Adam Blythe of the British Continental side NFTO has won the RideLondon Surrey Classic.
This second edition of this 120miles/193km race attracted a strong field including Sir Bradley Wiggins and Philippe Gilber amongst seven World Tour Teams, started in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
There were big crowds watching on as five riders tried an early break through Green Park.
A break did form with 166kms to and Adrian Niyonshuti (MTN Qhubeka), Jonathan Hivert (Belkin), Steve Lampier (VGR), Steve Lammertink (Giant Shimano), Vaubourzeix (La Pomme Marseille) and Marcus Eibegger (Baku Cycling) were in the break.
Heading into Surrey and the rain was coming down as the escapers extended their lead to 3.13 with 148kms to go.
Just before the village of Ripley, former British Champion Ian Stannard of Team Sky punctured and had to change his bike as the gap started to come down to 1.13.
There was a delay to the peloton with 131kms to go, on a narrow pinch point as the peloton tried to fit down an eight foot wide country lane.
The first climb of the day was at Staples Lane after 41 miles and that was uncontested by the escapers.
Into Westcott on the edge of Dorking, the gap was 1.39 as the riders headed towards the second climb adter 55 miles at Leith Hill which Thomas Vaubourzeix was first over.
Leith Hill had seen the gap go out to 2.20 with just over a hundred kilometres remaining.
But it was down to over a minute when Marcus Eibegger took the third climb at Denbies after 64kms.
The break was caught and there was an a attack from Julian Alaphilippe (OPQS) and Vliegen (BMC) with 70.9km to go.
As the peloton thinned out approaching Box Hill and Dorking, Ben Swift (Sky),Gert Steegmans,Alaphilippe (OPQS),Clement (Belkin), Ewan (Orica),Koren (Cannondale), Adam Blythe (NFTO), Sam Bennett, Scott Thwaites (NetApp-Endura), Philippe Gilbert and Vliegen (BMC),established a new break.
They stayed away until the final twenty five kilometres when Gilbert attacked, quickly followed by Swift, Blythe, Alaphilippe and Koren.
Heading into Wimbledon, Gilbert attacked again but Julian Alaphilippe followed, dropping Yorkshire men Swift and Blythe plus the Slovakian Kristian Koren.
The pair opened up a few a few seconds gap over the chasing three riders and were 1.34 ahead of a reduced peloton led by Cannondale.
Gilbert and Alaphilippe were caught in Putney High Street and the five crossed Putney Bridge heading into central London.
it was now out of these five as to who would win the race as they headed past the Houses Of Parliament and under the flam rouge and up Whitehall then took left at Trafalgar Square and under Admiralty Arch and onto the Mall for the sprint. NTFO's Adam Blythe was first to go and he was away and won in 4.39.54 ahead of Swift, Alaphilippe, Gilbert, Koren with Sam Bennett winning the sprint for sixth place.
Adam Blythe said I knew it would be a tough sprint but I knew if I could get the jump on Ben (Swift) I would win. We hit a bad section of rain and the mud made it a lot worse than it was. I am over the moon with this win."
Pictures courtesy and copyright of RideLondon