SLOVAKIA’S Peter Sagan denied Mark Cavendish a second elite men’s title at the UCI Road World Championships in Qatar.
The Manx racer had to settle for silver after he was edged out in a sprint finish. Cavendish, winner in 2011 in Copenhagen, was narrowly beaten after getting caught behind Australian Michael Matthews in a reduced bunch sprint.
With about 25 riders in the pack, Holland’s Tom Leezer made a break for the front with just over two kilometres remaining. He was eventually reeled in on the final incline to the finish. Cavendish could not quite edge ahead of Sagan before the line with Belgium’s Tom Boonen finishing third.
Cavendish, 31, was on Sagan’s wheel in the closing kilometres of the Pearl Qatar circuit, but when the Slovakian went left in the final 100 metres, Cavendish moved right and was forced to ride around Matthews as he pushed for the line.
“I’m disappointed, I feel like I lost gold rather than I won silver but that’s how it is,” Cavendish told the British Cycling website. “I wanted to be on Sagan’s wheel and I was then all of a sudden the road was blocked.
“I tried to find a way through and with less than a 100m to go I kind of had to stop pedalling and go round, Michael Matthews and then it was too late. I got back on Boonen but it was too late to get back on Sagan.”
Cavendish and Adam Blythe were the only British riders in the front group after crosswinds in the Qatar desert broke the 257.5km race into pieces after just 70km. Luke Rowe and Geraint Thomas both punctured at the vital point as within minutes multiple echelons had formed on the way to the Pearl Qatar island circuit.
Steve Cummings, Dan McLay and Ian Stannard also missed the front group, while Ben Swift and Scott Thwaites were left in the first chasing group.
But they would not see the front again as the lead bunch of 26 riders stayed away for the remaining 180km, with Belgium having the strength in numbers.
No attacks came from the select group until the final lap of seven, when Leezer making a last gasp solo bid. As he was caught inside the final 500m, Cavendish latched on to Sagan’s wheel for the sprint but there was not to be a second rainbow jersey on the road for the Briton.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here