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Team Sky rule British championship as Peter Kennaugh pips Ben Swift Team Sky rule British championship as Peter Kennaugh pips Ben Swift
(about 2 months later)
As expected, Team Sky dominated the British national road race championship with Peter Kennaugh winning a tight sprint from Ben Swift to keep the title on the Isle Of Man after Mark Cavendish took gold last year in Glasgow. The Sky pair sprinted up Frogmore Street side by side after 180km having eluded the increasingly exhausted remnants of a 10-man escape party who had gone clear as the race climbed out of Chepstow with just over 50km covered.As expected, Team Sky dominated the British national road race championship with Peter Kennaugh winning a tight sprint from Ben Swift to keep the title on the Isle Of Man after Mark Cavendish took gold last year in Glasgow. The Sky pair sprinted up Frogmore Street side by side after 180km having eluded the increasingly exhausted remnants of a 10-man escape party who had gone clear as the race climbed out of Chepstow with just over 50km covered.
The move included four members of Sky – Swift and Kennaugh plus Luke Rowe and Josh Edmondson – along with Simon Yates, who came in alone for the bronze medal, and his twin brother Adam. Rowe and Edmondson had opened hostilities on the finish circuit here once it was clear that the medals would be fought out between the Sky quartet and the Yates brothers, who race for the Australian team Orica. With two laps remaining Swift and Kennaugh, former partners on the Great Britain academy, made their escape.The move included four members of Sky – Swift and Kennaugh plus Luke Rowe and Josh Edmondson – along with Simon Yates, who came in alone for the bronze medal, and his twin brother Adam. Rowe and Edmondson had opened hostilities on the finish circuit here once it was clear that the medals would be fought out between the Sky quartet and the Yates brothers, who race for the Australian team Orica. With two laps remaining Swift and Kennaugh, former partners on the Great Britain academy, made their escape.
“He attacked me at least 10 times, and my legs were cramping all over the place. I was his punchbag for two laps, and it was always going to be a difficult sprint,” said Swift, who has yet to sign a new contract with Sky and is assessing his options.“He attacked me at least 10 times, and my legs were cramping all over the place. I was his punchbag for two laps, and it was always going to be a difficult sprint,” said Swift, who has yet to sign a new contract with Sky and is assessing his options.
“I left it really late, and as it opened up I couldn’t believe I was coming round him,” Kennaugh said.“I left it really late, and as it opened up I couldn’t believe I was coming round him,” Kennaugh said.
Those to miss out on the early selection included the 2010 champion Geraint Thomas, who derailed his chain at a key moment, the 2007 champion David Millar and another likely Tour de France starter, Alex Dowsett; while Millar and Dowsett climbed off before the finish Thomas staged a late counterattack which looked set to take him across to the leaders, until his strength gave out with about 40km to the finish. The only concerted attempt at a chase came from Rapha Condor-JLT, Britain’s most successful domestic squad this season, whose persistence in the second group was rewarded with the under-23 title for their Welsh youngster Ed Laverack.Those to miss out on the early selection included the 2010 champion Geraint Thomas, who derailed his chain at a key moment, the 2007 champion David Millar and another likely Tour de France starter, Alex Dowsett; while Millar and Dowsett climbed off before the finish Thomas staged a late counterattack which looked set to take him across to the leaders, until his strength gave out with about 40km to the finish. The only concerted attempt at a chase came from Rapha Condor-JLT, Britain’s most successful domestic squad this season, whose persistence in the second group was rewarded with the under-23 title for their Welsh youngster Ed Laverack.
Kennaugh’s title made up for his frustration here when he took the bronze medal on an identical finish in 2009 but the gold did not seem to have eased his obvious irritation at Sky’s unwillingness to give him a place on their Tour de France team. Kennaugh’s title made up for his frustration here when he took the bronze medal on an identical finish in 2009 but the gold did not seem to have eased his obvious irritation at Sky’s unwillingness to give him a place on their Tour de France team.
“I’m really disappointed. With this team you continually have to prove yourself. I had good form at the Tour of Switzerland, won the Coppi e Bartali race earlier on, but I had a rough patch after the Ardennes Classics and their reasoning is that I’m not consistent enough. I disagree.” Instead, he will focus on the track events at the Commonwealth Games in a very impressive-looking Isle Of Man team. “I’m really disappointed. With this team you continually have to prove yourself. I had good form at the Tour of Switzerland, won the Coppi e Bartali race earlier on, but I had a rough patch after the Ardennes Classics and their reasoning is that I’m not consistent enough. I disagree.” Instead, he will focus on the track events at the Commonwealth Games in a very impressive-looking Isle Of Man team.
He was not the only one expressing frustration at Britain’s top team here, as on the finish circuit one fan was waving a yellow placard reading “Shame on Sky” alongside the Mod roundels which are synonymous with Sir Bradley Wiggins, whose exclusion from the Tour has clearly raised a few hackles.He was not the only one expressing frustration at Britain’s top team here, as on the finish circuit one fan was waving a yellow placard reading “Shame on Sky” alongside the Mod roundels which are synonymous with Sir Bradley Wiggins, whose exclusion from the Tour has clearly raised a few hackles.
The women’s national title went to Laura Trott at the end of a 101km race which set the template for the men, with an eight-rider move dominating proceedings from well out.The women’s national title went to Laura Trott at the end of a 101km race which set the template for the men, with an eight-rider move dominating proceedings from well out.
The octet comprised Trott and her Wiggle-Honda team-mates Dani King and Elinor Barker, Dame Sarah Storey and Katie Archibald of Pearl Izumi, the newly crowned national time-trial champion Emma Pooley, Sharon Laws and the defending champion Lizzie Armitstead. They went clear well before the race reached Abergavenny.The octet comprised Trott and her Wiggle-Honda team-mates Dani King and Elinor Barker, Dame Sarah Storey and Katie Archibald of Pearl Izumi, the newly crowned national time-trial champion Emma Pooley, Sharon Laws and the defending champion Lizzie Armitstead. They went clear well before the race reached Abergavenny.
It was Armitstead who took the race by the scruff of the neck on the finish circuit, escaping alone to forge a lead which, at 17 seconds, looked as it if could prove decisive, only for Pooley to lead the chase behind her, in the knowledge that in a finish sprint she would stand little chance; in the event, her efforts resulted in a five-rider sprint, with Trott clearly faster than a grim-looking Armitstead.It was Armitstead who took the race by the scruff of the neck on the finish circuit, escaping alone to forge a lead which, at 17 seconds, looked as it if could prove decisive, only for Pooley to lead the chase behind her, in the knowledge that in a finish sprint she would stand little chance; in the event, her efforts resulted in a five-rider sprint, with Trott clearly faster than a grim-looking Armitstead.
Trott was as delighted as might be expected, she adds the national title to her two Olympic gold medals – “this is as good as a world championship for me” – being her verdict, but Armitstead found defeat hard to stomach. “On every incline I gave it a go. I didn’t want to take it to a sprint,” she said. “It was just a shame that Emma chased me down on the penultimate lap.”Trott was as delighted as might be expected, she adds the national title to her two Olympic gold medals – “this is as good as a world championship for me” – being her verdict, but Armitstead found defeat hard to stomach. “On every incline I gave it a go. I didn’t want to take it to a sprint,” she said. “It was just a shame that Emma chased me down on the penultimate lap.”