Tour of Britain

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) taking the stage victory from a bunch sprint.

Stage 8b: London Criterium

Ireland’s Ronan McLaughlin has rounded off a great week for his An Post-Sean Kelly team, going on an impressive attacking ride in the London criterium that marked the end of the Tour of Britain.

The Donegal man spent most of the stage out front in a two-man breakaway with former British national champion Kristian House (Rapha Condor Sharp). McLaughlin not only took all three hot spot sprints but also the day’s award for the most aggressive rider, after initiating the breakaway from the gun.

He and House were eventually mopped up leaving the way for Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) to the stage victory from a bunch sprint.

However, McLaughlin’s aggression perhaps summed up perfectly the kind of week his An Post-Sean Kelly team has had in Britain.

The team filled the top three places in the intermediate sprints classification, with Pieter Ghyllebert taking the lead in that competition from a breakaway on Stage 1 and defending it all well. Gediminas Bagdonas was second overall, with McLaughlin’s efforts today moving him to third in that competition.

Bagdonas also sprinted in for a very impressive stage win in Sandringham yesterday, emerging best of a six-man breakaway.

Andrew Fenn consistently finished in the top ten on sprint finishes, underling the reasons why he has been selected for the GB U23 team for the World Championships and why he has secured a contract for next year with the Omega Pharma-Quickstep team.

The race was won overall by Lars Boom (Rabobank), who took two stage wins and second place on this morning’s stage 8a, a short 8.8km time trial (see results below) in London before this afternoon’s criterium, where Fenn was 8^th.

The past week has arguably been the team’s best performance in recent years against some of the biggest teams in the sport.

An Post riders and HTC’s Matt Brammeier on the front in London

Ronan McLaughlin leads Kristian House (Rapha Condor Sharp) up the road in the London Criterium

Mark Cassidy keeps a close eye on world champion Thor Hushovd

An Post take charge in London

Matt Brammeier appearing in his HTC-Highroad kit for one of the last times

Kristian House leads Ronan McLaughlin in the breakaway

Irish national champion Matt Brammeier looking pensive on the start-line

Matt Brammeier awaits the start of the London criterium with team mate Cavendish

An Post-Sean Kelly being introduced to the crowd in London

Pieter Ghyllebert in the sprint leader’s jersey in the stage 8a TT in London

Ronan McLaughlin puts down the power in the London TT

Ronan McLaughlin on the podium receiving his most aggressive rider award

Result: Final Stage 8b, London Criterium

1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) HTC-Highroad 1:59:13

2 Mark Renshaw (Aus) HTC-Highroad

3 Robert Förster (Ger) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling

4 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Procycling

5 Ben Swift (GBr) Sky Procycling

6 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Leopard Trek

7 Tobyn Horton (GBr) Motorpoint

8 Andrew Fenn (GBr) An Post – Sean Kelly     

9 Dan Craven (Nam) Rapha Condor – Sharp

10 Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator

11 Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Team NetApp

12 Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team

13 Jonathan McEvoy (GBr) Motorpoint

14 Iker Camano Ortuzar (Spa) Endura Racing

15 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Leopard Trek 0:00:05

21 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post – Sean Kelly     

25 Mark McNally (GBr) An Post – Sean Kelly     

70 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) An Post – Sean Kelly 0:01:02   

71 Ronan McLaughlin (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly 0:01:21   

73 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) HTC-Highroad 0:01:40   

78 Mark Cassidy (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly 0:02:20   

Sprint 1 – Finish line lap 2, 17.7km 

1 Ronan McLaughlin (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly 5 pts 

2 Kristian House (GBr) Rapha Condor – Sharp 3

3 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post – Sean Kelly 2   

4 Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team NetApp 1

Sprint 2 – Finish line lap 6, 53.3km 

1 Ronan McLaughlin (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly 5 pts 

2 Kristian House (GBr) Rapha Condor – Sharp 3

3 Jan Barta (Cze) Team NetApp 2

4 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post – Sean Kelly 1   

Sprint 3 – Finish line lap 8, 70.9km 

1 Ronan McLaughlin (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly 5 pts 

2 Kristian House (GBr) Rapha Condor – Sharp 3

3 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post – Sean Kelly 2   

4 Mark McNally (GBr) An Post – Sean Kelly 1   

Most aggressive rider 

1 Ronan McLaughlin (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly

Stage 8a Individual TT 8.8km, London

British TT champion Alex Dowsett on his way to Tour of Britain TT victory in London today

