CYCLING NEWS ROUND-UP:MARK CAVENDISH yesterday became only the second Briton to take stage wins in all three of cycling's Grand Tours, winning the 12th stage of the Vuelta a España into Lleida. The HTC Columbia rider benefited from a superb lead-out from his team-mate Matt Goss, the two opening a big gap on the final bend, and finished well clear of runner-up Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions).
Ireland’s Nicolas Roche finished safely in the peloton, rolling in 27th, and remained ninth overall in the general classification. He stays two minutes 30 seconds behind Wednesday’s winner Igor Anton (Euskaltel Euskadi), who held the race leader’s red jersey.
The stage saw a nine-man break go clear early on, build a large lead, but were caught with 20 kilometres remaining. Roche’s main priority yesterday and today is to save his energy for the upcoming mountain stages, which begin with tomorrow’s summit finish to Peña Cabarga. He is in the running for a place in the final top 10 of the Vuelta, but knows he has to climb well in the days ahead.
In other news, a large number of Irish riders will compete in the Tour of Britain, which begins tomorrow. Daniel Martin will spearhead the Garmin-Transitions team there, confidence boosted by his stage win and overall victory in last month’s Tour of Poland, as well as his triumph in the Tre Valli Varesine.
The An Post Grant Thornton M Donnelly Seán Kelly team are also set to take part in the prestigious race, and will field four Irish riders. National champion Matt Brammeier, Ronan McLaughlin, Mark Cassidy and Philip Lavery will line out, and will be joined by the Belgian Pieter Ghyllebert and Liverpool’s Mark McNally. Lavery is the youngest of those and is on a trial with the team, but has been showing strong form of late.
The Irish representation will be completed by a six-man Cycling Ireland team. Martyn Irvine, Adam Armstrong, Stephen Barrett, Conor Murphy, Seán Downey and Thomas Martin will travel over this morning prior to tomorrow’s start in Rochedale.
At home, the gruelling Race Around Ireland will begin today for the solo competitors and two-man teams. They will start in Navan, and will try to compete the 2,100kms in the shortest possible time. Four- and eight-person teams will begin on Tuesday.
The Talk Talk national B championships will take place on Sunday in Waterford.
FIXTURES:Sunday – Ulster 25-mile championships, start 9am at Woodgreen; Talk Talk Irish B championships, Waterford; Race Around Ireland, first competitors start from Navan at 8pm.
