Mark Renshaw wins the bunch kick to clinch victory on stage 5 of the 2011 Tour of Britain, Exeter to Exmouth over 112 miles.
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HTC-Highroad’s Mark Renshaw was victorious today in stage five of the Tour of Britain after pulling ahead of team mate, Mark Cavendish in a sprint finish. After a difficult stage with several tough climbs, the HTC-Highroad sprinters took the first two spots on the podium in the downhill finish.
Victory for Renshaw in a HTC 1-2 with Mark Cavendish in second.
Mark Renshaw, from Bathurst in Australia, is all smiles after winning stage 5 of the Tour of Britain in Exmouth.
“We started out with a thirteen rider break today,” said sport director, Allan Peiper, “They had a maximum gap of six and a half minutes, and a few of the main contenders for the GC were up there working hard.”
“Rabobank did a lot of work to reel them in but cracked toward the end, and with the help of a few more teams we were able to bring the break back a bit.”
“Somewhere between thirty and forty kilometers to go the break started attacking and fell apart, and by twenty to go, the peloton was back together with our boys up front.”
“The guys did a great job controlling the front until Bernie [Eisel] got a flat. The roads were extremely narrow and without radios it took too long for us to get a car to him, so he was effectively out of the race.”
The Photo Album of the Stage
(thanks to Graham Harper of the Welsh NEG for getting us into the position to get these pictures. Copyright Tour of Britain)
“On the final kilometre, Renshaw was piloting Cavendish perfectly for the win,” Peiper continued, “But in the last corner, Cav backed off and Renshaw came out of it in the lead, so he hammered toward the line and finished just ahead of Cavendish.”
This is Mark Renshaw’s third win of the season after his stage four and overall wins in the Tour of Qatar. The team continues on to stage six tomorrow, with Cavendish just one point down in the points competition. This is the one hundred and twelfth win for HTC-Highroad in 2011.
RACE REPORT IN PHOTOS
The jersey holders line up outside Exeter Cathedral… what a great place Exeter is by the way! So picturesque.
Riders roll out with lots of Devon flags in the hands of the spectators. Matt Brammeier and Lars Boom pictured.
First attack from An Post…
Mark Renshaw, eventual winner, was also an early attacker. He’s chased by Jack Bauer of Endura Racing.
As Renshaw sits up, Endura Racing’s Jack Bauer has a dig. Jonny McEvoy (Motorpoint), Zak Dempster (Rapha)Â and Mark McNally also pictured.
Thomas de Gent, typical Belgium and always on the attack.
So many riders going at once I’m not sure who is attacking here! World Champ Thor Hushovd is in the mix though …
Eventually a break goes and as they hit the first KoM climb, local Jonathan Tiernan Locke takes flight as only a climber can.
KoM leader Russell Hampton got himself into a chase group but was distanced and went over in sixth place.
Crowds on the first climb …
Mark Renshaw leads the last group on the road which included Andy Fenn, Simon Richardson and Mark Cavendish who had been in early breaks and were paying the price. They got back to the peloton on the descent.
Narrow lanes? You could say that! Between the first KoM and the last one, this was a typical scene and with team cars sounding horns the whole time, it was a noisy and chaotic piece of the race …
Thomas de Gendt leads the break with Jonathan Tiernan Locke. Mick Rogers from Team Sky was another rider in the break as was Alex Wetherall (Endura Racing), Van Hecke (TSV), Tankink (RAB), Lindeman (VCD), Rasch (GRM),, Marcin Bialoblocki (Motorpoint), Gaudin (EUC), Roy Sutherland (UHC).
Ian Wilkinson (Endura racing) warns the rider behind of a piece of road furniture.
Alex Wetherall of Endura Racing is part of the split as the break explodes in the final section of the race
Damien Gaudin of Europecar goes solo and holds off the peloton for a long time on the run in to Exmouth which was twisty, undulating and in the trees a lot of the time.
The second Yodel sprint and its a tight one! Crediton (at 77.7mls)
The final pic is of race leader Lars Boom getting another leaders jersey.
Results
Stage Five, Exeter to Exmouth
1 Mark Renshaw (Aus, HTC Highroad)Â Â 04:17:38
2 Mark Cavendish (GB, HTC Highroad)Â Â st
3 Robert Förster (Ger, UnitedHealthcare) st
4 Geraint Thomas (GB, Sky ProCycling)Â Â st
5 Andrew Fenn (GB, AN Post – Sean Kelly)Â st
6 Mathew Hayman (Aus, Sky ProCycling)Â Â st
7 Zak Dempster (Aus, Rapha Condor Sharp)Â st
8 Stijn Neirynck (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen)Â st
9 Daniel Schorn (Aut, Team NetApp)Â Â st
10 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita, Leopard Trek)Â Â st
Overall General Classification, after Stage Five
1 Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) 16:54:29
2 Geraint Thomas (GB, Sky ProCycling) @ 0:12
3 Boy Van Poppel (Ned, UnitedHealthcare) @ 0:14
4 Daniel Lloyd (GB, Garmin – Cervelo) @ 0:16
5 Linus Gerdemann (Ger, Leopard Trek) @ 0:17
6 Ian Bibby (GB, Motorpoint) @ 0:19
7 Jelle Wallays (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen) st
8 Stephen Cummings (GB,Sky ProCycling)Â st
9 Jan-Bert Lindeman (Ned, Vacansoleil – DCM) st
The Prostate Cancer Charity Points Classification, after Stage Five
1 Geraint Thomas (GB, Sky ProCycling) 41pts
1 Mark Cavendish (GB, HTC Highroad) 40pts
3 Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) 37pts
4 Mark Renshaw (Aus, HTC Highroad) 29pts
Skoda King of the Mountains Classification, after Stage Five
1 Jonathan Tiernan Locke (GB, Rapha Condor Sharp) 54pts
2 Russell Hampton (GB, Sigma Sport – Specialized) 44pts
3 Thomas De Gendt (Bel, Vacansoleil – DCM) 25pts
= Stephen Cummings (GB, Sky ProCycling)Â 25pts
5 Linus Gerdemann (Ger, Leopard Trek) 20pts
Yodel Sprints Classification, after Stage Five
1 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel, AN Post – Sean Kelly) 33pts
2 Russell Hampton (GB, Sigma Sport – Specialized) 13pts
3 Andrew Fenn (GB, AN Post – Sean Kelly) 10pts
4 Jack Bauer (NZ, Endura Racing) 9pts
5 Boy Van Poppel (Ned, UnitedHealthcare) 8pts
UNISON Best Young Rider
1 Jelle Wallays (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen)
Combativity Award:Â Jonathan Tiernan Locke (GB, Rapha Condor Sharp)
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2011 Tour of Britain – Stage by Stage
1. Peebles to Dumfries, 170km (Sunday September 11)
2. Kendal to Blackpool, 138km (Monday September 12)
3. Stoke-on-Trent to Trentham Gardens, 140km (Tuesday September 13)
4. Welshpool to Caerphilly, 180km (Wednesday September 14)
5. Exeter to Exmouth, 180km (Thursday September 15)
6. Taunton to Wells, 146km (Friday September 16)
7. Bury St Edmunds to Sandringham, 200km (Saturday September 17)
8a. London 9km individual time trial (Sunday September 18)
8b. London 90km criterium (Sunday September 18)
