Mark Cavendish has won the Olympic Test event for road cycling on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace after an enthralling race livened up by the efforts from the British pro teams
Cavendish Passes Olympic Test Outside Buck Palace – Photo: Cheryl King http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckingimages/
Photos of the day: If you have any images you would like to share with the cycling community, send them to VeloUK! Click here …
Just added: Pics from Dave Carlsson: https://www.velouk.net/2011/08/15/photos-olympic-cycling-test-event-london/
Report:
In a hectic bunch sprint worthy of any race on the continent, Mark Cavendish shrugged off the pressure of being the favourite to hold off a strong challenge from Italian Sacha Modolo to win the Olympic test event in London.
Cavendish went into the race supported by the only ‘team’ of ten riders and on home soil and a course that suited him, the Manx Missile made no mistake on the Mall. The race had finished as many had expected it to but besides Cav’s victory, there were also plenty of positives for the British based riders who performed so well on the big stage.
Photo: Cheryl King.
The riders had an easy five kilometres to ease into the race which was racing a long between crowds of people down both sides of the wide roads chosen for the race and after a lot of early skirmishes at the front, four riders escaped and three of them belong to British pro teams.
Kristian House (Rapha Condor Sharp), Tom Murray (Sigma Sport Specialized), Liam Holohan (Raleigh) and a Brazilian, Cleberson Weber. These four rode full gas to make the break stick and then full gas some more to open the gap up to more than six minutes.
Photo: Antony Edmonds – The break climbing to keep their lead intact.
While Kristian House clinched KoM sprint after KoM to give him and his team a place on the podium later, back in the peloton, Team England helped control things while Cav stayed out of trouble at the front. The pace though was taking its toll on the leaders and first the Brazilian cracked. Tom ‘Minty’ Murray wasn’t far behind in finding his endurance wanting after a summer of crits.
While House and Holohan did their best to hold off the peloton in full cry, the gap was melting very quickly now and riders in the peloton started to test the Great Britain team. Heinrich Haussler and Luca Paolini were two that did and then with only five kilometres to go, Team GB’s Alex Dowsett had to chase down friend and trade teammate Kurt-Asle Arvesen. Nothing was going to escape. Cavendish lost one rival, Farrar when he punctured and then crashed and there was even more disruption to the peloton when there was a big crash a few k out which ended the chances of Ed Clancy among others.
Cavendish — he really is the fastest man in the world and today showed the British fans just how quick! Photo: Cheryl King — http://www.ckingimages.co.uk/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckingimages/
Cavendish though had a strong team still around him and despite the challenge he faced from Italy and France in the finish, Cav didn’t disappoint the crowd who had come to see him win and win he did.
Afterwards he told the BBC said “”I knew it was going to be tough from the start. When the break had gone, we started to make tempo and as Australia didn’t want to, we knew that they would try and go on the climb. The first time up, we controlled it on the climb and the second time, the attacks went but we had it under control.”
“It was a strong break, a strong group of guys, and we just rode, and the American team rode, and we closed it down and it panned out like a professional race.”
“It was incredible with the GB guys, Jez wanted to sprint, I wanted to sprint and it was pretty spectacular and like riding for my trade team. I said earlier today you were not going to get a realistic sense of how the Olympic road race will go because two laps is a lot different than nine laps.”
“We have an incredible group of guys here with GB, strongest group that great Britain has ever had, and it bodes well for the world road race this year and the Olympics next year and I’m super proud of the guys today, super proud.â€
READER PHOTOS
Our thanks to readers of VeloUK for the following images … if you have any you would liek to share, click here to send to VeloUK
Photos from Marc John at 500 metres to go …
More here http://www.flickr.com/photos/sumofmarc/sets/72157627443259786/
Ian Stannard pulls over, Roger Hammond takes the front with Jeremy Hunt next in line for Cavendish in the green helemet.
