Tour of Britain Race Report – Stage 7: Bozic wins as Albasini moves a step closer to victory

By Peter Hodges

Vacansoleil win again, as Michael Albasini enters final stage with a minutes lead over rivals, while ‘Tour de France’ style crowds great The Tour of Britain in Suffolk and Essex

Borut Bozic (Vacansoleil) taking stage 7 honours

The Vacansoleil team took their second stage win of The Tour of Britain, as Borut Bozic sprinted to victory on East Hill in Colchester, as the gradient took its toll ensuring just Greg Henderson could stay with the Slovenian rider as they reached the line.

With the drag to the line causing splits in the field, Bozic and Henderson came in three seconds up on third placed man Richie Porte, with the leading trio all collecting time bonuses to add to their advantage over race leader Michael Albasini, who came in 20^th in a group 11 seconds down on the winner.

That means that Albasini now holds the Yellow Jersey presented by Bikeability by 1 minute and 5 seconds from Bozic, with Porte a further nine seconds back and Henderson two more in arrears.

The Swiss rider, who won Stage Three into Swansea on Monday, spoke after the stage of his relief at having safely negotiated the final road stage of The Tour, with just London’s circuit race remaining.

“I was always looking forward to this moment, normally in the last stage not so much happens and it should be a bunch sprint.  I am happy to still have the Yellow Jersey.  Three days ago I wasn’t so sure to bring it this far when we had just four riders in the race.

“It’s perfect now with three stage wins and hopefully also the yellow at the end in London.”

The 29-year-old though isn’t going to celebrate early, saying, “The last stage is always hard, you have to keep the concentration and it’s only over when it’s over.”

Friday’s stage was characterised by a long breakaway containing Sigma Sport – Specialized’s Tom Murray and Pieter Jacobs, which went away after 21 miles of racing.  For the second day running in the East of England massive crowds turned out to welcome The Tour of Britain to Suffolk and Essex, with sunshine and good weather greeting the riders for the start in Bury St Edmunds.

The peloton making its wat through Sudbury

With Team Sky a constant presence at the front of the peloton, the break’s lead only just rose above three minutes at its greatest, before steadily being slashed as The Tour reached Essex just after passing through Sudbury and climbing Ballingdon Hill, both described as being the scene of ‘Tour de France style crowds’, by experienced cycling journalists after the race.

With 25 kilometres of racing to go, Murray had no response when Jacobs sensed him slowing and attacked, leaving the British to be swallowed up by the peloton.  Ahead the Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator rider persevered on alone, before being caught with five kilometres remaining on the outskirts of Colchester.  But with an uphill drag to the line awaiting it wasn’t going to be conventional bunch gallop, as Bozic and Henderson crested the rise ahead, with the Slovenian coming through to take the win, much to his and his teammates joy.

Speaking afterwards, former Vuelta a Espana stage winner Borut Bozic said, “For me this is a big victory because there are a lot of good riders here.  It doesn’t matter where it is; every race is hard to win.”

Bozic also commented on his team, who have featured prominently throughout The Tour, saying, “We are a good team and we help each other a lot.  There is also, as you can see, a good team spirit.”

Teammate Johnny Hoogerland sealed the overall King of the Mountains and now just has to finish Stage Eight to claim the polka dot jersey, and spoke afterwards of his happiness to take a jersey, although his overall aspirations have not come to fruition.

“Yesterday I was pretty sure of the jersey”, said the Dutchman, “But with today it could have happened that 15 riders had gone with Richie (Porte) and stolen the points, so you never know.

“During the last few stages I have been taking the most points, but it was on the fourth stage when I took the jersey that it was good for me.  I’m very happy to bring it home.

Hoogerland also praised The Tour of Britain’s route, saying, “You always have hilly and flat stages so I think it’s normal.  They could have stayed in the South West the whole week, but I think that’s not fair for the sprinters!  For me, two extra stages in the South West would probably have been better, and then maybe Albasini wouldn’t have got his jersey still.

