Blythe and Swift upstage Wiggins in London-Surrey Classic
BRITAIN’S Adam Blythe pipped childhood friend Ben Swift to win the RideLondon-Surrey Classic yesterday, as Sir Bradley Wiggins missed out on a capital hat-trick.
NFTO’s Blythe and Team Sky’s Swift battled it out over the last 300m of the 200km race, which began in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and passed through Surrey before finishing on the Mall.
“I’ve grown up with Ben, so it was nice that two friends crossed together at the end,” said Yorkshireman Blythe. “I’m just so happy that I’ve won. I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe was third, while Belgian former road world champion Philippe Gilbert fininshed in fourth place.
Wiggins, who won Olympic gold in the London 2012 time trial and triumphed here in the Tour of Britain last year, finished further down the field.
But he is set to return to London to defend the latter title next month, meaning he misses this month’s Vuelta a Espana, before taking another shot at the time trial at September’s Road World Championships in Spain, Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford revealed.
Italian Giorgia Bronzini beat favourite Marianne Vos and Britain’s Laura Trott in the women’s Grand Prix on Saturday, while more than 20,000 amateur cyclists braved heavy downpours and windy conditions to take part in yesterday’s ride through London and Surrey.