Dr Richard Freeman insisted he has “never doped a rider” as the hearing into his fitness to practise medicine continued on Monday in Manchester.

The former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor was questioned about his interest in testosterone.

He has admitted to a number of charges but denies ordering testosterone “knowing or believing” it was for improving a rider’s performance.

“I’d never consider supplementing with testosterone at any time,” he said.

• British Cycling’s Shane Sutton blamed ‘downfall’ on doctor
• Doctor accused of exploiting position in testosterone cover-up
• Freeman tells tribunal he destroyed testosterone package
• Freeman destroyed laptop, hearing told

Dr Freeman was again questioned by General Medical Council QC Simon Jackson who, it was revealed, has been supplied with riders’ medical data by British Cycling.Asked about the ethical line between providing medical support to riders and doping, Dr Freeman said: “I’ve never crossed it. I was completely in agreement with the Wada [World Anti-Doping Agency] code.”

Dr Freeman’s case centres around his claim, which former British cycling technical director Shane Sutton denies, that he ordered Testogel patches to treat Sutton’s erectile disfunction.

Dr Freeman has been accused of ordering testosterone to the sport’s headquarters at the national velodrome in 2011, “knowing or believing” it was intended to boost an athlete’s performance.

He has admitted 18 of 22 charges against him, which include ordering 30 sachets of Testogel to the National Cycling Centre in 2011, lying to try to cover up the order and lying to a UK Anti-Doping investigation.

Dr Freeman says he was bullied into ordering the testosterone by Sutton for medical reasons.

Sutton has denied those claims, claiming Freeman is lying.

When asked about his interest in testosterone levels, Dr Freeman said: “I have never doped a rider.”

Jackson also questioned Dr Freeman around the use of triamcinolone, which it was claimed in a parliamentary report was administered to Sir Bradley Wiggins to help him win the Tour de France in 2012.

Dr Freeman’s QC, Mary O’Rourke, alleged earlier in the hearing that Sutton had doped while he was a rider, but, asked about the Australian by Jackson, the doctor said: “I didn’t know about the past but Shane Sutton when he dealt with me was a straight shooter.

“He never suggested doping a rider. I’ve got my problems with Mr Sutton, and I still have my fear of Mr Sutton. Mr Sutton never asked me to dope a rider, ever.”

The hearing continues.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54515671

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Mark Cavendish says his career could be at an end following Sunday’s one-day Gent-Wevelgem classics race.

The 35-year-old has struggled for form in recent seasons, suffering from the Epstein-Barr virus.

He spent much of Sunday’s race in Belgium in the breakaway, showing his best form for some time, but finished 74th, more than six minutes down on winner Mads Pedersen.

“That was perhaps the last race of my career,” a tearful Cavendish said.

The Isle of Man rider, who is due to compete at the Scheldeprijs one-day race in Belgium and the Netherlands on 14 October, is considered one of the greatest riders in road cycling, having won 30 stages at the Tour de France.

The Bahrain-McLaren rider also won the 2011 World Road Race Championships, 15 stages of the Giro d’Italia and the Milan-San Remo ‘monument’ one-day race in 2009.

Cavendish is contracted until the end of 2020, but is in talks with his team to extend.

Denmark’s former world champion Pedersen, of Trek-Segafredo, won the race after outsprinting an elite group.

Jolien D’Hoore beat fellow Belgian Lotte Kopecky to win the women’s race, with Britain’s Lizzie Deignan finishing eighth.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54501344

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Britain’s Alex Dowsett claimed a solo victory in the eighth stage of the Giro d’Italia with Matthew Holmes third.

The 32-year-old Israel Start-Up Nation rider was part of a six-man breakaway allowed to go free on the 200km run from Giovinazzo to Vieste.

There was no change in the general classification, Joao Almeida retaining his 43-second lead over Pello Bilbao.

Britain’s Simon Yates withdrew from the race before the start of the stage after testing positive for coronavirus.

Dowsett rode away inside the final 20km as he used his time-trialling skills to take victory by 75 seconds.

It was his second career Giro stage win, seven years after his success on the stage eight time trial of the 2013 edition, and a first Grand Tour victory for his young team.

