Cycling: Those who expected a sprint finish on the Mall in London were disappointed. In the end, Adam Blythe (NFTO) secured victory from a group.
The race was long dominated by a lead group that had formed in the hills around London.
The decision was made 20 kilometers from the finish when Philippe Gilbert (BMC) blasted the leading group with a full acceleration and thus also caught the NetApp-Endura team on the wrong foot. Up until then, the Raublinger team had had three riders in the lead, but now they found themselves chasing a five-man group that included Gilbert, Julian Alaphilippe (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Kristian Koren (Cannondale), Ben Swift (Sky) and Adam Blythe (NFTO) were represented. The latter was under contract with BMC until the end of last year, but is now part of a Continental team.
Eyes were finally on Swift for the final kilometer, but Blythe slipped off his rear wheel, surprising his escape companions. With a long sprint, the 24-year-old Brit secured the biggest win of his career so far. Second was Swift, third was Alaphilippe. Ultimately, Sam Bennett was the best NetApp Endura professional in sixth place.