“Some teams are probably less motivated because it is only a 2.1 category race, but for us they are all big races.  I looked at the programme for September and I said ‘I want to do The Tour of Britain’, because I think it’s a beautiful race.”

The Vacansoleil rider also praised Suffolk and Essex for their role in hosting Stage Seven of the race, explaining, “There are a lot of people!  It was actually more beautiful than I expected, because in every village there are fans, I think all the schools are empty for the race, and it’s lovely to be here.”

The peloton going through Suffolk

The final stage of The Tour of Britain takes place in Newham, London’s Olympic and Paralympic Borough, with a 96 kilometre circuit race around the historic Royal Dockyards and London’s ExCeL Centre.

Before the racing gets underway and the winner of the 2010 Tour of Britain is crowned amateur cyclists will have the chance to take part in the second of this year’s Prostate Cancer Charity Tour Rides, offering the unique opportunity to ride an official stage of The Tour in London.

The Tour of Britain is in the second year of its successful partnership with The Prostate Cancer Charity, who are sponsoring the coveted blue Points Jersey, currently worn by Team Sky’s Greg Henderson.

Mark Bishop, Director of Fundraising at the Charity, said: “By turning the Points Jersey blue, we are demonstrating the commitment of each party to this partnership which has proved hugely beneficial.

“Our first of three events this month went exceptionally well last weekend, in the South West. We believe the unique proposition of riding in the tracks of the pros has added something fresh and credible to the sportive calendar.

“Through the partnership, we have been able not only to raise awareness of prostate cancer in the men we are trying to reach – but given all cyclists something challenging and active to do to support the cause.”

Cyclists get a further chance to ride a Tour of Britain stage on Sunday 26^th September, when The Prostate Cancer Charity Tour Ride takes place at Stoke-on-Trent over the tough of Stage Two of The Tour.  To find out more visit www.tourride.co.uk

Stage Seven Results

1) Borut Bozic                               Vacansoleil Pro Cycling             3h 24m 15s

2) Greg Henderson                        Sky Professional Cycling Team  @ same time

3) Richie Porte                              Team Saxo Bank                       @ 3s

Honda Combativity Award Winner: Pieter Jacobs         Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator

General Classification standings (after seven stages)

1) Michael Albasini                        Team HTC – Columbia               27h 26m 40s

2) Borut Bozic                               Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    @ 1m 05s

3) Richie Porte                              Team Saxo Bank                       @ 1m 14s

The Prostate Cancer Charity Points Jersey standings (after seven stages)

1) Greg Henderson                        Sky Professional Cycling Team  62pts

2) Borut Bozic                               Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    57pts

3) Koen de Kort                            Skil – Shimano                          50pts

The King of the Mountains Jersey standings (after seven stages)

1) Johnny Hoogerland                   Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    56pts

2) Richie Porte                              Team Saxo Bank                       45pts

3) Wout Poels                               Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    31pts

The Sprints Jersey standings (after seven stages)

1) Michal Golas                             Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    31pts

2) Richie Porte                              Team Saxo Bank                       20pts

3) Johnny Hoogerland                   Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    16pts

The Tour of Britain is proud to be partnered with The Prostate Cancer Charity.  Don’t forget this September your chance to follow in the wheel tracks of the professionals and ride three stages from The Tour of Britain.  Go to www.tourride.co.uk to find out more!

Tour of Britain Race Report – Stage 6: Huge crowds great The Tour of Britain in Norfolk

By Peter Hodges

Andre Greipel takes second stage win in Great Yarmouth

Andre Greipel (HTC-Columbia) takes the stage win into Great Yarmouth

Andre Greipel sprinted to his second stage win of The Tour of Britain, heading Borut Bozic and Lucas Sebastien Haedo across the line.  Greipel’s teammate Michael Albasini continues to hold the race lead, though his advantage was cut by two seconds to 1 minute 26 seconds, as Bozic moved up into second in the overall standings thanks to time bonuses gained during the stage.