Fellow Briton Holmes was beaten to second place by Salvatore Puccio, while the peloton eventually rolled home almost 14 minutes behind.

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome will join Israel Start-Up Nation next year, but Dowsett’s own future is uncertain in the final months of his contract.

“It’s been such a tough year,” said Dowsett, who is due to become a father in the coming months.

“Just all the uncertainty and trying to work out how I’m going to get to next year and still be racing, still be doing what I love, and still being able to put food on the table for three of us rather than two come January.

“Hopefully this year will help secure something for next year.”

Stage eight result:

1. Alex Dowsett (GB/Israel Start-Up Nation) 4hrs 50mins 09secs

2. Salvatore Puccio (Ita/Ineos Grenadiers) +1min 15secs

3. Matthew Holmes (GB/Lotto-Soudal) same time

4. Joey Rosskopf (US/CCC Team)

5. Matthias Brandle (Aut/Israel Start-Up Nation) +2mins 10secs

6. Simone Ravanelli (Ita/Androni Giacattaoli – Sidermac) +2mins 13secs

7. Michael Matthews (Aus/Team Sunweb) +13mins 56secs

8. Fernando Gaviria (Col/UAE-Team Emirates) same time

9. Mikkel Bjerg (Den/UAE-Team Emirates)

10. Andrea Vendrame (Ita/AG2R-La Mondiale)

Selected others:

25. Ben Swift (GB/INEOS Grenadiers)

66. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

70. James Knox (GB/Deceuninck-Quick-Step)

General classification

1. Joao Almeida (Por/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 29hrs 52mins 34secs

2. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain-McLaren) +43secs

3. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Team Sunweb) +48secs

4. Harm Vanhoucke (Bel/Lotto-Soudal) +59secs

5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Trek-Segafredo) +1min 01secs

6. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/NTT Pro Cycling Team) +1min 05secs

7. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana Pro Team) +1min 19secs

8. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +1min 21secs

9. Patrick Konrad (Aut/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 26secs

10. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 32secs

Selected others:

19. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +3mins 18secs

20. James Knox (GB/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +3mins 26secs

91. Matthew Holmes +42mins 48secs

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54493603

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Frenchman Arnaud Demare proved strongest in a sprint finish to claim his second straight stage victory and third overall at the Giro d’Italia.

The Groupama-FDJ rider surged clear of Slovakian Peter Sagan and Australian Michael Matthews to win the 143km seventh stage from Matera to Brindisi.

Portuguese rider Joao Almeida of Deceuninck keeps the overall lead.

“The work my team did was amazing,” said Demare. “I waited and I launched my sprint at the right moment.”

After some earlier splits, the race came back together for the final 20km to set up a bunch sprint to the finish but no one able to find the room to challenge Demare, the French national champion.

“My team-mates have made the difference even more than the great confidence I have these days,” he added.

Sagan, riding in his debut Giro, took a familiar second place – his third of the race – as he still seeks a first win in the Italian Grand Tour.

Tao Geoghegan Hart remains the best placed Briton in 19th place, three minutes and 18 seconds down, with James Knox in 20th and Yates still 21st at three minutes and 52 seconds.

Stage seven result:

1. Arnaud Demare (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) 2hrs 47mins 28secs

2. Peter Sagan (Svk/Bora-Hansgrohe) Same time

3. Michael Matthews (Aus/Team Sunweb)

4. Ben Swift (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

5. Álvaro Hodeg (Col/Deceuninck-Quick-Step)

6. Rudy Barbier (Fra/Israel Start-Up Nation)

7. Davide Ballerini (Ita/Deceuninck-Quick-Step)

8. Enrico Battaglin (Ita/Bahrain-McLaren)

9. Filippo Fiorelli (Ita/Bardiani-CSF-Faizane)

10. Elia Viviani (Ita/Cofidis)

General classification

1. Joao Almeida (Por/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 24hrs 48mins 29secs

2. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain-McLaren) +43secs

3. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Team Sunweb) +48secs

4. Harm Vanhoucke (Bel/Lotto-Soudal) +1min 05secs

5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Trek-Segafredo) +1min 07secs

6. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/NTT Pro Cycling Team) +1min 11secs

7. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +1min 21secs

8. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana Pro Team) +1min 25secs

9. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 32secs

10. Patrick Konrad (Aut/Bora-Hansgrohe) Same time

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54477433

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Arnaud Demare won stage six of the Giro d’Italia in a sprint finish for his second victory of the 2020 race.

