, the 21-year-old from Harlow was among the early leaders in a world class international field.
Barnes, winner of the recent IG London Nocture, was never far from the front, however, with the pair jockeying for position on the 1.3-mile loop around St James's Park.
City of Edinburgh's Katie Archibald set the pace as the field moved through a dozen laps claiming the first intermediate sprint victory.
The pace slowed at halfway as a Wiggle Honda outfit containing Olympic champions Dani King and Jo Rowsell took turns to control events at the front of the field.
But the speed ratcheted up again as the lap counter ran down with Helen Wyman of the Kona/FSA Factory Team claiming the final intermediate sprint.
With two laps to go a breakaway trio were pulled in and Rowsell hit the front only to suffer a suspected broken collarbone as the leading riders gathered for a final push.
That set up a grandstand finish between Trott and Barnes with the Olympic omnium and team pursuit champion showing her class to open up the smallest of gaps as they crossed the line, with Australian Loren Rowney of the Specialized-lululemon team grabbing third.
“The whole event has been amazing, I’m so glad they’ve pulled it off and everyone has had a great time but I hope this does become an annual event so that it carries on the legacy of 2012," said a delighted Trott after the race.
“I did feel the pressure coming in, more for myself as I wanted to win so badly but I really enjoyed it, it was a good race.
“Cycling is getting bigger and bigger and I feel that we are becoming a cycling nation. It’s just great that we can get young riders involved.
“The crowd was amazing, and the course suited me perfectly, left hand turns which I absolutely love, and a massive long finishing straight."
Towcester racer Barnes remained upbeat after the race, praising the crowds who flocked to support the 90-plus riders contesting the ride.
"It was amazing to race, especially to straight in front of Buckingham Palace where the Olympics were," said the 20-year-old. "The crowds were unbelievable the whole way around, it’s a great event.
"It was a close race and finish but to come second to Laura Trott is like a win to me. I’m really chuffed.
"It’s great to have a race like that in Britain. I never thought I would see it. Having people shout my name even though there was an Olympic champion in the field was great. It kept me going."

 

[Smallville22]

Cavendish wins Danish finale

Mark Cavendish won the final stage of the Tour of Denmark, sprinting to victory in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen.
The Briton (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) claimed his first stage win of the week-long event, beating Bryan Coquard (Europcar) and Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp).
Dutchman Wilco Kelderman (Belkin) claimed overall victory courtesy of a strong time trial performance on Friday. Cavendish came seventh on GC.
Cavendish repeated his Frederiksberg triumph of last year when he prevailed in a bunch sprint following a circuitous 165km stage from Roskilde, west of the Danish capital.
He said: "I had problems early in the sprint, where I lost a couple of positions, but I came back. It's always great to win in Frederiksberg, there's great crowd support."

 

[Smallville22]

Frenchman Demare wins RideLondon Classic

Arnaud Demare restored some French cycling pride, winning the RideLondon-Surrey Classic in a bunch sprint on The Mall.
While the achievement was not on the scale of Britons Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome winning the Tour de France, Demare's victory gave the traditional home of cycling something to cheer in London.
Demare came in ahead of Italian Sacha Modolo and fellow Frenchman Yannick Martinez.
Tour de France green jersey winner Peter Sagan dropped out, pre-race favourite Gerald Ciolek finished outside the top ten and Team Sky's Ben Swift was the first British rider home in 10th place.
Ramon Sinkeldam made the most of his position in a long-time breakaway to win both the King of the Mountains prize and the sprint title.
“One year after the Olympic Games this is a victory that’s a symbol of something for me,” said Demare, who dedicated to his win to long-time coach Hervé Boussard, who died in June.
“It’s even more important because I lost my trainer, who died a month ago, so it’s very emotional for me.
“The course was harder than last year at the Olympics but I was feeling great on the way back to London. I was at the centre of the group and I told my two teammates to open the field – I had the legs, I just needed one opportunity.
“In the final stages I thought a lot about my trainer who had been with me since I was a junior, and that carried me to the line.”
But the real stars of the day were the 20,000 amateur riders, who competed over a 100 mile course staged on many of the same roads as last year's Olympic road race.
Two Olympic champions were also winners - rower James Cracknell and athlete Sally Gunnell the first male and female ********* riders home, finishing less than five hours after they started at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
“It was just unbelievable out there,” said Gunnell, the 1992 Olympic 400m hurdles champion. “That’s what the Olympic legacy is all about.
"It is so well organised and there’s a fantastic atmosphere with all the supporters on the side of the road, and then with all the riders talking to each other and helping each other out.
“It’s just going to grow and grow and that is what we needed to do to keep that legacy growing. To put something on like this just shows how attitudes have changed, we have a real winning attitude in the country now. There are so many positives to come from it.”

