The An Post-Sean Kelly team has gotten off to a great start in the Tour of Britain, taking the lead in the sprints classification after the first stage into Dumfries in Scotland today.
It was the team’s experienced Belgian Pieter Ghyllebert who decided to have a go today, putting in a fine performance that left him in the sprint jersey by the stage end.
Ghyllebert went clear with Russell Hampton (Sigma Sport) just after the start in Peebles, and with over 100 miles still ahead of them in wet, cold and windy conditions.
The duo were determined to crack on despite the elements and worked very well together to build a lead of just over six minutes at one point.
The two breakaway riders did not let the sprints or the king of the mountains points on offer to disrupt their work rate, cleverly agreeing to share the spoils.
Ghyllebert took all three sprints while Hampton took the three 3rd category mountain primes and was also awarded the combativity award.
Despite the presence of some very big squads in the peloton behind them, the escapees put up a very good fight before eventually shaking hands on the road and sitting up with just ten miles to go as they were being hunted down and just about to be caught.
It was the trains of Sky and HTC-Highroad that did most of the pulling on the front of the bunch to close it down for their respective sprinters, Ben Swift and Mark Cavendish.
The Irish national champion’s jersey of Matt Brammeier could be seen at the head of affairs as he contributed to his HTC-Highroad squad’s efforts to catch the leading duo.
Once they were caught there was a sense that there was only going to be one outcome; with Cavendish, as predicted, storming in to take the win ahead of his Australian team mate Mark Renshaw.
The Manxman now wears the GC leader’s yellow jersey heading into tomorrow’s stage into Blackpool.
Apart from Ghyllebert’s heroics, the An Post-Sean Kelly team put in a solid performance today in what were unforgiving conditions over a lumpy 106 miles.
They all finished in the bunch, with just Mark Cassidy and Ghyllebert slightly caught out at the end as some time gaps appeared in the peloton in the sprint.
Cassidy and Brammeier were credited with being 21 seconds down on Cavendish’s winning time due to those splits. Ghyllebert was a little further back, being credited with a time 25 seconds slower than the winner’s.
Apart from Cassidy and Brammeier, Ronan McLaughlin is the only other Irish rider in the race. He came home in the main bunch today on the same time as Cavendish.
Tomorrow’s stage takes the riders 130kms from Kendal to Blackpool and features three climbs – two 3rd cats and one 2nd cat.
Stage 1 Result
1) Mark Cavendish (GB, HTC – Highroad) 4hrs 41mins 06
2) Mark Renshaw (Aus, HTC – Highroad) st
3) Theo Bos (Ned, Rabobank) st
4) Barry Markus (Ned, Vacansoleil DCM) st
5) Geraint Thomas (GB, Sky Procycling) st
6) Robert Forster (Ger, UnitedHealthcare) st
7) Ben Swift (GB, Sky Procycling) st
8) Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) st
9) Roger Hammond (GB, Garmin Cervelo) st
10) Ian Wilkinson (GB, Endura Racing) st
21) Mark McNally An Post-Sean Kelly st
41) Gediminas Bagdonas An Post-Sean Kelly st
53) Andrew Fenn** An Pos -Sean Kelly st
56) Ronan McLaughlin An Post – Sean Kelly st
72) Matt Brammeier HTC Highroad 0′ 21”
73) Mark Cassidy An Post-Sean Kelly st
78) Pieter Ghyllebert An Post-Sean Kelly 0’ 25”
General Classification
1) Mark Cavendish HTC Highroad 4h 40′ 56”
2) Mark Renshaw HTC Highroad 0′ 4”
3) Theo Bos Rabobank 0′ 6”
4) Lars Boom Rabobank 0′ 9”
5) Mathew Hayman Sky ProCycling st
6) Peter Williams Motorpoint st
7) Barry Markus Vacansoleil – DCM 0′ 10”
8 Geraint Thomas Sky ProCycling st
9) Robert Forster UnitedHealthcare st
10) Ben Swift Sky ProCycling st
22) Mark McNally An Post-Sean Kelly 0’ 10”
42) Gediminas Bagdonas An Post-Sean Kelly st
53) Andrew Fenn** An Pos -Sean Kelly st
56) Ronan McLaughlin An Post – Sean Kelly st
70) Pieter Ghyllebert An Post-Sean Kelly 0’ 26”
74) Matt Brammeier HTC Highroad 0′ 31”
75) Mark Cassidy An Post-Sean Kelly st
Yodel Sprints Classification
1) Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel, AN Post) 15pts
2) Russell Hampton (GB, Sigma Sport – Specialized) 9pts
3) Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) 3pts
4) Mathew Hayman (Aus, Sky Procycling) 3pts
5) Peter Williams (GB, Motorpoint) 2pts
Skoda King of the Mountains Classification
1) Russell Hampton (GB, Sigma Sport – Specialized) 12pts
2) Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel, AN Post) 9pts
