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October 6/11 11:09 am - Tour of Beijing: Stage 1


Posted by Editoress on 10/6/11
 

Martin honours rainbow jersey with time trial win in Beijing

 

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The first stage of the inaugural Tour of Beijing was honoured in the best possible manner, with the reigning world champion prevailing in today’s opening time trial.

HTC-Highroad’s Tony Martin was simply superior, just has he had been in Copenhagen two weeks ago.

Martin’s prize was a place in cycling trivia history as the first stage winner of a UCI WorldTour event in Asia and the reward of wearing the leader’s red jersey into tomorrow’s first road stage.

He celebrated his first opportunities both to wear the rainbow jersey and to race in China with an emphatic 17 second victory over former world championships silver medallist David Millar, recording 13mins 33secs to Millar’s 13:50.

Their Chinese hosts could not have wished for a more respectful beginning to their newest sporting venture, nor a more gracious winner.

“It is my first time ever in China and it is a big honour to win the first ever stage in the Tour of Beijing,” Martin said.

“I decided a long time before (I won the world championship) to come here. I wanted to be one time in China. For me it is not about the victory, it’s about being here for this nice race.”

But the task was not without its challenges. Not only did he have the pressure of wearing the world champion’s jersey for the first time, but like all riders, Martin had to adjust to time trialling on a road bike.

“It is a different position and a different feeling. The time trial bike is also more stiff. But I was just trying to find a good way over a short distance,” the stage-winner said.

And Martin does not dismiss his chances of retaining the leader’s red jersey until the Tour’s conclusion on Sunday.

“I have a lot of motivation for a good race and we will now try to defend the jersey.

“I hope tomorrow is not too hard. I should be okay. I think it is more for the sprinters.”

This is a scenario that the other teams had feared pre-race – Tony Martin with a good lead in the time trial and a team determined to defend it from then on.

But at least one other team, Sky Pro Cycling, finds itself in a reasonable position, and with options, after the first day’s racing.

One of the more impressive rides on stage one came from one of its younger men. Alex Dowsett, who turned 23 just two days ago, turned in a time of 13:57 for the 11.3km circuit and held the lead for well over an hour until Millar bested him by seven seconds, with just ten riders left on the course.

Dowsett consequently wears the white jersey for the best young rider but it is the presence of his team mates, Vuelta e Espana runner-up Chris Froome and Stephen Cummings in fourth and fifth spots on general classification that provides Sky with the chance to attack Martin.

It is a flexibility not available to many other teams, for despite the relatively short distance of today’s opening stage, the gaps are already significant, with more than two-thirds of the field already more than one minute adrift of the leader.

Dowsett was pleased with his own result and certainly open to the suggestion that his team may still have a big role to play in the Tour.

“Coming third to Tony Martin and David Millar is a pretty good result and I can be proud of that,” Dowsett said.

“We will now sit down tonight and talk about it. We have three riders in the top five and obviously no other team has that. We will take it on and see what we can do.

With it widely recognised that stages two, four and five are sprinters’ races, it means that HTC-Highroad only has to control the race on the much hillier stage three, within the 17 second buffer Martin has established, to win the Tour.

Stage one proceeded largely without incident, except for Rabobank’s Lars Boom receiving a twenty second penalty for a team car infraction, which will see him drop from sixth to 30th overall.

