Head start for Wiggins
SubscribeBritish Cycling Federation 29 March 2001
Cycling news round-up
BRADLEY WIGGINS won the Prologue time trial of the 36th Cinturón Ciclista Internacional a Mallorca on Wednesday, finishing two seconds clear of Spaniard Sergi Escobar. Wiggins’ team-mates, Chris Newton and Steve Cummings, were third and fourth respectively as British riders filled eight of the top twenty places after the 7.1km stage.
The British Cycling Federation’s Lottery-funded World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) is represented in the race by two teams of riders (Great Britain and Classic Walls-B.Tolo) who will ultimately be competing for endurance places in the team for the World Track Championships in October. The race is one of a series of stage races that the WCPP track endurance riders will be using as preparation during the summer.
Wiggins, who finished third in the event last year, said afterwards: "I wanted to pull out something special here. I have started in the best way – it’s going to be hard to keep the lead but I feel with a strong team behind me I can do the business."
Today’s stage is 143.1 km in length and starts and finishes in Puerto Pollensa. The race itself finishes on Sunday.
MEANWHILE NANTES 44, the French team of four BCF-WCPP Road placements, turned in an impressive display in yesterday’s Grand Prix de la Foire Expo de Rennes. WCPP-rider Jamie Alberts rode well, finishing in 9th place.
And national women’s endurance team manager Ken Matheson has announced the 2001 racing programme for the BCF-WCPP women’s endurance riders. As with the majority of WCPP riders, their season is geared to preparation and conditioning for the World Championships in October. This year, for the first time, the track and road women will share a common programme, reflecting the fact that the majority of the world’s leading female riders perform with equal ability on both track and road.