French Groupama-FDJ rider Demare powered away from Team Sunweb’s Michael Matthews and Astana’s Fabio Felline to win in Matera at the end of the 188km ride from Castrovillari.

Deceuninck-QuickStep’s Joao Almeida remains in the leader’s pink jersey.

Britain’s Simon Yates finished in the peloton and remains nearly four minutes behind Almeida.

But the Mitchelton-Scott rider, who lost time on stage three, could narrow that gap, with plenty of climbing in the Italian Alps to come.

Demare, who also won stage four, was one of a reduced bunch after a short but steep climb near the finish.

Peter Sagan found himself boxed in and when Demare kicked, the 29-year-old rapidly gapped Matthews and Felline to win comfortably on the uphill finish.

“This is absolutely amazing,” he said. “It was a really strong climb, really steep, I lost a few positions but I didn’t go too crazy.

“I managed to get back up, I was in the wheel of the Astana guy, and I just kept following.

“I can’t believe I got there at the finish – that was really hard. This morning, I didn’t know if there was going to be even a chance for a sprint. It’s amazing.”

Maglia rosa holder Almeida, who remains 43 seconds ahead of Bahrain-McLaren’s Pello Bilbao in the overall standings, was forced to temporarily stop with 37km to after issues with his radio.

While standing at the side of the road he was then hit by another rider and was knocked to the ground, but was able to remount and appeared to finish the stage without difficulty.

Four riders had earlier formed a breakaway, opening up a 10-minute gap on the peloton, before being caught with about 14km remaining.

Friday’s seventh stage is a 143km route from Matera to Brindisi.

Stage six result

1. Arnaud Demare (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) 4hrs 54mins 38secs
2. Michael Matthews (Aus/Team Sunweb) same time
3. Fabio Felline (Ita/Astana Pro Team)
4. Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col/UAE Team Emirates)
5. Davide Cimolai (Ita/Israel Start-Up Nation)
6. Andrea Vendrame (Ita/AG2R La Mondiale)
7. Mikkel Frolich Honore (Den/Deceuninck-Quick-Step)
8. Peter Sagan (Svk/Bora-Hansgrohe)
9. Enrico Battaglin (Ita/Bahrain-McLaren)
10. Jhonatan Manuel Narvaez Prado (Col/Ineos Grenadiers)

Selected others:

34. Simon Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott)

36. James Knox (GB/Deceuninck-Quick-Step)

43. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

General classification

1. Joao Almeida (Por/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 22hrs 1min 01secs
2. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain-McLaren) +43secs
3. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Team Sunweb) +48secs
4. Harm Vanhoucke (Bel/Lotto-Soudal) +59secs
5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Trek-Segafredo) +1min 01secs
6. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/NTT Pro Cycling Team) +1min 05secs
7. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana Pro Team) +1min 19secs
8. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +1min 21secs
9. Patrick Konrad (Aut/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 26secs
10. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe )+1min 32secs

Selected others:

19. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +3mins 18secs

20. James Knox (GB/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +3mins 26secs

21. Simon Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott) +3mins 52secs

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54467911

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Ineos Grenadiers’ Filippo Ganna won stage five of the Giro d’Italia as Britain’s Simon Yates just stayed in touch with the overall contenders.

World road time trial champion Ganna spent the whole 225km stage in the breakaway, going clear up the category one climb of the ‘dark mountain’.

Deceuninck-Quick-Step’s Joao Almeida remains in the leader’s pink jersey.

Yates, a favourite for the overall win, remains in touch despite a poor stage three costing him time.

