2005 Tour of Britain

 

August 30 to September 4, 2005; Larry Hickmott reports | Event Website >>>>

Travelling through some of the most picturesque counties in Britain, the 2005 UCI Tour of Britain saw the local riders take the race to the professionals from around the World.

 

One of the countries top professionals, Roger Hammond won a stage in the rain at Blackpool and Julian Winn was winner of the KOM jersey. British Cycling was there each step of the way to bring you reports, interviews and lots of photos.

 

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Index to British Cycling's Tour of Britain Photographs >>>>

Stage 1; Tuesday, August 30, 2005 | Glasgow - Castle Douglas

 Unlike last year where all the stages were decided in bunch sprints, the wind and the terrain took it's toll early on as the race split into small groups, with a group of 34 forming and staying away. The winner of the stage was Quickstep's Nick Nuyens who won the two up sprint for the stage just ahead of the break.

 

In third was former British Road Race champion Jeremy Hunt (Mr Bookmaker), one of four British riders who stayed clear of the main peloton which finished over 24 minutes back and effectively out of the race for the overall classification with still five days to go.

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Stage 2; Wednesday, August 31, 2005  | Carlisle - Blackpool

As the rain poured down over the coastal town of Blackpool British rider Roger Hammond flew past the finishing line with both arms above his head in salute of a tremendous second stage victory.

 

The determined Roger Hammond who is currently on loan from Lance Armstrong’s Discovery Team stole the show with a gutsy attacking ride across the scenic roads of the Lake District. Hammond looked like a shadow of his team-mate, Armstrong in his pursuit for the stage victory following a disappointing first day of the six -stage Tour.

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Stage 3; Thursday, September 1, 2005  | Leeds - Sheffield

This stage was the one everyone said would sort out the overall classification but in reality, little changed at the very top of the table despite the tough terrain of four classified climbs -- 2 category two and 2 Category one climbs (Holme Moss and Snake Pass).

 

More importantly though for those looking at the British interest in the race -- ie, me --, the stage did see more of the British riders getting into the action with local rider Russell Downing (Recycling.co.uk) finishing 3rd and Julian Winn taking the King of the Mountains jersey off Robin Sharman.

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Stage 4; Friday, September 2, 2005  | Buxton - Nottingham

The challenging route in the East Midlands saw the riders covering over 120 miles of picturesque countryside as it travels from Buxton to Nottingham with British riders well to the fore again as two from Recycling, Paul Manning and Evan Oliphant, got themselves in the break of the day.

 

Victory however went to a foreign rider Serguei Ivanov was far to quick for the Scottish rider Oliphant whilst in the bunch sprint young GB hope Mark Cavendish pushed Italian sprinter Luca Paolini all way to the line.

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Stage 5; Saturday, September 3, 2005  | Birmingham Time Trial

The Tour of Britain travelled to Birmingham today for a 4 kilometre time trial which many expected may see a change in the leadership with Michael Blaudzun (CSC) one of the favourites to test the leadership of Quickstep's Nick Nuyens.

 

As it turned out, Nuyens was equal to the task beating a sensational time by another CSC rider, Kurt-Asle Arvesen by less than a second to win the stage and pretty much wrap up the Tour of Britain for 2005.

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Stage 6; Sunday, September 4, 2005  | London

 The final stage of the Tour of Britain was a dramatic one if not predictable in many ways. Although there were no shortage of attackers, including many from Britain, the Quickstep team and others were never going to let anyone go and it was a bunch finish that decided the race.

 

From that point of view, the race lacked the excitement of last year when a long breakaway went very close to staying away but this years stage was dramatic in that three laps from the end, GB's Mark Cavendish was taken out of the race in a crash along with others including Robin Sharman.
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