'Adam Blythe has shown when he’s on a good day he can out sprint the fastest'

Adam Blythe leads Tinkoff in the Cyclassics Hamburg on Sunday looking for his win in the British champion stripes

(Image credit: Watson)

British road race champion Adam Blythe is targeting his first win in the national stripes at this Sunday's Cyclassics Hamburg.

The Tinkoff rider has been selected as his team's co-leader alongside Oscar Gatto for the 217km race in and around the German city.

With the Yorkshireman looking for his fifth new team in as many years with Tinkoff folding at the end of this season, he has been given an opportunity to show his sprinting prowess - a rarity during most of his career where he has been used a leadout rider.

>>> ‘Joy, happiness, pure emotion’ – Adam Blythe elated with National Championship win

To claim what would be just his third win in three years he would have to beat a strong field, including André Griepel (Lotto Soudal), Caleb Ewan (Orica-BikeExchange), Arnaud Démare (FDJ) and RideLondon 2016 winner Tom Boonen (Etixx-QuickStep).

Tinkoff DS Patxi Vila has backed Blythe.“We have a good team here, and even though we don’t have a big bunch sprinter, both Adam and Oscar are capable of getting a result here in a bunch finish.

"When we’re in August, things start to depend on who has what left in the legs after a long season, and we will see how the guys are feeling on the day. Oscar showed strong form in Norway last week, and Adam has shown when he’s on a good day he can out sprint the fastest.”

Blythe told CW after his National Championships win: "With Tinkoff stopping, I’ve got to find a new team but he’s [Oleg Tinkov] been great trying to support us with getting a new contract. Hopefully I’ll be back there [in the WorldTour].”

Team Sky are led by Ben Swift but have a host of sprinting options, with Olympic omnium champion Elia Viviani, Danny van Poppel and Andy Fenn riding, too.

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Chris Marshall-Bell

Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 on work experience and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website. Reporting from races, long interviews with riders from the peloton and riding features drive his love of writing about all things two wheels.


Probably a bit too obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he’s a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer. He almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.