• Doubt cast on cause of Giro crash
• Thomas out of Giro with fractured hip

A surprise win for a popular figure

Ganna, 24, also won the time trial on the Giro opening stage into Palermo and only lost the pink jersey after trying to nurse the injured Geraint Thomas up Mount Etna on stage three.

The Italian surprised the peloton by staying out at the front of the race across the huge 225km stage from Mileto to Camigliatello Silano – the first on mainland Italy after the race began on Sicily.

Valico di Montescuro – known as the ‘dark mountain’ – is a 19km climb shrouded in pine trees and on Wednesday greeted the riders with thick fog.

As others in the break faded the peloton increased the pace up the mountain, in particular the Trek-Segafredo team of two-time winner Vincenzo Nibali, who aggressively tried to hunt down Ganna while putting pressure on the pink jersey and other general classification contenders.

One Trek-Segafredo rider who had to abandon the race was Dutchman Pieter Weening with suspected concussion.

He struck a discarded drinks bottle on Tuesday’s stage four – just as Thomas had on Monday leading to his abandonment – and, as he tried to save the bike, hit his head on the road.

After being assessed, Weening was allowed to continue but decided to abandon a day later.

The incident fuels questions about how the sport deals with head injuries and potential concussions, following Romain Bardet being allowed to finish stage 13 of the Tour de France despite suffering a bleed on the brain after a crash.

Are the Brits still in with a chance?

Yates, is now three minutes 56 seconds down in the general classification after losing most of his time on Monday’s stage to Mount Etna.

Given there are more than two weeks remaining of an already unpredictable race, it is possible Yates, 28, can get time back on his main rivals – most of whom are around two and a half minutes ahead – with superior climbing skills in the Italian Alps.

Steven Kruijswijk of Jumbo-Visma, Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang, and Bora-Hansgrohe’s Rafal Majka join Nibali as the frontrunners expected to take over at the front as the race progresses.

Other British riders in contention are Ineos’ Tao Geoghegan Hart and James Knox of Deceuninck-Quick Step, but the young pair are likely to have less protection from their teams than Yates as they seek single stage wins.

Thursday’s sixth stage is a 188-km route from Castrovillari to Matera in the Basilicata region.

Meanwhile, new world road race champion Julian Alaphilippe of Deceuninck-Quick-Step won the De Brabantse Pijl one-day classic race in Belgium on Wednesday.

The win comes days after an embarrassing end to the Liege-Bastogne-Liege ‘monument’ classic race when Alaphilippe celebrated victory too early and was beaten to the line by Tour de France runner-up Primoz Roglic of Jumbo-Visma.

Stage 5 result:

1. Filippo Ganna (Ita/Ineos Grenadiers) 5hrs 59mins 17secs

2. Patrick Konrad (Aut/Bora-Hansgrohe) +34 secs

3. Joao Almeida (Por/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) same time

4. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Team Sunweb)

5. Lucas Hamilton (Aus/Mitchelton-Scott)

6. Jai Hindley (Aus/Team Sunweb)

7. Harm Vanhoucke (Bel/Lotto-Soudal)

8. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain-McLaren)

9. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana Pro Team)

10. Fausto Masnada (Ita/Deceuninck-Quick-Step)

Selected others:

19. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

20. Simon Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott)

General Classification:

1. Joao Almeida (Por/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 17hrs 6mins 23secs

2. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain-McLaren) +43secs

3. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Team Sunweb) +48secs

4. Harm Vanhoucke (Bel/Lotto-Soudal) +59secs

5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Trek-Segafredo) +1min 01secs

6. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/NTT Pro Cycling Team) +1min 05secs

7. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana Pro Team) +1min 19secs

8. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +1min 21secs

9. Patrick Konrad (Aut/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 26secs

10. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe )+1min 32secs

Selected others:

19. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +3mins 18secs

20. James Knox (GB/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +3mins 26secs

21. Simon Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott) +3mins 52secs

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54453863

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Britain’s Geraint Thomas is out of contention for the Giro d’Italia after losing more than 12 minutes on stage three to Mount Etna.

The Ineos Grenadiers rider, 34, crashed just before the start after a drinks bottle became lodged under his front wheel.

