Dan Martin pushes hard in Britain in search of World Champs form; Sam Bennett bags top 10

Dan Martin off the front again at the Tour of Britain today, Saturday, as he tries to build his condition for next weekend's world title race in Florence (Photo: Larry Hickmott - VeloUK.net)

By Gavin McLoughlin

Sam Bennett bagged another top-ten placing, while Dan Martin was active as ever on the penultimate stage of the Tour of Britain today, Saturday.

Bennett finished tenth in a stage-ending bunch gallop that was won by Mark Cavendish, with the An Post-Chainreaction man taking his fourth top-ten spot of the race thus far.

The 22-year-old lies fourth in the points classification ahead of tomorrow’s final stage.

Garmin-Sharp leader Martin has been super-animated at this event, and today he again pushed his body hard in search of ideal World Championships condition.

The Irishman tried to escape from the peloton at the beginning of today’s 155-kilometre run from Epsom to Guildford, but could not get away after being kept under strict surveillance.

Finally an escape group of Kristian House (Rapha Condor JLT), Christophe Laborie (Sojasun), Pete Williams (IG-Sigma Sport) and Lucas Euser (Unitedhealthcare) would form.

The pursuit was managed was by Cannondale and Omega Pharma-Quick Step, as both teams hoped to set their respective quick men up for a tilt at the win.

However, this was no routine sprinters’ stage as the terrain undulated all day long. Though the categorised climbing was completed over 100 kilometres out, there was scarcely a metre of flat road on the run to Guildford.

Inside the final 15 kilometres and there was a half-hearted attack in the breakaway, with their lead down under 35 seconds. Shem Rodgers (Node 4-Giordana) and then George Atkins (Great Britain) tried to ride over from the bunch, but still Cannondale and Omega Pharma calmly led the way.

More teams moved to the fore in the nervous final minutes, but Cavendish’s lieutenants were back in charge under the flamme rouge. The Manxman only had two helpers to cover the whole final kilometre and it looked like his squad might have burnt their matches too soon.

But Cavendish would not be beaten after taking up the charge with a cobbled little ramp of about 300 metres between him and triumph. It was an early juncture at which to jump and Elia Viviani (Cannondale) would come desperately close to overhauling the British Champion, but neither the Italian nor the likes of Bennett could match the Manxman's class.

The pace caused some splits in the bunch in the final run-in, with Martin arriving 19 seconds after Cavendish and Sean Downey and Peter Hawkins coming home 32 seconds after the stage winner.

The Manxman will be the favourite for another win tomorrow, as the race draws to a close with ten laps of a flat 8.8-kilometre circuit around the centre of London.

@gavmcloughlin