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Domestic rivals seek to dilute Team Sky challenge in road race battle Domestic rivals seek to dilute Team Sky challenge in road race battle
(about 1 hour later)
As cycling in Britain moves increasingly into the mainstream, the growth of the National Road Race Championship is one bellwether of its progress. On Sunday, the 160-strong field will line up in Abergavenny for the traditional battle between the full-time European-based professionals – 17 of them led by David Millar and Geraint Thomas – and the domestic racers, but with the event televised live on ITV4 and Eurosport. As cycling in Britain moves increasingly into the mainstream, the growth of the National Road Race Championship is one bellwether of its progress. On Sunday, a 160-strong field will line up in Abergavenny for the traditional battle between the full-time professionals based on the continent – 17 of them, led by David Millar and Geraint Thomas – and the domestic racers, but with the event televised live on ITV4 and Eurosport.
Since 2010 and Team Sky’s formation, the event has been dominated by Sir Dave Brailsford’s squad, with the last victory for a home-based professional going to Kristian House of Rapha-Condor-JLT, coincidentally on a similar course at Abergavenny, back in the days when Bradley Wiggins had yet to give any sign he might win the Tour de France and Mark Cavendish had won only four stages of the Tour de France.Since 2010 and Team Sky’s formation, the event has been dominated by Sir Dave Brailsford’s squad, with the last victory for a home-based professional going to Kristian House of Rapha-Condor-JLT, coincidentally on a similar course at Abergavenny, back in the days when Bradley Wiggins had yet to give any sign he might win the Tour de France and Mark Cavendish had won only four stages of the Tour de France.
“It’s changed since then,” said John Herety, manager of the top home-based squad Rapha-Condor-JLT and a former national professional champion himself. “It’s been total domination by the ProTour riders. When you race at that level, even if it’s just for a year, you can race one tooth bigger than everyone else” – in other words, spin a higher gear and go faster. “You can train all you want and ride well as Kristian House has most years but it’s hard to contest the win; instead you’re trying to be the best home-based rider.” “It’s changed since then,” says John Herety, manager of the top home-based squad Rapha-Condor-JLT and a former national professional champion himself. “It’s been total domination by the ProTour riders. When you race at that level, even if it’s just for a year, you can race one tooth bigger than everyone else” – in other words, spin a higher gear and go faster. “You can train all you want and ride well as Kristian House has most years but it’s hard to contest the win; instead you’re trying to be the best home-based rider.”
The objective for the riders from the ProTour teams – primarily Team Sky because they are numerically so strong at the British title – is to burn off the home hopefuls from the off, says Herety. “Their goal is to make it hard from the start and get rid of the domestic riders. For us it’s all about surviving the first 20 to 40 minutes. I’ve had a rider puncture on the start line and never get back to the bunch because it’s been so fast.”The objective for the riders from the ProTour teams – primarily Team Sky because they are numerically so strong at the British title – is to burn off the home hopefuls from the off, says Herety. “Their goal is to make it hard from the start and get rid of the domestic riders. For us it’s all about surviving the first 20 to 40 minutes. I’ve had a rider puncture on the start line and never get back to the bunch because it’s been so fast.”
There may, he believes, be a subtle difference this year due to the presence of the Yates twins, Simon and Adam, who have turned professional for the Australian team Orica-GreenEdge, and riders from NetApp-Endura and An Post-Sean Kelly, who should dilute the Sky challenge: “The level is coming up slowly in the UK, the gap is diminishing slightly. Teams like us – Rapha-Condor-JLT and other British outfits like Madison and Raleigh – have done a lot of international racing and are better than in the past.”There may, he believes, be a subtle difference this year due to the presence of the Yates twins, Simon and Adam, who have turned professional for the Australian team Orica-GreenEdge, and riders from NetApp-Endura and An Post-Sean Kelly, who should dilute the Sky challenge: “The level is coming up slowly in the UK, the gap is diminishing slightly. Teams like us – Rapha-Condor-JLT and other British outfits like Madison and Raleigh – have done a lot of international racing and are better than in the past.”