Fellow Briton and race favourite Simon Yates of Michelton-Scott lost more than four minutes.

The stage was won by EF Pro Cycling’s Jonathan Caicedo.

Deceuninck-Quick Step’s Joao Almeida now wears the leader’s pink jersey, although he is tied on time with Caicedo.

What happened to Thomas and Yates?

2018 Tour de France champion Thomas and Yates were the two strongest contenders to win this year’s Giro, which promised to be a battle of two riders coming into form.

Instead, it was a miserable day for both as the rain fell in the dramatic surrounds of Etna’s dried black lava flows.

Thomas crashed during the neutralised zone before the start of the mountainous stage up to Sicily’s volcano.

He appeared to be riding comfortably despite badly torn kit and landing on his hip.

But as the stage wore on Thomas slipped back from the peloton about 25km from the end of the stage.

Ineos even sacrificed the leader’s pink jersey, taking race leader Filippo Ganna back to try to to help Thomas recover.

Thomas was third in the general classification before the stage, 26 seconds ahead of Yates in eighth.

Soon after Thomas’ demise, Yates began to fade in a similar way, slipping back from a rapid peloton.

Yates had shown strong form in the lead-up to the Giro, winning last month’s Tirreno-Adriatico warm-up race a few seconds ahead of Thomas, who was also recovering form after being left out of the Tour de France.

With 18 days of racing remaining, Thomas is now 11 minutes 17 seconds down in the general classification, while Yates has a deficit of 3mins 46secs.

It will be a bitter disappointment for Ineos, who had a terrible Tour campaign by their standards after defending champion Egan Bernal abandoned the race when he lost seven minutes to leaders on stage 15. The team had won every Tour since 2015 until last month.

Thomas will be assessed by the team’s medical staff and decision made on whether he should continue in the race from Tuesday’s 140km sprint stage from Catania to Villafranca Tirrena.

Ineos may chose to focus their general classification aims on Tao Geoghegan Hart, who is their highest-placed rider at 3mins 19secs down.

The highest-placed British rider is Deceuninck-Quick Step’s James Knox, at 1min 40secs behind.

“It’s still a long Giro,” said Ineos sport director Matteo Tosatto. “We have Filippo and Rohan [Dennis] with some good chances in the time trials and we also have [Jonathan] Castro[viejo] and Tao riding well. We’ll take stock tonight and look at our approach for the rest of the race.”

• Snow-covered mountains await epic battle at Giro d’Italia
• Here’s the bill – EF fined more than £3,000 for controversial ‘duck’ kit

The Shark smells blood

As rivals sensed trouble for both riders the pace of the peloton picked up, with two-time winner Vincenzo Nibali’s Trek-Segafredo team taking over at the front.

Despite a stray Labrador nearly knocking several riders off their bikes before the final 19km climb up to Etna, many of the remaining team leaders made back time.

Steven Kruijswijk of Jumbo-Visma, Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang, Bora-Hansgrohe’s Rafal Majka and Nibali – nicknamed the Shark of Messina – all recovered time lost after poor time trials on stage one.

Sicilian Nibali, 35, is now one of the favourites at 55 seconds behind overall leader Joao Almeida of Deceunick-QuickStep.