1 Alex Dowsett Sky ProCycling  10′ 14”

2 Lars Boom Rabobank at 0′ 5”

3 Lieuwe Westra Vacansoleil – DCM  st

4 Stephen Cummings Sky ProCycling at 0′ 9”

5 Geraint Thomas Sky ProCycling at 0′ 16”

6 Alex Wetterall Endura Racing at 0′ 19”

7 Michael Rogers Sky ProCycling  st

8 Thor Hushovd Team Garmin – Cervelo at 0′ 23”

9 Damien Gaudin Team Europcar at 0′ 25”

10 Joost Posthuma Leopard Trek at 0′ 26”

11 Rik Flens Rabobank at 0′ 27”

12 Iker Camano Endura Racing  st

13 Mark Cavendish HTC Highroad at 0′ 28”

14 Jan Barta Team NetApp at 0′ 29”

15 Lars Bak HTC Highroad at 0′ 30”

23 Gediminas Bagdonas An Post – Sean Kelly at 0′ 46” 

26 Matt Brammeier HTC Highroad at 0′ 49” 

28 Mark McNally** An Post – Sean Kelly at 0′ 50” 

32 Andrew Fenn** An Post – Sean Kelly at 0′ 52” 

57 Pieter Ghyllebert An Post – Sean Kelly  st 

62 Ronan McLaughlin An Post – Sean Kelly at 1′ 21” 

70 Mark Cassidy An Post – Sean Kelly at 1′ 30” 

Final general classification 

1 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 26:57:35

2 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:36

3 Jan Barta (Cze) Team NetApp 0:00:55

4 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Leopard Trek 0:00:57

5 Jonathan Tiernan-Locke (GBr) Rapha Condor – Sharp 0:01:03

6 Iker Camano Ortuzar (Spa) Endura Racing 0:01:07

7 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator 0:01:12

8 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Leopard Trek 0:01:13

9 Leopold Konig (Cze) Team NetApp 0:01:19

10 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:01:25

11 Michael Rogers (Aus) Sky Procycling 0:01:30

12 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:01:55

13 Mark Cavendish (GBr) HTC-Highroad 0:02:23

14 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:02:52

15 Andrew Fenn (GBr) An Post – Sean Kelly 0:02:53

34 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post – Sean Kelly 0:09:57   

62 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) An Post – Sean Kelly 0:16:59   

63 Ronan McLaughlin (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly 0:17:12   

68 Mark McNally (GBr) An Post – Sean Kelly 0:18:19   

71 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) HTC-Highroad 0:19:38   

76 Mark Cassidy (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly 0:32:02   

Points classification 

1 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Procycling 70 pts

2 Mark Cavendish (GBr) HTC-Highroad 67

3 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 66

8 Andrew Fenn (GBr) An Post – Sean Kelly 33   

20 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post – Sean Kelly 15   

Sprint classification 

1 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) An Post – Sean Kelly 36 pts 

2 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post – Sean Kelly 20   

3 Ronan McLaughlin (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly 15   

6 Mark McNally (GBr) An Post – Sean Kelly 11   

8 Andrew Fenn (GBr) An Post – Sean Kelly 10   

31 Mark Cassidy (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly 1   

Mountains classification 

1 Jonathan Tiernan-Locke (GBr) Rapha Condor – Sharp 71 pts

2 Russell Hampton (GBr) Sigma Sport – Specialized 48

3 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Sky Procycling 30

6 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) An Post – Sean Kelly 19   

12 Andrew Fenn (GBr) An Post – Sean Kelly 12   

15 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post – Sean Kelly 9   

16 Mark McNally (GBr) An Post – Sean Kelly 9   

37 Ronan McLaughlin (Irl) An Post – Sean Kelly 3