Ride London 2014 classic report
10th August 2014
The Ride London classic, the men's professional road race,
took place this afternoon. The weather conditions improved as the race
went on.
There was a break of six riders after about 30km. They were out ahead for a significant period, but Ian Stannard and Ian Boswell, both of Team Sky, applied the pressure on the front of the main field, and they were caught with 77km left.
There was another split shortly afterwards, with twelve riders getting a gap. Zak Dempster dropped off, leaving Team Sky's sprinter Ben Swift, Philippe Gilbert and Loic Vliegen (both BMC), Adam Blythe (the Sheffield-born rider for NFTO), Sam Bennett and Scott Thwaites (both Net App Endura), Steegmans and Alaphilippe (both OPQ), Koren (Cannondale), Stef Clement (Belkin), and Australian Caleb Ewan (Orica Greenedge). They soon had a minute advantage over the peloton, with Cannondale working for Viviani, to try to bring the leaders back.
With 20km left, Gilbert made a move, and his pressure reduced the lead group to five - Swift, Blythe, Koren, and Alaphilippe staying with him. Another Gilbert attack with 14km to go shook off all the others but Alaphilippe, but 3km later, the five were back together.
It came down to a sprint. Koren was in the lead through Traflagar Square before the action began. Blythe was the first to show his hand on The Mall, coming from the back, and he got the jump on the others. Swift chased, but was unable to catch him, leaving Blythe to take the win, with Swift second, and Alaphilippe third.