Report: Clancy beaten by Clarke in Singapore

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Double Olympic Champion Ed Clancy was beaten to the line by Orica-Greenedge’s Simone Clarke in the Singapore Crit

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Simon Clarke and Stuart O’Grady paired up to give ORICA-GreenEDGE back to back wins in Singapore. Robbie McEwen sprinted to victory at the OCBC Cycle Singapore Professional Criterium last year. This time iwas the Tour of Spain King of the Mounatins winner in 2012 Simon Clarke’s turn for glory tonight.

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“Stuey did an awesome lead out for me down the back straight and into the chicane,” said Clarke. “I managed to squeeze past him coming out of the last turn and hold everyone off into the finish.”

Rapha Condor JLT took control off the 90-minute criterium from the outset with Kristian House up the road in the first half of the race. The British UCI Continental Cycling Team delighted the crowds by winning three of the five designated sprint laps.

“Rapha wanted the race to end in a bunch sprint, and everything they did was with that goal in mind,” explained Clarke. “They did a good job to keep things together. Stuey and I launched a few attacks in an attempt to weaken the team, but it didn’t accomplish what we had hoped, so we moved onto Plan B – winning the bunch sprint.”

“I had won two of the intermediate sprints by attacking down the back straight,” said Clarke. “I said to Stuey ‘Let’s do the same thing and see how it goes’, and that’s exactly what we did.”

Using the strategy that proved successful for him during the intermediate sprints, Clarke was first onto the final straight away and first across the line to become the fourth Australian winner of the OCBC Cycle Singapore in the race’s fifth year.

“I’ve got to plug Stuey,” said Clarke. “He did a really great job. We’ve all got to talk him out of retiring. He’s not done yet.”

Clancy, a gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympic Games, was gracious in second place and handed the plaudits to the ORICA-GreenEDGE team. “Kristian was the leader on the road, I didn’t ask him to ride for me but he’s always got faith in me. There is no shame in losing to Simon Clarke and all week I’ve said I expected them to be head and shoulders above the rest of us. I thought we had a fighting chance at the end but with a second place I am pretty happy.”

Roman Van Uden of Node 4 – Giordana Racing crossed the line in third place to round out the top three finishers.

No results were available at this time.

 

 

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