Ciolek wins stage 2 at the Tour of Britain
Germany’s Gerald Ciolek has won the second stage of the Tour of Britain overnight after pipping Sam Bennett to the finish line to become the new race leader.
MTN Qhubeka’s Ciolek and Irish rider Bennett (An Post-Chain Reaction) moved past Thomas Lovkvist of IAM Cycling, who was leading with 500 metres to go, before the German edged out Bennett in a sprint finish to claim victory.
The 26-year-old, who won Milan-San Remo in March this year and came third on Sunday’s first stage in Scotland, finished in just over five hours to claim the leader’s jersey.
Great Britain’s Simon Yates is up to second in the general classification after coming fourth, with riders covering 186.6km including the race’s first Category 1 climb, on the Carlisle to Kendal stage.
Former Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins crossed the line 17 seconds off the lead for Team Sky and is 12th overall, but there was more disappointment for Omega Pharma Quick-Step’s Mark Cavendish, who darted out in front of the leading group with 10km left before Lovkvist started to build up a lead with 8km to go.
Cavendish had the platform laid for him by his teammates on Sunday’s first ride from Peebles to Drumlanrig Castle, but he was boxed in and slipped off the pace. And on Monday he finished down the pack a massive 47 seconds behind Ciolek.
The third stage on Tuesday takes the riders on a 16km time trial starting and finishing at Knowsley Safari Park.
Follow the link for results from stage 2 of the 2013 Tour of Britain. Text via AFP.
USADA admit Horner isn’t responsible for missed test
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has confirmed they do not consider Tour of Spain winner Chris Horner to have missed a drug test after Spanish anti-doping authorities turned up at the wrong hotel to carry out a test on Monday.
The 41-year-old American became the oldest ever winner of a grand tour in Madrid on Sunday.
The Spanish authorities had been asked to carry out the test on behalf of USADA and attended the hotel where the majority of Horner’s RadioShack team were staying on Monday morning.
However, RadioShack confirmed that Horner was instead staying at a different hotel with his wife on Sunday night and had communicated his location, phone number and one-hour time window to be tested to the USADA.
“Chris Horner updated his whereabouts with USADA before the start of the final stage, giving the agency the name of his hotel for the night, phone number and room number for his one hour window between six and seven a.m.
“This is all according to the rules and Chris Horner received a confirmation email,” they said in a statement accompanied with a copy of the said emails Horner sent to and received from USADA.
In response USADA admitted that there had been no wrongdoing on Horner’s part and that they had not passed on the information regarding Horner’s change of whereabouts before the testers visited RadioShack’s hotel.
“In response to public statements from Team RadioShack today concerning Chris Horner, USADA can confirm that we were coordinating an out-of-competition test with the Agencia Española de Protección de la Salud en el Deporte (AEA) while Mr. Horner was in Spain.
“Mr. Horner properly updated his whereabouts information in advance of the test attempt, but given that the information was received in the United States, the AEA doping control officer on the ground in Spain did not receive the updated information prior to arriving at the hotel.
“This is not considered a missed test and neither anti-doping organisation provided information to the media regarding this situation.”
Text via AFP.
Click here to read more about the Whereabouts program and how it works.
Chris Horner stage 21 interview
Who wouldn’t love to get stoned with this guy?
Riblon re-signs with Ag2r-La Mondiale through 2016
Christophe Riblon has extended his contract with the Ag2r-La Mondiale team and will ride with the French squad until 2016.
Riblon won a famous victory at this year’s Tour de France after he dragged in and then dropped Tejay van Garderen (BMC) on the second of two climbs up Alpe d’Huez.
Riblon also won a stage at the Tour of Poland and finished third overall.
“I’m very proud to wear during three additional years the colours of the Ag2r-La Mondiale team,” Riblon said in the official announcement from the French team.
“I want to thank Vincent Lavenu and our sponsors who trust me for nine years and who are still present at my side. I want to build on the great results I obtained this summer and to pay the team back for the trust they have shown. I know I’m able to obtain excellent results on World Tour one-week races. I also think to one day races as Milano-San Remo.”
Click here to read more at Cycling News.
Robbie Hunter to retire after 16-year career
South African rider Robbie Hunter has announced that he’ll retire from professional cycling after 16 years in the job after revealing he doesn’t have a team for 2014.
Guess it's time to hang up the wheels
— Robbie Hunter (@RobbieHunter) September 15, 2013
16 years in europe not a bad run.. now new things to look forward to.
— Robbie Hunter (@RobbieHunter) September 15, 2013
I'd happily race another year to do my 10th TDF and i know i got the legs but guess teams don't think so.
— Robbie Hunter (@RobbieHunter) September 15, 2013
Hunter first rode as a pro in 1999 with the Lampre-Daikin team and has since ridden for Mapei-Quick Step, Rabobank, Phonak, Barloworld, Garmin-Transitions, Team RadioShack and most recently, Garmin-Sharp.
Hunter has won a stage at the Tour de France, two stages at the Vuelta a Espana and also won the Tour of Qatar overall in 2004. He was the South African national road champion in 2012.
Click here to read more at Cycling News.
Swinging in and dropping out
Here are a couple of entertaining gif animations that we stumbled across. We’re not sure who’s in them or which race (or races) they’re from so if you think you know, leave a comment below.
The Rocacorba Recap
And finally this morning, here are a few things you might have missed:
