World Champs: Mark Cavendish takes the Rainbow Jersey Ahead of Matt Goss

Mark Cavendish becomes the first male British Road Cycling World Champion, since Tom Simpson did it in 1965, after a tense sprint to the line.

Cavendish already has two Madison World Championship titles and came in to this year’s event as one of the clear favourites. There were some tense moments as his lead out men Geraint Thomas and Ian Stannard looked frantically around for the Manxman. Thomas has to drop down the field, as they were heading around the final corner, to find him, but the Welshman delivered him to the front on time.

The Manx express then had to do the work for himself, with none of his teammates around; he clung to the back wheels of his rivals. He finally launched his attack with around 200 metres to go and beat his, soon to be former, trade team teammate Matt Goss, by half a bike length. With the demise of HTC Goss will be moving to Green Edge and is looking to make his mark on the sprinting world. The Aussie got a good lead out from, his German-born, teammate Heinrich Haussler, but he couldn’t quite manage to stay ahead of Cav.

World Champs: Thor Hushovd Pre-Race press conference

World Champs: Elite Men's Road Race 2011 Start List

1 Thor Hushovd NORWAY
2 Kurt Asle Arvesen
3 Edvald Boasson Hagen
4 Gabriel Rasch

5 Carlos Barredo Llamazeles SPAIN
6 Imanol Erviti Ollo
7 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni
8 Oscar Freire Gomez
9 Juan Manuel Garate Cepa
10 Pablo Lastras Garcia
11 Vicente Raynes Mimo
12 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil
13 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil

Gilbert dominates post tour races, with four victories

Philippe Gilbert has dominated the post tour races, with four victories in the opening week.

The Belgian champion had to settle for third, in the Tour’s green jersey classification, but is now back in his own back yard. Gilbert opened up his account at the Natour Criterium Aalst, ahead of Samuel Sanchez and Ivan Basso. The Criterium Aalst is one of the oldest post tour crits, it was founded in 1934, and takes an 11 corner tour around the town.

Sanchez got his own back, the following day, with victory in Natourcriterium Roeselare and Thor Hushovd taking third. The new King of the Mountains had plenty of room to breathe, as the two sprinters fought it out behind him. Plenty of fans packed the streets to see the 55 laps, despite the bad weather.

TdF: Boasson Hagen doubles his money as Voeckler loses time on Stage 17

Edvald Boasson Hagen doubled his victory tally, to make it four for Norway this year, as Thomas Voeckler escaped two scares, to cling on to his yellow jersey.

Boasson Hagen came back from the disappointment of yesterday, after being pipped to the line by Thor Hushovd, to blow the rest of the field away. The young Norwegian left his breakaway companions, with 11km of the stage still to go, before pulling out an impressive 40 seconds. Norway have enjoyed a rich vein of form in the 2011 tour, with Boasson Hagen taking stages 6 and 17 and Hushovd winning on stages 13 and 16.

Video: 2011 Tour de France - Stage 16 Finale + Interviews with Hushovd and Voeckler

TdF: Hushovd beats Boasson Hagen in to Gap on stage 16

Thor Hushovd made it a brace of victories, after beating compatriot Edvald Boasson Hagen in the Sprint to Gap on stage 16.

Hushovd enjoyed the benefit of a lead-out man, in Ryder Hesjedal, with the Canadian the only remaining member of the original breakaway. Boasson Hagen looked to go to the left, of his more experience compatriot, but changed his mind. It seems the change in mind lost him the chance to take his second stage, of 2011.

The Norwegian pair set out to catch Hesjedal, who was out front with Mikhail Ignatyev, and used their impressive descending skills to catch the Garmin-Cervelo rider. Hushovd hasn’t had much to brag about in his usual hunting ground of the sprint, but a second victory in the rainbow jersey will prove a good enough replacement.

Tdf: Vanendert wins atop the Plateau de Beille as Voeckler keeps yellow on stage 14

Jelle Vanendert wins atop the Plateau de Beille, as Thomas Voeckler puts in a stunning effort to keep the yellow jersey.

Vanendert launched his attack, 7km left to go, while the big GC favourites were too busy watching each other. The Belgian tried so hard on the Luz-Ardiden, but couldn’t quite manage it and was beaten by Samuel Sanchez. The Plateau de Beille gave him the chance to get his own back and win his first major victory.

TdF: Hushovd shines as RadioShack suffer

Thor Hushovd showed his world championship winning colours, after a stunning descent, to take Stage 13 of the 2011 Tour de France.

Hushovd, who was in yellow for much of the first week, and David Moncoutie tracked down Jeremy Roy, who had been out on his own for some time. The Norwegian wasn’t going to stop there and left the other two, but he couldn’t relax in the final kilometre. With some very tight bends, it was all too easy to crash and Moncoutie was bearing down on him. Hushovd finally took the stage by 10 seconds and become the first world champion to win a stage, since Oscar Freire in 2002.

TdF: Sanchez wins in the Massif Central as Voeckler takes yellow

Luis Leon Sanchez sprinted away from his breakaway compatriots, to win Stage 9, while Thomas Voeckler took the yellow.

Voeckler looked like he wanted to add a stage victory to the yellow, but Sanchez was too powerful and put in a 5 second gap in the last 100 metres. The Spaniard, who finished 11th in last year’s tour, now moves in to second in the classification, with a 37 second gap over Cadel Evans. Third across the line was Sandy Casar, who didn’t have the legs to challenge Sanchez and Voeckler.