Despite losing two members of their six rider team to illness, Team HTC – Columbia still managed to provide Greipel with the perfect leadout, as Mark Renshaw set up the German to take the win in Great Yarmouth.

The longest stage of the race saw The Tour make its first ever visit to Norfolk since its re-birth in 2004, with huge crowds all along the route as local communities and businesses across the county came together to support Britain’s biggest professional cycle race.

After a rousing send off from the crowds gathered in King’s Lynn’s Tuesday Market Place, riders headed out to the north Norfolk coast via the Sandringham Estate, where Johnny Hoogerland took the honours at the intermediate Sprint, ahead of Vacansoleil teammate, and Sprints competition leader, Michal Golas.

Out in front for much of the day was Cameron Meyer, who earned the Honda Combativity Award for his long breakaway, initially in the company of Jeremy Hunt, before the Brit sat up leaving the Garmin – Transitions rider briefly alone.

Meyer was soon joined by Team Saxo Bank’s Jaroslav Marycz out front, with the duo building an eight minute lead as they rode through the Norfolk countryside, being greeted by crowds at every town and village they passed through, with particularly large crowds welcoming The Tour to Norwich midway through the stage.

With Team Sky working hard on the front of the peloton to reduce the deficit as they sought to set up Greg Henderson for a second stage win the gap began to steadily decrease, with just a 2 minute 35 second advantage remaining with 25 kilometres to go.

Fifteen kilometres to go and the advantage was south of one minute, and as they approached Great Yarmouth Meyer opted to go it alone, shedding Marcyz as he made his way into the finish town.  The Australian though was caught inside the final two kilometres, as Team HTC – Columbia came to the front with Bert Grabsch and Mark Renshaw, piloting Greipel through the final couple of corners and safely onto the long finishing boulevard.

The large awaiting crowds at the stage finish in Great Yarmouth

As the field snaked out of the final turn, Greipel burst past Renshaw to cross the line first, taking his second victory at a British seaside resort in six days, after his opening leg win in Blackpool on Saturday.

Speaking after the stage, winner Andre Greipel said that despite the flatness of the profile it was still another tough day in the saddle, describing the stage as “hard!”

“We were not so fresh at all with just four riders left in the race, so it was quite a good powerful beginning to the stage for the team.  We tried to keep the breakaway as small as possible as we were all pretty tired from the last two days.

“We were happy that just two riders were away and we could sit on as the other riders chased the breakaway down.  At the end we were focused on the sprint, and Bert Grabsch and Mark Renshaw gave me a really good position, and quite a good leadout from Mark.  I think we can be really happy with this victory.

“Sky had to chase the breakaway down, so there was no one left to do the leadout, so we were just sitting on and with two kilometres to go we went, and that’s how it was.

Greipel also spoke about the loss of teammates Tony Martin and Marco Pinotti to illness, praising the German, who has worked so hard for race leader Albasini, in particular, saying, “Tony is like a locomotive, once he is riding his bike as fast as possible, he never can stop so this is a really big thing that we lost him.  I hope we are able to defend the jersey until London.”

One of Albasini’s rivals for the Yellow Jersey presented by Bikeability is Team Sky’s Greg Henderson, who took fourth in the finishing sprint, the same position he currently lies in overall, 1 minute 33 seconds behind first place.  Henderson currently wears The Prostate Cancer Charity Points Jersey, as the races’ most consitent finisher, but has his eyes on other prizes too.

“The aim’s the overall in London,” said Henderson after the stage, “And I have to try and get on the podium.  It’s a very important race for us, a home race, and at the moment I’m in fourth place so I’m chasing time bonuses along the road and chasing time bonuses at the finish.  But it’s been a long hard week and it’s taken its toll on not only myself but the whole team, who are riding full gas for me.

With several riders closely bunched behind the race leader, The Tour of Britain is boiling down to an exciting two final stages, but Henderson says that the closeness of the General Classification poses problems.

