Trusov wins somerset stage
Nikolai Trusov from Tinkoff Credit Systems won Stage 2 of The Tour of Britain ahead of Luke Roberts from Team CSC. The last stretch of the race was marred by a crash which saw 11 riders tumble within the last 150 metres, with last year's race winner Marten Pedersen amongst that group. Yesterday's stage winner Mark Cavendish finished in 34th place.
Trusov said: "I am very happy to win the stage. We came to win and it was good to win a yellow jersey. For us, this is the maximum."
The race began under clear blue skies at the Yeovilton Fleet Air Arm Museum with Team CSC's Lars Yitting Bak and Adrian Palomares, of the Fuerteventura Canarias team, the riders to take off in an early break. The race came back together before the climbs of Exmoor split the field in half, with overnight Yellow Jersey Cavendish one of those to be caught in the back half of the field.
That was how the race entered Taunton, with Trusov launching his attack early with around 200 metres to go. As several riders went down on the final bend, it was the Russian who held on to take his first Tour of Britain stage win ahead of Australian Luke Roberts and Romain Feillu of the Agritubel team.
Serge Pauwels from Chocolade Jacques-Topsport won the coveted E.ON King of the Mountains jersey after a stage race that involved three climbs including the Porlock Toll Road. "This is the first time that I have ridden The Tour of Britain and it was great to win the King of the Mountains jersey, which I am really keen to try and keep for the rest of the Tour. Today was a really hard day but I am looking forward to tomorrow."
Piet Rooijakkers from the Skil Shimano team won the Sprints competition.
There were six riders that did not finish the race namely Robbie Hunter, Chris Newton (whose wife has just gone into labour), Gordon McCauley, Michael Wolf and Linus Gerdemann, with Hans Dekker not starting today's race.
The changes in the leader's jersey means that the race is wide open as we head into Stage 3 of the race which starts at Worcester racecourse. This is one of the shortest stages of the race but is one of the hardest with the rolling hills to Wolverhampton likely to catch riders unaware. This stage of the race is sponsored by Birmingham Midshires.
Jason Robinson, Birmingham Midshires, said: "The Tour of Britain is one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, and in our region, cycling is a popular sporting and leisure activity."
Stage 1
1) Nikolai Trusov (Tinkoff Credit System)
2) ) Luke Roberts (CSC)
3) Roman Feillu (Agritubel)
E.ON King of the Mountains
Serge Pauwels (Chocolade Jacques-Topsport)
Sprints Jersey
Piet Rooijakkers (Skil Shimano)
Points Jersey
Nikolai Trusov (Tinkoff Credit Systems
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