 

[Smallville22]

Demare delight at Classic triumph

Arnaud Demare was delighted to take victory from Italian Sacha Modolo at the inaugural Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic.
It was not only a shock victory for Demare, who did not figure among the pre-race predictions, but an emotional one too for the FDJ.fr rider lost his long-time coach, Hervé Boussard, who died after an epileptic fit at the age of 47 at the end of June.
Demare was outsprinted in the Olympic road race 12 months ago, finishing 30th on The Mall, but this time he was a clear winner. He threw both arms above his head as he crossed the line and pointed his fingers at the sky.
“One year after the Olympic Games this is a victory that’s a symbol of something for me,” said the 21-year-old. “It’s even more important because I lost my trainer, who died a month ago, so it’s very emotional for me.
“The course was harder than last year at the Olympics but I was feeling great on the way back to London. I was at the centre of the group and I told my two team-mates to open the field – I had the legs, I just needed one opportunity.
“In the final stages I thought a lot about my trainer who had been with me since I was a junior, and that carried me to the line.”
Demare was joined on the podium by his countryman Yannick Martinez, from La Pomme Marseille, who followed Modolo, a Bardiani Valvole rider, across the line in third place.

 

[Smallville22]

Olympic bronze medallist struck down by pneumonia

Alexander Kristoff, the bronze medallist in the London 2012 Olympic road race, has pulled out of the Arctic Race of Norway with pneumonia.
The Katusha sprinter received an x-ray on Tuesday which confirmed he had bacterial pneumonia in his right lung.
“We all wish Alex a quick recovery and are hoping to welcome him back to racing very soon,” said Katusha’s sports director Valerio Piva.
Kirstoff will now have more tests to determine the exact nature of the bacteria.
The Norwegian fended off a host of riders to take third in London last year, finishing eight seconds behind Kazakhstan’s Alexander Vinokourov and Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran.

 

[Smallville22]

Meier signs new deal with GreenEDGE

Dependable domestique Christian Meier has extended his contract with Orica GreenEDGE by a further two years.
The Canadian has been an integral part some of the Australian team's recent successes and his efforts have now been rewarded with the new deal.
“Every team needs someone like Christian,” said GreenEDGE sporting director Matt White. “In the make-up of the team you have your winners, your developing riders and then guys like Christian who can support either group.
"We can put Christian in any race on the calendar between January and October, and we know exactly what we'll get from him. He's one of the first guys we slot into any roster because he's very stable and very consistent. His work is hugely appreciated from the start of the race until its end.”
Despite his role as a domestique, Meier won both points classifications at Volta a Catalunya last season and has come second in the Canadian National Time Trial Championships four times. He has also won the Canadian National Road Championships in 2008 and he hopes his new deal at GreenEDGE will lead to bigger and better things for him.
“I want to continue to grow as a rider,” said Meier. “On a personal level, the longer I am with the team and doing my job well, the more the team leaders will learn to trust that when I do my job, they can do their job better.
“When I was younger, I never really aspired to be a huge champion myself. Sure, I wanted to win some races but I never thought I’d win the biggest races in the world. Working with guys like Gerro (Simon Gerrans) or Gossy (Matt Goss), who can achieve those big victories with my help, makes me feel like I have achieved something myself.”