“They’re not going to let me go anywhere, Columbia mark me, we mark certain people.  There’s a core group of people who can’t go anywhere basically and I can’t slip into a move because they’ll chase me instantly.  Everybody’s on their last legs, so we’ve just got to keep fighting until London.”

Also fighting on for another day was Team Raleigh’s lanterne rouge Peter Smith, who came home in 80^th position in a group containing Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas.  Smith now sits in 83^rd place, 1 hour 6 minutes and 13 seconds behind the Yellow Jersey.

Stage Seven sees The Tour of Britain visit Suffolk and Essex, heading across the two counties from Bury St Edmunds to Colchester, taking in 152.3 kilometres of racing.  Beginning at Angel Hill in Bury St Edmunds, riders will race through Haverhill, Long Melford and Sudbury, on their way into Essex where they will face crucial intermediate Sprints at Braintree and Tiptree before the drag up East Hill in Colchester to the finish line.

Current yellow jersey of The Tour of Britain - Michael Albasini (HTC-Columbia)

Stage Six Results

1) Andre Greipel                            Team HTC – Columbia               4:09:05

2) Borut Bozic                               Vacansoleil Pro Cycling             @ same time

3) Lucas Sebastien Haedo             Team Saxo Bank                       @ same time

Honda Combativity Award Winner: Cameron Meyer       Garmin – Transitions

General Classification standings (after six stages)

1) Michael Albasini                        Team HTC – Columbia               24h 02m 14s

2) Borut Bozic                               Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    @ 1m 26s

3) Richie Porte                              Team Saxo Bank                       @ 1m 27s

The Prostate Cancer Charity Points Jersey standings (after six stages)

1) Greg Henderson                        Sky Professional Cycling Team  48pts

2) Borut Bozic                               Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    42pts

3) Michael Albasini                        Team HTC – Columbia               39pts

The King of the Mountains Jersey standings (after six stages)

1) Johnny Hoogerland                   Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    54pts

2) Richie Porte                              Team Saxo Bank                       45pts

3) Dan Martin                                Garmin – Transitions                  32pts

The Sprints Jersey standings (after six stages)

1) Michal Golas                             Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    27pts

2) Richie Porte                              Team Saxo Bank                       18pts

3) Johnny Hoogerland                   Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team    15pts

The Tour of Britain is proud to be partnered with The Prostate Cancer Charity.  Don’t forget this September your chance to follow in the wheel tracks of the professionals and ride three stages from The Tour of Britain.  Go to www.tourride.co.uk to find out more!

The Tour of Britain – Official 2010 Route

The Tour of Britain 2010 National Launch

On Tuesday 20 April we officialy launched the route for the 2010 Tour of Britain. It’s the first time in the events history (under the name of The Tour of Britain) that the a full route disclosure (start and finish venues) has been announced.

I have some pictures from the launch which I will upload in a separate posting, but for now thought I would let you see the actual route for each stage of this year’s event. If you click on the links below you should be able to download the PDFs of the route.

Stage 1: Rochdale to Blackpool – 11 September 2010

The Tour of Britain 2010_Stage_1

Stage 2: Stoke-on-Trent – 12 September 2010

The Tour of Britain 2010_Stage_2

Stage 3: Newtown to Swansea – 13 September 2010

The Tour of Britain 2010_Stage_3

Stage 4: Minehead to Teignmouth – 14 September 2010

The Tour of Britain 2010_Stage_4

Stage 5: Tavistock to Glastonbury – 15 September 2010

The Tour of Britain 2010_Stage_5

Stage 6: King’s Lynn to Great Yarmouth – 16 September 2010

The Tour of Britain 2010_Stage_6

Stage 7: Bury St Edmunds to Colchester – 17 September 2010

The Tour of Britain 2010_Stage_7

Stage 8: The TfL London Stage (Newham) – 18 September 2010

The Tour of Britain 2010_Stage_8