The start of the Tour de Yorkshire finally got under way and the hype and anticipation that has been building over the last few weeks was clear to see as thousands of spectators lined the roads of Bridlington to see the riders roll out under bright skies.
The start of the Tour de Yorkshire finally got under way and the hype and anticipation that has been building over the last few weeks was clear to see as thousands of spectators lined the roads of Bridlington to see the riders roll out under bright skies. The 174km route to Scarborough via the moors and Rosedale Abbey, on paper didn't look to be too demanding with just three categorised climbs on the way. The total of 2800 meters of climbing however gave a greater indication of the severity of the terrain the riders were going to have to negotiate - plenty to test even the best climbers in the world.
From the start it was immediately apparent that there was plenty of interest to race the stage and numerous attacks came and went before five riders finally established themselves off the front with the effervescent Tom Stewart once again representing Madison Genesis. The five worked well together building a lead of over four minutes before the panic began to set in behind and Team Sky took up the chase. The group stayed in front long enough to dispute the first two climbs of the day where Tom took second place in both and gained valuable points towards the KoM competition.
The acceleration in the cross winds over the top of Rosedale Abbey reeled the front group in, but in doing so caused the main peloton to shatter into several groups; many riders would never see the front of the race again. The undulating terrain took its toll with groups of riders being dropped throughout the last 50km of the stage until a very elite group of just 16 riders were left in front including Erick Rowsell of Madison Genesis.
Over the final climb of the day out of Robin Hood’s Bay, five riders went clear with Erick caught in the second group. Despite a valiant chase the small group stayed away and Erick sprinted to a richly deserved eighth place on the stage.
Roger Hammond, Team Manager:
"That was a tough day but the guys really stepped up to the challenge. I really feel we were represented throughout the whole day and at every crucial point of the race with Erick riding superbly to finish the job off at the end for us. I was really proud of the way they rode. Now just two more days to go!"
Photo credit - Larry Hickmott
