Ronan McLaughlin has been aggressive throughout the Tour of Britain but finally got clear today (Photo: www.velouk.net)
By Gavin McLoughlin
If the opening stages of this year’s Tour of Britain belonged to An Post-Sean Kelly’s Sam Bennett and IG Sigma Sport’s Peter Hawkins as far as Irish interest was concerned, today it was all about Bennett’s team mate Ronan McLaughlin.
The Donegal man made it into the early breakaway that stayed away for most of the 156km stage into Blackpool, before attacking the depleted escape as the peloton closed in. Not content with those efforts, when he was finally absorbed by the bunch McLaughlin struck for home again with just over 3kms remaining.
Although that final effort was neutralised by Team Sky, who were trying to hold the race together for a bunch sprint for Mark Cavendish, McLaughlin made it onto the podium at the stage finish in Blackpool when he was awarded the prize for the most aggressive rider of the day.
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He took that award just 24 hours after Hawkins claimed the same prize for his breakaway efforts on yesterday’s stage 3 into Dumfries.
McLaughlin has today also taken a big step closer to selection on the elite team at the World Championships in Valkenburg the weekend after next, having already been put on a shortlist of three for the final place on the team.
On the seafront in Blackpool today, it was indeed World champion Cavendish who blitzed his way to a second consecutive Tour of Britain stage victory, comfortably outsprinting Steele Vonhoff (Garmin-Sharp) to the line.
The win sees the Manx Missile move into the overall race leadership, lifting the gold jersey from the shoulders of third-place finisher Leigh Howard (Orica GreenEdge) on a foul day in the North West of England.
A year ago today, high winds forced the cancellation of stage 2 of the 2011 edition, and early-morning internet rumblings suggested that the organisers were considering moving the finish line from Blackpool promenade for similar reasons this time around.
The hilarious sight of a decidedly windswept Rob Hayles and broadcast colleague at the top of ITV4’s television coverage confirmed that this must certainly have been an issue. Luckily, such action proved unnecessary in the end.
McLaughlin was in the thick of the action all day, coalescing well with early breakaway companions Kristian House (Rapha Condor Sharp), David Le Lay (Saur-Sojasun), Dan Craven (IG-Sigma Sport), Matt Cronshaw (Node4-Giordana) and Niklas Gustavsson (UK Youth) to establish a gap of over 6 minutes in the first 25 kilometres.
Beginning the day a mere 17 seconds behind morning leader Howard on the general classification, Gustavsson’s presence in the break necessitated plenty of toil from the Orica-Green Edge squad as they attempted to protect the leader’s jersey.
The brutal weather conditions did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the Cumbria and Lancashire public, as sizeable crowds thronged the streets of the old towns of Penrith and Kendal to cheer the peloton on their way.
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After the bunch scaled the summit of Shap Fell, the leaders’ advantage began to wane as the powerhouses of Team Sky began to assist Orica-GreenEdge with the donkey work over tough, rolling terrain. Particularly prominent was the grizzled veteran Jeremy Hunt, racing here for the final time as a professional.
Some fifty kilometres from the finish events took a turn for the bizarre, with the peloton forced to make their way through multiple stretches of standing water on flooded roads surrounding the village of Caton.
Unwelcome development though this was, it certainly lent the day an epic feel, and one could only imagine the misery of the bronzed Basques of the Euskaltel-Euskadi squad, pining no doubt for a return to warmer climes.
With the gap between the peloton and escape hurtling inexorably downward, Cronshaw decided to force the pace, shedding Gustavsson and House from the leading group as the sun belatedly emerged and with McLaughlin holding firm in the lead group.
Behind, a big turn from Tour de France winner and Olympic time-trial champion Bradley Wiggins split to pieces a peloton well battered by crosswinds.
The gulf in class between the smaller and elite outfits was apparent, as aside from a contingent from Endura Racing the select group of chasers was made up almost exclusively of World Tour riders.
Wiggins is clearly none the worse for wear after an extended post-Olympics break.
A gallant strike for glory came from McLaughlin in the now reduced escape with 13 kilometres to go, but it was too little too late as the Sky machine gobbled up the remainder of the breakaway.
Unperturbed, the Donegal man took his place in the lead select group and attempted to strike one more time with 3 kilometres to go, though his speculative effort was again in vain. Consolation would come in the form of the combativity award however, and this should represent a veritable fillip to the Irish outfit’s morale for the remainder of the race.
Stage 4: Carlisle-Blackpool
Brief Result
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling
2 Steele Von Hoff (Aus) Garmin - Sharp
3 Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica - GreenEdge Cycling Team
4 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
5 Daniel Schorn (Aut) Team NetApp
6 Russell Downing (GBr) Endura Racing
7 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) UK Youth Cycling
8 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Garmin - Sharp
9 Rony Martias (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
10 Luke Rowe (GBr) Sky Procycling
Cavendish takes over the leader’s gold jersey
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