Geraint Thomas expects the lads’s street race on the Commonwealth Games to be a “war of attrition” as rival groups work collectively to make sure there is no such thing as a dash for Mark Cavendish.
Reigning British champion Cavendish has a robust Isle of Man workforce aiming to see that the 160km race round Warwick and Leamington Spa ends in a dash that he can be the runaway favorite to win.
Though the flat profile of the route would possibly level to a bunch end, rival groups plan to combine issues as much as deny Cavendish his probability.
“Cavendish has obviously got a strong team around him and it’s a good course for him,” Welshman Thomas mentioned.
“But I think for us, the English, South Africa and the Scots, I don’t think any of them want a sprint so I think it’s going to be like a Nationals race, lots of aggressive racing, a war of attrition.
“That’s the race we want and that’s the race we’re expecting.”
Cavendish’s Isle of Man squad consists of former British champion Ben Swift, Mark Christian and Matt Bostock – who wanted hospital remedy after being concerned in Matt Walls’ horror velodrome crash final week, however who has been seen coaching since.
If they can not make it a dash, the 37-year-old Cavendish has proven he can combine it in breakaways too, profitable his second British title in June by being in a lead group for the complete day.
Another rider who would like to capitalise on robust kind is Fred Wright. After an outstanding Tour de France during which he starred in a number of breakaways and took second place on stage 13 into Saint Etienne, Wright claimed silver in Thursday’s time trial and is a contender once more.
“(I’m looking forward) to getting stuck in,” the 23-year-old mentioned. “I think the race is not going to be a conventional pro bike race where it’s controlled. There’s going to be attack after attack and we’ve got the team to deal with it.
Fred Wright turned his strong Tour de France form into time trial silver on Thursday (David Davies/PA)
(PA Archive)
“We’ll see what happens. Sometimes you’re there (in a breakaway), sometimes you’re not but one of us is definitely going to be there and in with a chance of a medal.”
The Australian squad headlined by time trial gold medallist Grace Brown are the favourites within the ladies’s race, though England will look to Anna Henderson and Abi Smith after their current robust kind.
Henderson was solely 33 seconds behind Brown within the time trial, having come into the Games on the again of an outstanding Tour de France Femmes.
The 23-year-old suffered sickness earlier this summer time however believes she is now again to the shape that introduced a top-10 end at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the beginning of the yr.
“It was a really rubbish June, I was sick twice,” she mentioned. “I’m finally getting myself back to where I was in the Classics season. I’m really pleased with where I’m going and hopefully it can continue for the rest of the season.”
The route might additionally play extra to the strengths of Elynor Backstedt, the 20-year-old Welshwoman who’s again on monitor after a few years of damage setbacks.
Riding the Commonwealth Games is especially particular for Backstedt as she follows within the footsteps of her mom Megan Hughes, who raced for Wales in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
Elynor’s Swedish father Magnus is known as a former winner of Paris-Roubaix however Backstedt joked that her mum “keeps her cycling less pronounced” than her dad.
“We like to make sure everybody knows and we like her to know how proud we are of her,” Elynor mentioned. “It’s an honour to be able to do the same thing.”
