Henderson Opens Account for Team Sky
Tour Down Under - Cancer Council Helpline Classic, 51km/32mi
By Cathy Mehl
Welcome to sunny Adelaide in South Australia and the start of the 2010 Pro Tour Cycling season! Including this race with its January position on the race calendar brings many untested legs to the peloton but provides a rare opportunity to participate in an early-season, form-testing racing format. Lining up on the startline in red and gray kits, Lance Armstrong, Tomas Vaitkus, Daryl Impey, Jason McCartney, Yaroslav Popovych, Sébastien Rosseler and Gert Steegmans raced together for the first time, flying the colors of the new Team RadioShack.
Armstrong wasted no time in the pack and put his face in the wind for almost half of the race as part of a five-man breakaway, but the victory went to another new team with top sprinter Greg Henderson chalking up the first-ever win for Team Sky. Seizing control in the final laps, Team Sky kept the pace high to discourage last minute attacks from other teams and launched Henderson just before the finish line. Second place went to his teammate Chris Sutton with Australia’s own Robbie McEwen (Katusha) claiming third place.
"I felt like I tested them a little bit," Armstrong said in reference to his cycling legs. "I felt better than last year and certainly more comfortable in the race." He continued with "We had a few good weeks in Hawaii so I know I've got a bit of power, but sometimes it's better to be up on those small groups than to be back fighting with 100 guys for every wheel and every corner." Staying safe and out of harm's way was a top priority for Team RadioShack.
After the team presentations in Rymill Park the peloton lined up at 4:15PM, ready to ride for just over an hour. While Sunday’s criterium was not officially part of the ProTour calendar (which will begin with Stage One on Tuesday), there were plenty of pro racers anxious to begin their season with a win as 133 riders took to the start line. It was a dead-flat race course consisting of 30-laps at 1.7km/1mi each and was contested at a rapid pace in the late afternoon sunshine in front of big, enthusiastic crowds. A top speed of 71km/44mph was still showing on one Team RadioShack bike speedometer after the race as Johan Bruyneel explained, “No, this was not on a downhill.”
All early attacks were quickly brought back when a new attempt was made and no significant headway was made until midway through the race when Lance moved to the front along side Oscar Pereiro (Astana). The duo was quickly joined by Mikael Cherel (Francaise Des Jeux), Peter Sagan (Liquigas) and Perget Mathieu (Caisse d’Epargne). The five riders easily established a gap of 11-seconds and held it for some 14-laps while they pushed the big gear, but with three laps to go Rabobank and HTC-Columbia managed to pull the escapees back into the fold. Team Sky wasted no time in moving to the front, and despite good organization by the experienced Columbia train, Sky held their position and ramped the speeds insanely high, their efforts paying off in the win for the new team directed by Sean Yates.
Team RadioShack had plenty of representation in the closing laps too as sprinters Vaitkus, Steegmans, Impey and Rosseler stayed close to the front, jockeying for position and looking for an opening. It was a great first ride for the boys from Team RadioShack and a perfect lead-up to opening day of the Pro-Tour on Tuesday.
Beyond the Finish Line: Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and was colonised by free settlers around the mid-1830's. Located on the Torrens River and surrounded to the east by the Mt. Lofty Ranges and to the west by the Gulf St. Vincent, the city prides itself on its live music and arts scene, its historic building heritage and its central location to one of Australia's best known wine growing regions, the Barossa Valley. The Santos Tour Down Under will roll through this famous wine region on Tuesday and Wednesday.
TOP TEN RESULTS
1. HENDERSON Gregory SKY 1.04'33"
2. SUTTON Christopher SKY 1.04'33"
3. GREIPEL Andre THR 1.04'33"
4. McEWEN Robbie KAT 1.04'33"
5. COOKE Baden SAX 1.04'33"
6. BROWN Graeme RAB 1.04'33"
7. DAVIS Allan AST 1.04'33"
8. ROJAS Jose GCE 1.04'33"
9. RAVARD Anthony ALM 1.04'33"
10. CARDOSO Manuel FOT 1.04'33"
TEAM RADIOSHACK RESULTS
13. IMPEY Daryl RSH 1.04'33"
16. VAITKUS Tomas RSH 1.04'33"
18. STEEGMANS Gert RSH 1.04'33"
30. ROSSELER Sebastien RSH 1.04'33"
49. POPOVYCH Yaroslav RSH 1.04'41"
62. ARMSTRONG Lance RSH 1.04'41"
118. McCARTNEY Jason RSH 1.04'56" |
发表于 2010-1-16 22:52:54