Stage 3 result

1. Jonathan Caicedo (Ecu/EF Pro Cycling) 4 hours 02 minutes 33 seconds

2. Giovanni Visconti (Ita/Vini Zabu-KTM) +21secs

3. Harm Vanhoucke (Bel/Lotto-Soudal) +30secs

4. Wilco Keldermann (Ned/Sunweb) +39secs

5. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana) +51secs

6. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe) same time

7. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Trek-Segafedo) same time

8. Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) same time

9. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/NTT) same time

10. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +56secs

Others

31. Simon Yates (GB/Michelton-Scott) +4mins 22secs

69. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +12mins 19secs

General classification

1. Joao Almeida (Por/Deceuninck-Quick Step) 7 hours 44 minutes 25 seconds

2. Jonathan Caicedo (Ecu/EF Pro Cycling) same time

3. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain-McLaren) +37secs

4. Wilco Keldermann (Ned/Sunweb) +42secs

5. Harm Vanhoucke (Bel/Lotto-Soudal) +53secs

6. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Trek-Segafedo) +55secs

7. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/NTT) +59secs

8. Brandon McNulty (USA/UAE-Team Emirates) +1min 11secs

9. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana) +1min 13secs

10. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +1min 15secs

Others

25. Simon Yates (GB/Michelton-Scott) +3mins 46secs

53. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +11mins 17secs

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54412892

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Britain’s Lizzie Deignan won Liege-Bastogne-Liege in Belgium on Sunday to claim her first ever ‘monument’ – one of cycling’s biggest one-day races

Deignan made a solo break with 24km left to open up a minute’s lead.

Australian Grace Brown produced a late counter-attack to get within 10 seconds, but Deignan held on for her third victory since the season resumed.

A dramatic men’s race saw Primoz Roglic steal victory from Julian Alaphilippe as he celebrated on the line.

• Snow-covered mountains await epic battle of the Britons at Giro d’Italia
• Here’s the bill – EF fined more than £3,000 for controversial ‘duck’ kit

A ‘special’ win for Deignan

The 31-year-old Trek-Segafredo rider said having the “perfect team” was key to ending her wait to win a ‘monument’.

“It’s really special,” said Deignan, who adds the title to her recent victories in the GP Plouay and La Course.

Dutch riders had won each of the three races since the event’s inauguration in 2017, with two victories for Anna van der Breggen (2017 and 2018) and one for defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten, who finished 28th on Sunday.

Deignan, who finished second behind Van der Breggen in 2017, said she “raced on instinct”.

“In this team we’re allowed to race on instinct and not to fear failure,” she added.

From elation to embarrassment for Alaphilippe

Deceuninck-Quick Step rider Alaphilippe was in scintillating form during the men’s race, a week on from winning the World Road Championships road race in Imola, Italy.

Despite crashing during the race and having to change a shoe, the Frenchman launched an attack off the front of the peloton with 15km of the 256km route remaining.

He was followed by Jumbo-Visma’s Roglic, who lost the Tour de France on a thrilling final day to Tadej Pogacar just two weeks ago.

Slovenian countryman Pogacar of UAE Team-Emirates was also in pursuit, alongside Tour stage winner Marc Hirschi of Sunweb.

As the four sprinted to the line, Alaphilippe appeared to block Hirschi, who unclipped from his pedal and unintentionally barged Pogacar.

As Alaphilippe sat up from his handlebars to spread his arms wide and roll over the line to embrace victory, he did not see Roglic racing up on his right-hand side. Roglic just managed to sneak ahead by half a wheel.

A frustrated Alaphilippe was then demoted to fifth for the block on Hirschi.

“Unbelievable – finally I managed to win something, huh?” said Roglic in disbelief. “Really happy I managed to win. It was on my wish list to win a monument.”

The races were delayed from their usual April ‘spring classics’ spot because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54406778

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Geraint Thomas claimed fourth place at the Giro d’Italia’s opening-day time trial – 26 seconds ahead of British rival Simon Yates.

The stage was won by Thomas’ Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Filippo Ganna, who was also victorious at the world time trial championship last Friday.

Yates, 28, was 17th, nearly a minute down on Ganna’s winning time of 15 minutes 24 seconds.

The 15.1km race was marred by a crash for Astana’s Miguel Angel Lopez.

Lopez was taken to hospital by ambulance after crashing through the barrier at the 9.4km time check when he momentarily took one hand off the bars on his bike.

His front wheel hit a bump in the tarmac, which pitched the bike off to his right, through a steel barrier and into members of the crowd near the centre of Palermo.

“Miguel Angel has been taken to hospital for further observation. We will update you as soon as we know more,” said a team statement on Twitter.

The Colombian automatically abandons the race because he did not get to the finish of the stage.

• Snow-covered mountains await epic battle of the Britons at Giro d’Italia

What happened to the Britons?

Thomas, 34, will be happy with the gap he has over his rivals who are in contention to win the general classification of the three-week race across Italy.

