Dowsett beats Armstrong in Gila time-trial
DOWSETT BEATS ARMSTRONG IN GILA TIME-TRIAL
After claiming the sprint classification jersey on day one, Alex Dowsett produced another strong showing in the Tour of the Gila's third-stage time-trial.
"The good news is that I got seventh in the time-trial. I put fifteen seconds into (my boss) Lance Armstrong and finished 1-34 behind the winner: my team mate Jesse Sergent," Dowsett told Cycling Weekly after the stage.
ProTour big shots Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and Tom Danielson finished just ahead of the 21-year-old.
"The bad news is that the organisers messed up the stage two finish yesterday and failed to give the winner any sprint points so I'm now lying fourth in that competition," he added.
Dowsett went on to finish the five-day race in 37th place, 13-46 down on winner Leipheimer.
The former GB Academy rider now heads to Europe with his Trek-Livestrong team to take on the Olympia's Tour and U23 Paris-Roubaix.
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TROTT STUNS COOKE AND VOS FOR CZECH WIN
Emma Trott beat stars Nicole Cooke and race winner Marianne Vos to claim a shock victory in the time-trial at the Gracia Orlova stage race in the Czech Republic.
The 20-year-old's early standard of 25-59 on the 18km course was not to be topped. Fellow Team GB youngsters Katie Colclough and Laura Trott finished fifth and seventh respectively.
It's been a week to remember for the Trott sisters. Before the best win of Emma's career, younger sibling and junior national champion Laura earned the right to ride in the Great Britain senior team after winning the Omloop van Borsele in Holland.
After placing second in the opening stage, Nicole Cooke was the best-placed British finisher in third overall, with Colclough placing tenth.
MOTORPOINT REFLECT ON FRUITFUL WEEK IN BRITTANY
Motorpoint-Marshalls Pasta took advantage of a two-week break between the CiCLE Classic and the Lincoln to take part in the UCI 2.2-ranked Tour of Brittany last week.
Racing under a Team GB invite, Ian Bibby's fifth place overall finish was the highlight. Former Academy star and handy sprinter Jonny McEvoy also snagged a few top ten stage finishes in one of France's toughest amateur stage races.
"It was a very good performance - Jonny helped him an awful lot too," said team manager Keith Lambert.
"Daft as it sounds, Ian could have won it, but he was nailed on the last day, having moved himself up from twentieth to fourth on the penultimate stage," he continued.
Reigning British cyclo-cross champion Bibby switched his focus to road racing this season, and the decision looks to be paying off richly.
"He's probably doing a bit better than even I thought he might. He's inexperienced, but has got a lot of talent. Ian has that rare ability to do a bit of everything - he climbs, sprints and time-trial very well," Lambert said.
Things bode well for Sunday's Lincoln GP. "There's no excuse, they couldn't have had a better build-up. Having said that, it's a bit of a lottery - 200 riders queuing for that climb [Michaelgate]..." Lambert added.
Ian Bibby was on form at the Tour DoonHame, where he won the King of the Mountains title.
RAPHA LAND 1-2-3 AT CHAS MESSENGER
Rapha-Condor-Sharp score a rare 1-2-3 at Sunday's Chas Messenger road race.
It may as well have been a Premier Calendar event (as it used to be), as the 100-mile race attracted virtually all the top British teams to the Buckinghamshire roads.
Taking advantage of his Rapha team-mates policing the front group, Namibian Dan Craven soloed away to put almost four minutes into runner up Darren Lapthorne.
Leading in the chasing group to complete the Rapha podium whitewash was Jon Tiernan-Locke.
"The guys have been going well and not got their just rewards on other occasions," team manager John Herety said. "It's nice when it all goes according to plan."
After claiming second in the Rutland CiCLE Classic, Craven is evidently the in-form man to watch at the Lincoln GP. However, as it stands, he will not get the chance to ride.
"Last year, him and Matt Cronshaw got away at the Shay Elliott and linked hands as they crossed the line - much to the disgust of the chief commissaire, as well as my disgust too. So I told him the punishment is going back again this year," Herety explained.
"However, he's got extremely good form. At the moment, he's not doing the Lincoln but, in Alex Ferguson style, I'll have to do what's best for the team," he added.
Results: Chas Messenger RR
1. Dan Craven (Rapha-Condor-Sharp) 4-13-26
2. Darren Lapthorne (Rapha-Condor-Sharp) at 3-53
3. Jon Tiernan-Locke (Rapha-Condor-Sharp) at 4-35
4. Marcel Six (Orbea-ForGoodnessShakes!)
5. James Stewart (Team Raleigh)
6. Rob Partridge (Endura Racing) at same time
HORIZON FITNESS ON TOP AT BEDFORD TWO-DAY
Sarah Storey rode to victory in the Bedford Two-Day over the Bank Holiday weekend. In the four-stage race, her win was realistically forged in the first 10 kilometres, at the team time trial opener.
The squad, consisting of Sarah Storey, Penny Rowson, Hannah Rich, Dani King and Annabel Simpson, clocked 14-26 to finish a whopping 1-34 clear of closest challengers Rapha-Condor.
Dani King's two subsequent road stage wins were sandwiched by a superlative performance by Paralympic champion Storey in Monday morning's four-mile time-trial, cementing her overall triumph.
"I am delighted with the team's performance and how well we pulled together," Storey said.
"To get Dani to win the two road stages and getting top two on the GC is amazing. We controlled every stage!
"This is a dream result for us and we are looking forward to our next race."
Results: Bedford Two-Day
1. Sarah Storey (Horizon Fitness RT)
2. Dani King (Horizon Fitness RT)
3. Catherine Williamson (Rapha-Condor CC)
4. Ali Fischer (Maxgear RT)
5. Emma Grant (AW Cycles)
GALLAGHER BEST OF THE BRIT PACK IN BELGIUM
Junior Kenta Gallagher was the highest British finisher in the second round of the MTB XC World Cup at Houffalize.
Putting the bad luck of a broken chain at Dalby behind him, Scot Gallagher rode strongly to sixth place, 2-18 down on winner Michiel van der Heijden of the Netherlands.
In the men's elite race, Oli Beckingsale placed 40th, while Annie Last was 43rd in the women's event.
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