Video: 2011 Tour de France - Stage 8

Video: 2011 Tour de France - Stage 6

TdF: Edaval Boasson Hagen times it right to beat Goss and Hushovd in Stage 6

Edvald Boasson Hagen finally made it stick, as he went from 200 metres out, to win a rain soaked stage 6.

Boasson Hagen had to hold off charges from experienced sprinters Matt Goss and, yellow jersey holder and compatriot, Thor Hushovd. Despite controlling the bunch several times, over the last few stages, this is Team Sky’s first victory of the 2011 Tour. The Norwegian took his opportunity, as the bunch was recovering from a series of attacks. He stayed behind his teammate and white jersey wearer, Geraint Thomas, until just the right moment to slingshot him to the line.

Video: 2011 Tour de France - Stage 4

Tyler Farrar wins on Independence Day

Tyler Farrar made it a second stage victory for Garmin-Cervelo and rode in to the history books, as the first American to win on Independence Day.

Farrar’s first tour victory came after help from his teammate, and former green jersey winner, Thor Hushovd and Julian Dean. The American edged out Romain Feillu of Vacansoleil, by half a bike, Jose Joaquin Rojas. Farrar dedicated his victory to his best friend Wouter Weylandt, who was killed in a freak accident during the Giro D’Italia, by putting his hands in a W sign.

Garmin-Cervelo victory put Hushovd in yellow

Thor Hushovd claimed the yellow jersey, after his Garmin-Cervelo team edged out Cadel Evan’s BMC.

The American team completed the route in 24 minutes and 38 seconds, only 4 seconds ahead of BMC. Team Sky rounded off the top three on the same time as BMC and Leopard Trek, in fourth. Hushovd’s teammate David Millar is equal on time with the Norwegian, but as Hushovd crossed the line in front of Millar in stage one, he is the one to don the jersey.

Andy Schleck is in a better position than most of his rivals, with he and his brother, Frank, only four seconds down on Hushovd. Leopard Trek owe much of their performance to, the two time Olympic time-trial champion, Fabian Cancellara, who took several turns on the front. Team Sky’s performance means Geraint Thomas keeps the young rider’s jersey, also on the same time as his teammate Edvald Boasson Hagen. The British team had the edge on the American team at the first split, but slid back over the second half of the course.

Gilbert takes opener as Contador loses time

Philip Gilbert took the opening stage of the 2011 Tour de France, with a stunning final sprint, while Alberto Contador lost over a minute.

Gilbert made it made it past a crash, which took out half the field in the final eight kilometres, to set himself up for the short climb to the line. The Belgian champion looked like he’d run out of steam as several riders made their challenge. Fabian Cancellara launched an attack, which seemed to be the decisive one, but the Swiss rider wasn’t able to sustain the pace.

Gilbert didn’t panic and held off a closing Cadel Evans and Thor Hushovd, for the victory, this win adds to his stretch which goes back to April. Evans is in a very good position, only three seconds down on the yellow, while Alberto Contador lost over 1 minute 20 seconds.

The bunch had been seriously depleted when a spectator got a bit too close to the peloton, causing an Astana rider to fall into the group. The crash left most of the road blocked and several of the big favourites stranded. Contador was one of those who got caught up in the crash and has his work cut out, with Andy Schleck crossing the line only six seconds down.

Thor Hushovd Wins Norway's First Senior Gold in Men's Elite World Championship Road Race

Thor Hushovd edged out Matti Breschel in a thrilling sprint finish in Sunday’s Elite Men’s Road Race in Geelong, Australia.

The Norwegian had too much power as he shot towards the finish line and it was left to the others to figure out the minor placings. He had shown during the Tour de France that he could survive the hills better than any other sprinter and he hung on to the peloton. He stuck himself behind the wheel of Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet before flying around the entire group and winning by over a bikes length.

Breschel had initially led the sprint from the 100 metre mark, but he wasn’t able to hang on to the front. The Dan was visibly angry with himself as he crossed the line; he had been inches away from claiming the rainbow jersey when he was passed by the Norwegian. Allan Davis of Australia rounded off the podium position pipping Filippo Pozzato in to third who left it just a bit too late to attack.

Elite Men's Road Race Results

1 HUSHOVD Thor NOR 6:21:49 40.417
2 BRESCHEL Matti DEN " "
3 DAVIS Allan AUS " "
4 POZZATO Filippo ITA " "
5 VAN AVERMAET Greg BEL " "
6 FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar ESP " "
7 KOLOBNEV Alexandr RUS " "
8 BAZAYEV Assan KAZ " "
9 ARASHIRO Yukiya JPN " "
10 FEILLU Romain FRA " "
11 BOLE Grega SLO " "
12 FOFONOV Dmitriy KAZ " "
13 MOERENHOUT Koos NED " "
14 WEGMANN Fabian GER " "
15 CARDOSO Andre Fernando S. Martins POR " "
16 SCHLECK Frank LUX " "
17 EVANS Cadel AUS " "
18 GILBERT Philippe BEL " "
19 TERPSTRA Niki NED 6:21:56 +0:07
20 LEUKEMANS Björn BEL " "

Elite Men's Road Race - Preview

Cadel Evans will take to the roads on Sunday in an attempt to defend his World Championship on home soil.

Evans will not want to give up the rainbow jersey easily and certainly not in front of his own people. He has had an up and down year, but the home crowd could be just what he needs to give him a boost.

Fabian Cancellara is also looking to put on a good show after winning a record fourth time. The Swiss rider announced his intentions before the championship to go for the road race. His compatriot Michael Albasini has also been on good form recently winning the Tour of Britain despite having dysentery during the race.