The only other GC challenger close to his time was Mitchelton-Scott’s Yates, who is expected to lose time to Thomas in the race’s three time trials, before recovering with strong rides during the mountain stages.

“I definitely emptied the tank. I can be pretty happy with how it went,” said Welshman Thomas on Twitter.

Many of the contenders posted poor times on the largely downhill charge from Monreale, overlooking the Mediterranean sea, into Palermo.

Steven Kruijswijk of Jumbo-Visma, Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang and two-time winner Vincenzo Nibali of TrekSegafredo, who was starting the race at home in Sicily, were all more than a minute behind Thomas.

It is the second time in a week Ganna has been imperious in a field of the world’s best time triallists in his native Italy, having won the world roads rainbow jersey in Emilia Romagna.

Ganna, 24, will wear the race leader’s maglia rosa (pink jersey) during Sunday’s 149km stage to Agrigento on Sicily.

Meanwhile, young Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel took his first ride outside his home on Saturday since a horrifying crash in which he sustained multiple injuries, including a fractured pelvis.

The 20-year-old Deceuninck-Quick Step rider crashed at the bottom of a descent during the Il Lombardia one-day race in August, falling off a bridge and into a wooded ravine.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am today after my first time outside in almost two months,” he said.

“I made this step only after talking with the team’s doctors and it just so happened that I returned on the day I should have been in Palermo for the start of the Giro d’Italia. It’s a huge morale boost.”

• Remco Evenepoel fractures pelvis in bridge fall at Il Lombardia

Stage 1 result and general classification

1. Filippo Ganna (Ita/Ineos Grenadiers) 15 minutes 24 seconds

2. João Almeida (Por/Deceuninck-Quick Step) +22secs

3. Mikkel Bjerg (Den/UAE-Team Emirates) same time

4. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineo Grenadiers) +23secs

5. Tobias Foss (Nor/Jumbo-Visma) +31secs

6. Josef Cerny (Cze/CCC) +36secs

7. Matteo Sobrero (Ita/NTT Pro cycling) +40secs

8. Lawson Craddock (USA/EF Pro Cycling) +41secs

9. Miles Scotson (Aus/Groupama-FDJ) +42secs

10. Matthias Brandle (Aus/Israel Start Up Nation) same time

Others

17. Simon Yates (GB/Michelton-Scott) +49secs

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Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54400221

The post Geraint Thomas leads Simon Yates by 26 seconds as Filippo Ganna leads Giro d’Italia appeared first on Johnny on a bike.

The 2017 Giro d’Italia was meant to be a landmark moment for Geraint Thomas, leading his team in a Grand Tour for the first time and embarking on what he called “uncharted territory”.

Recognised then as a ‘super domestique’ duty-bound to support other riders such as Chris Froome, Thomas’ transition into the spotlight was going to plan as he entered the ninth stage in second place and ready to make his move for the leader’s pink jersey.

Then it all fell apart.

Wilco Kelderman collided with a police motorbike stopped at the side of the road, swerved to his right and caused a crash which sent Thomas and others in the peloton tumbling.

Injured, bloodied but, more than anything, furious, the Welshman soldiered on to complete the next stage before pulling out of the race to recover in time for that summer’s Tour de France.

Thomas was so frustrated that he could not bring himself to watch the rest of the Giro back home in Cardiff, solemnly adding that he had “unfinished business” with the race.

On Saturday, he begins his quest to right that wrong.

• Giro d’Italia – key stages and riders
• Thomas set for Giro battle with Yates

Thomas is back in Italy to compete in the Giro for the first time since 2017, and he returns a different rider – a Tour de France champion in 2018 and now leading Ineos Grenadiers on his own, having shared that responsibility with Mikel Landa three years ago.

“It’s always been in the back of my mind, wanting to come back here and have another crack at it,” Thomas tells BBC Sport Wales.

“It felt like I was in great shape then and obviously a crash put an end to that.

“So I’ve always wanted to come back and try and give it a good go – at least finish the race for a start!

“I know I can perform and this year seems to be the perfect opportunity to do that. I think I’m coming into form at just the right time and the motivation for sure is there from the past as well.”