Below: More Photos from Antony Edmonds – Full set of image available at http://aephotos.co.uk/olympictestroadrace
Below: More Photos: Mike Brampton
John meanwhile on Box Hill and says “The crash on the first lap of Box Hill at Headley Heath was a rollingSky bottle and the following rider crashing into grass verge taking down number 8 the Polish rider who laid half accross the road causing a split. Tom Boonen was delayed with a shipped chain.
From Duncan Rimmer (below)
TV Cameras record the event but not for live coverage …
Weber of Brazil leads Tom Murray, Kristian House and Liam Holohan.
The bunch pass through Richmond park.
RESULT: (Preview here)
1. Mark Cavendish, Great Britain 3:18:11
2Â MODOLO Sacha ITA ” ”
3Â DUMOULIN Samuel FRA ” ”
4Â O’GRADY Stuart AUS ” ”
5Â GOLAS Michal POL ” ”
6Â BOZIC Borut SLO ” ”
7Â KRISTOFF Alexander NOR ” ”
8Â GOSS Matthew AUS ” ”
9Â BIBBY Ian GBR ” ”
10 TENNANT Andrew GBR ” ”
11 MATYSIAK Bartlomiej POL ” ”
12 CRAVEN Dan NAM ” ”
13 HUNT Jeremy GBR ” ”
14 KWIATKOWSKI Michal POL ” ”
15 KOCJAN Jure SLO 3:18:18 +7
16 HAMMOND Roger GBR 3:18:21 +10
17 STANNARD Ian GBR 3:18:26 +15
18 DOWNING Russell GBR 3:18:36 +25
19 CLARKE David GBR 3:18:53 +42
20 BIALOBLOCKI Marcin POL ” ”
21 KALZ Marcel GER ” ”
22 THILL Tom LUX ” ”
23 POMOSHNIKOV Sergey RUS ” ”
24 STANGELJ Gorazd SLO ” ”
25 BAKHIN Evgeniy RUS ” ”
26 WHITE Jason GBR ” ”
27 BENNETT Samuel IRL ” ”
28 OFFREDO Yoann FRA ” ”
29 LAST Tom GBR ” ”
30 McCANN David IRL ” ”
31 ARASHIRO Yukiya JPN ” ”
32 SCHLECHTER Pit LUX ” ”
33 KISERLOVSKI Robert CRO ” ”
34 GALLOPIN Tony FRA ” ”
35 ARVESEN Kurt Asle NOR ” ”
36 FLEEMAN Daniel GBR ” ”
37 MIHOLJEVIC Vladimir CRO ” ”
38 BANICEK Deni CRO ” ”
39 ULISSI Diego ITA ” ”
40 RICHARDSON Simon GBR ” ”
41 HOLOHAN Liam GBR ” ”
42 HIVERT Jonathan FRA ” ”
43 OLIPHANT Evan GBR ” ”
44 BERCZ Patrick GER ” ”
45 MOSS James GBR ” ”
46 KADRI Blel FRA ” ”
47 RODRIGUEZ SEGARRA Rafael ESP ” ”
48 PERRETT Joseph GBR ” ”
49 McEVOY Jonathan GBR ” ”
50 LE BELLEC Gael FRA ” ”
51 PATERSKI Maciej POL ” ”
52 MEIER Christian CAN ” ”
53 HAMPTON Russell GBR ” ”
54 KOREN Kristjan SLO ” ”
55 HANDLEY Richard GBR ” ”
56 DEAN Julian NZL ” ”
57 CLANCY Edward GBR ” ”
58 GATTO Oscar ITA ” ”
59 BODNAR Maciej POL ” ”