Millar, champion in Abergavenny in 2007, could also be a factor, while the event is given added spice with a race within the race for the under-23 title, contested this year by 60 of the field. The defending champion Mark Cavendish misses out on the 180km event to focus on the Tour, while Bradley Wiggins is bound for the track, making near-local Geraint Thomas the clear favourite. Millar, champion in Abergavenny in 2007, could also be a factor, while the event is given added spice with a race within the race for the under-23 title, contested this year by 60 of the field.
The elite men race in the afternoon, with the elite women opening proceedings in the morning; defending women’s champion Lizzie Armitstead opted to miss Thursday’s time trial title to complete her preparation for Sunday, and will have a good chance of taking her third senior road race title. Another to watch will be Thursday’s time trial champion Emma Pooley, who took three medals in the road title between 2008 and 2010, but has been out of the reckoning since then. US-based Hannah Barnes is another possible medallist while track specialists such as Laura Trott and Katie Archibald have shown they are well able to make the transition to the road. Cavendish, the defending champion, misses out on the 180km event to focus on the Tour, while Wiggins is bound for the track, making the near-local Geraint Thomas the clear favourite.
Meanwhile, there was no place for Wiggins in Sky’s nine-man team for the Tour de France, announced on Friday. Together with Thomas, Sky field the same six riders who lined up at the Dauphiné Libéré: Spaniards Mikel Nieve, Xavier Zandio and David López, Belarusian Vasili Kiriyenka, Australian Richie Porte, Danny Pate of the US, plus Bernhard Eisel of Austria. Two of last year’s key figures, the Britons Ian Stannard and Peter Kennaugh were ruled out due to injury and lack of form. The elite men race in the afternoon, with the elite women opening proceedings in the morning; the defending women’s champion, Lizzie Armitstead, opted to miss Thursday’s time trial title to complete her preparation for Sunday, and will have a good chance of taking her third senior road race title. Another to watch will be Thursday’s time trial champion, Emma Pooley, who took three medals in the road title between 2008 and 2010 but has been out of the reckoning since then. The US-based Hannah Barnes is another possible medallist while track specialists such as Laura Trott and Katie Archibald have shown they are well able to make the transition to the road.
Within minutes of Sky’s confirmation that Wiggins will not be in Leeds for the Tour start, Team England confirmed that the 2012 winner will race the track at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow; “a real morale boost,” said British Cycling head coach Shane Sutton. Meanwhile, there was no place for Wiggins in Sky’s nine-man team for the Tour de France, announced on Friday. Together with Thomas, Sky field the same six riders who lined up at the Crtitérium du Dauphiné: the Spaniards Mikel Nieve, Xavier Zandio and David López, the Belarusian Vasil Kiryienka, the Australian Richie Porte, Danny Pate of the US, plus Bernhard Eisel of Austria. Two of last year’s key figures, the Britons Ian Stannard and Peter Kennaugh, were ruled out due to injury and lack of form.
Team Sky’s Tour squad has a well balanced look to it, with specialist climbers in Nieve and Porte and strong all-rounders such as Thomas, Pate and Kiriyenka, while Eisel is a one-day expert and former lead-out man to Mark Cavendish who can perform a key support role on the cobbles of stage five and should be adept at organising the team on the road. Within minutes of Sky’s confirmation that Wiggins will not be in Leeds for the Tour start, Team England confirmed that the 2012 winner will race the track at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow; “a real morale boost,” said British Cycling’s head coach, Shane Sutton.
Team Sky’s Tour squad has a well balanced look to it, with specialist climbers in Nieve and Porte and strong all-rounders such as Thomas, Pate and Kiriyenka, while Eisel is a one-day expert and former lead-out man to Cavendish who can perform a key support role on the cobbles of stage five and should be adept at organising the team on the road.
Brailsford described dropping the 2012 Tour de France winner as, a “very, very tough decision. He has been a great champion, is a great champion. But my job is to pick a team to win.”Brailsford described dropping the 2012 Tour de France winner as, a “very, very tough decision. He has been a great champion, is a great champion. But my job is to pick a team to win.”