Courtesy Tour of Beijing


Stage 1: (October 5th): Birds Nest Piazza to Water Cube Olympic Campus ITT, 11.3 km Time Diff
1 Tony Martin (Ger) HTC - Highroad 0:13:33.63 0
2 David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin - Cervelo 0:13:50.10 0:17
3 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:13:57.22 0:24
4 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:13:59.90 0:26
5 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:14:08.48 0:35
6 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:14:09.97 0:36
7 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto 0:14:12.35 0:39
8 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Esp) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:14:14.64 0:41
9 Jean Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La mondiale 0:14:16.34 0:43
10 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Quick Step Cycling Team 0:14:16.72
11 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Pro Team Astana 0:14:16.72 both s.t.
12 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick Step Cycling Team 0:14:19.25 0:46
13 John Murphy (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:14:20.09 0:47
14 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La mondiale 0:14:22.79 0:49
15 Benjamin King (USA) Team RadioShack 0:14:23.47 0:50
16 Ruben Plaza Molina (Esp) Movistar Team 0:14:24.92 0:51
17 Michael Barry (Can) Sky Procycling 0:14:25.29 0:52
18 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto 0:14:25.55
19 Nelson Oliveira (Por) Team RadioShack 0:14:25.71 both s.t.
20 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling Team 0:14:26.16 0:53
21 Adam Hansen (Aus) Omega Pharma - Lotto 0:14:26.47
22 Martijn Keizer (Ned) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling Team 0:14:26.76 both s.t.
23 Hayden Roulston (NZl) HTC - Highroad 0:14:27.21 0:54
24 Andrey Mizurov (Kaz) Pro Team Astana 0:14:27.24
25 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Team Garmin - Cervelo 0:14:27.65 both s.t.
26 Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team 0:14:28.03 0:55
27 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team RadioShack 0:14:28.28
28 Michael Albasini (Sui) HTC - Highroad 0:14:28.31
29 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Saxo Bank SunGard 0:14:28.65 all s.t.
30 Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:14:29.14 0:56
31 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:14:29.73
32 Leigh Howard (Aus) HTC - Highroad 0:14:29.78 both s.t.
33 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La mondiale 0:14:30.59 0:57
34 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) Katusha Team 0:14:30.62
35 Cameron Wurf (Aus) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:14:30.87
36 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling Team 0:14:30.97 all s.t.
37 Dario-David Cioni (Ita) Sky Procycling 0:14:31.00 0:58
38 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:14:31.10
39 Michael Morkov (Den) Saxo Bank SunGard 0:14:31.48
40 Peter Velits (Svk) HTC - Highroad 0:14:31.94 all s.t.
41 Tiago Machado (Por) Team RadioShack 0:14:32.58 0:59
42 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Katusha Team 0:14:33.23 1:00
43 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:14:33.30
44 Tanel Kangert (Est) Pro Team Astana 0:14:33.89
45 Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:14:34.14 1:01
46 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling 0:14:34.33
47 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Team Leopard-Trek 0:14:34.83 both s.t.
48 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Team Leopard-Trek 0:14:35.71 1:02
49 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto 0:14:36.41 1:03
50 Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) HTC - Highroad 0:14:37.03 1:04
51 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling Team 0:14:37.04
52 Mikel Astarloza (Esp) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:14:38.26 1:05
53 Ion Izagirre Insausti (Esp) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:14:38.60
54 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) BMC Racing Team 0:14:38.70 both s.t.
55 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick Step Cycling Team 0:14:39.19 1:06
56 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling 0:14:40.54 1:07
57 Haimar Zubeldia (Esp) Team RadioShack 0:14:41.05 1:08
58 Luke Roberts (Aus) Saxo Bank SunGard 0:14:41.16
59 Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Quick Step Cycling Team 0:14:41.17
60 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Esp) Movistar Team 0:14:41.53
61 Beñat Intxausti Elorriaga (Esp) Movistar Team 0:14:42.00 1:09
62 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling Team 0:14:42.20
63 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:14:42.28
64 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team RadioShack 0:14:42.44
65 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Esp) Movistar Team 0:14:42.64
66 Jack Bobridge (Aus) Team Garmin - Cervelo 0:14:42.88 all s.t.
67 Markel Irizar (Esp) Team RadioShack 0:14:43.09 1:10
68 Simon Clarke (Aus) Pro Team Astana 0:14:43.63 s.t.
69 Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) Katusha Team 0:14:44.19 1:11
70 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La mondiale 0:14:46.72 1:13
71 Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:14:47.05 1:14
72 Martin Mortensen (Den) Team Leopard-Trek 0:14:48.07 1:15
73 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:14:49.21 1:16
74 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Team RadioShack 0:14:49.23 s.t.