60 AVERY Clinton NZL ” ”
61 CUMMINGS Stephen GBR ” ”
62 NORDHAUG Lars Petter NOR ” ”
63 CAPECCHI Eros ITA ” ”
64 JUNGELS Bob LUX ” ”
65 PAOLINI Luca ITA ” ”
66 CUMING Michael GBR ” ”
67 MAGNER Ty USA ” ”
68 BOSWELL Ian USA ” ”
69 DAVID Tom NZL ” ”
70 HOWARD Leigh AUS 3:19:01 +50
71 HAUSSLER Heinrich AUS ” ”
72 LLOYD Daniel GBR ” ”
73 BOONEN Tom BEL 3:19:44 +1:33
74 DE WEERT Kevin BEL ” ”
75 BAKELANTS Jan BEL ” ”
76 VAN DE WALLE Jurgen BEL ” ”
77 BLAIN Alexandre FRA ” ”
78 MATTHEWS Michael AUS 3:19:54 +1:43
79 KENNAUGH Peter GBR ” ”
80 DOWSETT Alex GBR ” ”
81 MURRAY Tom GBR 3:20:13 +2:02
82 HOUSE Kristian GBR ” ”
83 FENN Andrew GBR 3:20:47 +2:36
84 VEILLEUX David CAN 3:21:21 +3:10
85 ROLLIN Dominique CAN ” ”
86 DOI Yukihiro JPN ” ”
87 FARRAR Tyler USA 3:21:34 +3:23
88 MANNION Gavin USA 3:23:35 +5:24
89 GRUBIC Luka CRO 3:24:16 +6:05
90 WIGHT Stuart CAN ” ”
91 SAMPSON James GBR ” ”
92 SIX Marcel GBR ” ”
93 KOHN Tom LUX ” ”
94 KOLTSOV Roman RUS ” ”
95 KNIGHT Ian GBR ” ”
96 JELLOUL Adil MAR ” ”
97 HAWKINS Peter IRL ” ”
98 GRIFFITHS Andrew GBR ” ”
99 PANIZO Gregorlry BRA ” ”
100 SUDEIKIN Viktor RUS ” ”
101 CHRISTIE Jason NZL ” ”
102 SCHNAIDT Fabian GER ” ”
103 LAHSAINI Mouhssine MAR ” ”
104 EECKHOUT Niko BEL ” ”
105 JOSEPH Stijn BEL ” ”
106 MEDEIROS Jose-Eriberto BRA ” ”
107 JONES Matthew GBR ” ”
108 HALES Jake GBR ” ”
109 MONTEIRO Gideoni BRA ” ”
110 MEISEN Marcel GER ” ”
111 WILKINSON Ian GBR ” ”
112 HEPWORTH Richard GBR ” ”
113 BAGDONAS Gediminas LTU ” ”
114 GAYWOOD Simon GBR ” ”
115 WILLIAMS Peter GBR ” ”
116 CARTLAND Richard GBR ” ”
117 PUTT Tanner USA ” ”
118 FROOME Christopher GBR ” ”
119 LAVERY Philip IRL ” ”
120 MIYAZAWA Takashi JPN 3:25:32 +7:21
121 FUKUSHIMA Shinichi JPN 3:28:57 +10:46
122 RIGGS Jamie CAN ” ”
123 CREBER Ross GBR ” ”
124 SCHANEN Tom LUX ” ”
125 BRIGGS Graham GBR ” ”
126 WEBER Cleberson BRA 3:30:23 +12:12
127 McNAMARA Christopher GBR 3:32:41 +14:30
128 IRVINE Martyn IRL 3:34:25 +16:14
129 ENGLISH Felix IRL ” ”
130 RHEINHARDT Theo GER ” ”
APPLEBY Dale GBR DNF
GALLAGHER Stephen IRL DNF
HATANAKA Yusuke JPN DNF
SAADOUNE Abdeiati MAR DNF
VELIKANOV Alexey RUS DNF
LAMPIER Steven GBR DNF
CHAOUFI Tarik MAR DNF
EL AMMOURY Mohamed Said MAR DNF
OLMHEIM Ole Martin NOR DNS
The VeloUK Twitter updates …
