A flattish route on offer in Britain today, with the top sprinters of the country all set to do battle. 100% Me must surely expect a victory here? Swift, Kennaugh and Cavendish are all capable - but all failed to win a flat one-day race this season. A big rival is a man who Swift edged out in the Tour of Ireland, Luke Rowe - the Wiggle rider having had a more impressive season though - with multiple Giro d'Italia stage wins. Look out also for his brother, loaned out from Wiggle to Lipton this year, who can also pack a strong sprint.
Then theres the attackers. Could strongmen like defending champion Bellis, Froome, Tennant, Millar, Wiggins, Blythe or others defy the hopes of the sprinters?
Or maybe some random break will spend all day in the lead and win.
Well, that random break contained 3 riders. 100% Me's stagiare Stockdale, and full rider Russell Downing, plus Ed Clancy racing for the first time this season for Pendleton's Twicer.
They dont lead by much with 50km to go, when Dowsett, Barclay, Stannard, Blythe, Tim Kennaugh and Cleaver all attack from the peloton. They get up to the initial 3, but Wiggle, with Tanguy, and Cafe de Colombia, with Swift-Metcalfe, are chasing hard.
All together with 30km to go as Wiggins attacks
Barclay follows, their lead at 25 seconds with 20km to go
Wiggins is on a mission and keeps pushing the gap out, but Tom Diggle is working hard on the peloton
Theyre caught with 8km to go, and already the sprinters are up here. The 100% Me line is Appleby, Kennaugh, Gaywood, Cavendish and Swift. Luke Rowe is alongside, with Tom Last following him, Matt Rowe is also close - Briggs, Blythe, Thomas and Tennant too
Suddenly with 4km to go, YouTube have taken over
But the sprint is off and Peter Kennaugh leads
Luke Rowe is forced to chase - this is ideal for the 100% Me rider on Rowe's wheel .. but thats Gaywood! Idiocy here to have Swift and Cavendish behind Gaywood
Kennaugh still leads into the final kilometre, with 700m to go Luke Rowe is going for it, and with Gaywood forming a block, Swift is already out of it - Cavendish desperately hoping for huge speed going down the right
But no, 100% Me have messed up big time, and Luke Rowe passes Peter Kennaugh to become British Champion!
This race has been David Millar's for a few seasons now, and he starts fairly early today. Wind okay when he starts, but has risen to 32 mid-stage which is roughly how it stays. He beats Clancy by 1'49 and Diggle by 2'01 for the provisional lead
Andy Tennant had it worse wind wise, 32 almost all the way through. Slower than both Diggle and Clancy at the first check because of this, and 64 seconds down on Millar at the 2nd check. It's not his year luck wise, but he shows his potential nonetheless with a very strong finish - to end 'only' 40 seconds down on Millar
Steven Cummings goes 3rd at the finish, having also gained on Millar in the closing stages - the wind is now down to 19. Wiggins and Stannard are on course. Ian Stannard having been the stand out British time trialist this season.
At the first check its close, 2 seconds separating Wiggins, Stannard and Millar. Wiggins edging it - but by the 2nd check Stannard has moved into the lead, 3 seconds up on Wiggins - and Millar now notably back at 30 seconds.
Both pass other riders out on course, but it is Stannard who presses on and becomes British time trial champion! Wiggins is at 12 seconds, and even with the wind having picked up again towards the end, Millar is well out of it, losing over a minute in 3rd