Thomas has been absent from the Giro for the past three years because he has been concentrating on the Tour, winning it for the first time in 2018 and finishing second behind Ineos team-mate Egan Bernal last year.

This year, however, his priorities have changed in a season turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Giro usually takes place in the spring with the Tour following in July, before the third of road racing’s holy trinity, the Vuelta a Espana, brings the Grand Tour season to a close in September.

But as a result of coronavirus-enforced postponements, the Tour finished on 20 September, the Giro begins on Saturday and the Vuelta will not end until 8 November.

Bernal was chosen to lead Ineos in France but, after his title defence went up in flames following a disastrous stage 15, Sir David Brailsford’s team will be throwing their support behind Thomas’s bid to win his second Grand Tour.

“Geraint’s one of the most experienced riders in our team and has been for years, he’s very successful and he’s come a long way since the start of his career with us,” says Brailsford.

“People saw it as a non-selection [for the Tour] but it’s not a non-selection. We’ve known each other a very long time so we could sit down and have a mature conversation about the Tour or look a bit further at the Giro, where he could be competitive in the general classification.

“I think it’s more exciting and a better option for a rider of Geraint’s standing to be here at the Giro, competing for the overall win. I’m very pleased about the decision we made.

“It’s not impacted on our relationship in anyway whatsoever.”

Thomas nods, adding: “I totally agree. We had a really good, long, honest chat and a decision was made and we’re going all guns blazing for the Giro.

“This is what I wanted to do. The only downside was that I’m missing my son Macs’ first birthday, my fifth wedding anniversary and my wife Sara’s 30th birthday.

“But other than that, from a purely professional point of view, I’m super hungry for it and I think it was a good decision. You’ve just got to have the balls to do it.

“Where I am in my career, I want to go to races to perform and win or at least be in the mix. With the Tour I wasn’t quite where I wanted to be so, with the Giro, I feel like I’m in good shape.”

Thomas’ preparations for the race have gone well, with two encouraging performances in Italy in September.

The 34-year-old finished second at the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race and then came fourth in the Road World Championships time trial.

The latter result bodes particularly well as this year’s Giro route features three time trials, including the opening and closing stages, which should suit Thomas.

As ever in a Grand Tour, there are several mountainous stages and the climbs will be especially testing when the three-week race visits the Alps before finishing in Milan.

And as the Giro has been moved from its usual slot in May to October, the weather could have a major bearing on events. Several of the stages’ summit finishes have already been covered in snow, which could lead to stages being re-routed or cancelled.

Thomas has first-hand experience of the weather impacting Grand Tours, having been in contention for the Tour de France yellow jersey when hailstorm brought stage 19 to an abrupt halt last year.

On top of the potentially tricky conditions, Thomas faces strong competition in Italy, with fellow Briton and the man who pipped him to the Tirreno-Adriatico title, Simon Yates of Mitchelton-Scott, among the leading contenders.

Others expected to challenge for the pink jersey – the ‘maglia rosa’ in Italian – include Steven Kruijswijk of Jumbo-Visma, Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang and two-time winner Vincenzo Nibali of Trek-Segafredo.

After last month’s thrilling conclusion to the Tour de France, this year’s Giro has the ingredients for another absorbing spectacle.

And for Thomas, after the injustice of 2017, he will hope to finally see to that unfinished business.

“It would be massive to win. It’s the second biggest race in the world – the history, the fans, it’s a huge race in its own right,” he says.

“I’m one of the favourites but it’s a strong field here. It’s nice to hear people think I’m one of the favourites – I’m just hoping they’re all right.

“I won the Tour in 2018, I was runner-up last year, training has been going well, I was second at the Tirreno-Adriatico, the Worlds time trial went well, so I feel I’m in decent enough shape to be competitive.

“I’m not saying I’m going to come and win the race but I will definitely be there or thereabouts. I’ve done all the hard work and that’s all I can control.

“I’m hopeful that I’ll be in the mix. I’m really looking forward to it now.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54370688

The post Geraint Thomas: Ineos leader returns to Giro d’Italia to right wrong of 2017 crash appeared first on Johnny on a bike.