75 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:14:50.23 1:17
76 Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step Cycling Team 0:14:50.80 s.t.
77 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick Step Cycling Team 0:14:51.13 1:18
78 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:14:52.22 1:19
79 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Katusha Team 0:14:52.33
80 Igor Anton Hernandez (Esp) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:14:52.89
81 Egor Silin (Rus) Katusha Team 0:14:52.96 both s.t.
82 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Pro Team Astana 0:14:53.60 1:20
83 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Team Garmin - Cervelo 0:14:53.65 s.t.
84 Amael Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 0:14:55.01 1:22
85 Chris Sörensen (Den) Saxo Bank SunGard 0:14:55.38 s.t.
86 Caleb Fairly (USA) HTC - Highroad 0:14:56.09 1:23
87 David Tanner (Aus) Saxo Bank SunGard 0:14:56.17
88 Javier Iriarte (Esp) Movistar Team 0:14:56.61 both s.t.
89 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:14:57.90 1:24
90 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Team Garmin - Cervelo 0:14:58.49 1:25
91 Amets Txurruka Ansola (Esp) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:14:59.52 1:26
92 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team Leopard-Trek 0:14:59.58
93 Juan Manuel Garate Cepa (Esp) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:14:59.71
94 Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Leopard-Trek 0:14:59.96 all s.t.
95 Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling Team 0:15:00.37 1:27
96 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:15:00.53 s.t.
97 Maarten Neyens (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto 0:15:01.13 1:28
98 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto 0:15:01.26
99 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Katusha Team 0:15:01.67
100 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:15:01.90 all s.t.
101 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La mondiale 0:15:02.54 1:29
102 Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:15:03.41 1:30
103 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Ita) Movistar Team 0:15:04.23 1:31
104 Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Garmin - Cervelo 0:15:04.48 s.t.
105 Haijun Ma (Chn) Chinese National Cycling Team 0:15:05.52 1:32
106 Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling Team 0:15:07.43 1:34
107 Jonas Jorgensen (Den) Saxo Bank SunGard 0:15:07.76 s.t.
108 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:15:08.89 1:35
109 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Pro Team Astana 0:15:09.43 1:36
110 Alfredo Balloni (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:15:09.96 s.t.
111 Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team 0:15:12.15 1:39
112 Alan Perez Lezaun (Esp) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:15:12.65 s.t.
113 Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:15:13.45 1:40
114 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:15:14.76 1:41
115 Meiyin Wang (Chn) Chinese National Cycling Team 0:15:16.85 1:43
116 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:15:16.92 s.t.
117 Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:15:17.46 1:44
118 Julien Bérard (Fra) AG2R La mondiale 0:15:19.07 1:46
119 Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Saxo Bank SunGard 0:15:19.80 s.t.
120 Mikael Chérel (Fra) AG2R La mondiale 0:15:20.89 1:47
121 Christopher Butler (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:15:21.19 1:48
122 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La mondiale 0:15:21.22
123 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Pro Team Astana 0:15:23.07 1:50
124 Mikel Nieve Iturralde (Esp) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:15:23.29 s.t.
125 Ben Ma (Chn) Chinese National Cycling Team 0:15:24.78 1:51
126 Anders Lund (Den) Team Leopard-Trek 0:15:25.20 1:52
127 Enrique Sanz (Esp) Movistar Team 0:15:27.19 1:54
128 Sergey Renev (Kaz) Pro Team Astana 0:15:27.30
129 Kenny De Haes (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto 0:15:27.45
130 Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:15:27.80 all s.t.
131 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Quick Step Cycling Team 0:15:28.89 1:55
132 Kun Jiang (Chn) Chinese National Cycling Team 0:15:28.92 s.t.
133 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Esp) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:15:30.44 1:57
134 Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:15:32.09 1:59
135 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:15:32.56 s.t.
136 Andrew Talansky (USA) Team Garmin - Cervelo 0:15:36.46 2:03
137 Lucas Sebastien Haedo (Arg) Saxo Bank SunGard 0:15:36.82 s.t.
138 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Quick Step Cycling Team 0:15:38.46 2:05
139 Martin Pedersen (Den) Team Leopard-Trek 0:15:40.09 2:07
140 Theo Bos (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:15:41.72 2:08
141 Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:15:42.99 2:09
142 Xi Tao Ji (Chn) Chinese National Cycling Team 0:15:43.68 2:10
143 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:15:43.82 s.t.
144 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:15:46.91 2:13
145 Fengnian Wang (Chn) Chinese National Cycling Team 0:16:00.13 2:27
146 Yiming Zhao (Chn) Chinese National Cycling Team 0:16:09.80 2:36
147 Ruisong Zhang (Chn) Chinese National Cycling Team 0:16:34.40 3:01

 

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