Alex Dowsett won the Tour Of Britain Time Trial in Westminster, London this morning.
Jonanthan Clarke was first off the ramp in front of big crowds which have been a feature of this tour and the riders came in at one minute intervals with the final ten coming in at two minute intervals after completing the 8.8km circuit.
Damien Gaudin and Alex Wetherall were all early leaders before Lieuwe Westra went through in a time of ten minutes,19.36 seconds.
Team Sky's Alex Dowsett, the new British time trial champion had been tipped for this stage and did not disappoint when he came home in a time of 10:14.73 which was not beaten by any of the remaining riders including race leader Lars Boom who finished second.
Stage 8a, TfL London Stage Individual Time Trial
Stage Result
1 Alex Dowsett (GB, Sky Procycling) 10:14:73
2 Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) @ 0:05
3 Lieuwe Westra (Ned, Vacansoleil DCM) same time
4 Steve Cummings (GB, Sky Procycling) @ 0:09
5 Geraint Thomas (GB, Sky Procycling) @ 0:16
6 Alex Wetterall (Swe, Endura Racing) @ 0:19
7 Michael Rogers (Aus, Sky Procycling) same time
8 Thor Hushovd (Nor, Garmin Cervelo) @ 0:23
9 Damien Guadin (Fra, Europcar) @ 0:25
10 Joost Posthuma (Ned, Leopard Trek) @ 0:26
Overall General Classification, after Stage 8a
1 Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) 24:58:17
2 Stephen Cummings (GB, Sky ProCycling) @ 0:36
3 Jan Barta (Cze, Team NetApp) @ 0:56
4 Linus Gerdemann (Ger, Leopard Trek) @ 0:57
5 Leopold Koenig (Cze, Team NetApp) @ 1:01
6 Jonathan Tiernan Locke (GB, Rapha Condor Sharp) @ 1:03
7 Jelle Wallays (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen) @ 1:12
8 Iker Camano (Spa, Endura Racing) same time
9 Joost Posthuma (Ned, Leopard Trek) @ 1:13
10 Daniel Lloyd (GB, Team Garmin - Cervelo) @ 1:25
The Prostate Cancer Charity Points Classification, after Stage 8a
1 Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) 66pts
2 Geraint Thomas (GB, Sky ProCycling) 58pts
3 Mark Cavendish (GB, HTC Highroad) 52pts
4 Stephen Cummings (GB, Sky ProCycling) 35pts
5 Stijn Neirynck (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen) 30pts
Skoda King of the Mountains Classification, after Stage 8a
1 Jonathan Tiernan Locke (GB, Rapha Condor Sharp) 71pts
2 Russell Hampton (GB, Sigma Sport Specialized) 48pts
3 Steve Cummings (GB, Sky ProCycling) 30pts
4 Linus Gerdemann (Ger, Leopard Trek) 28pts
5 Jack Bauer (NZ, Endura Racing) 20pts
Yodel Sprints Classification, after Stage 8a
1 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel, AN Post - Sean Kelly 36pts
2 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu, AN Post - Sean Kelly) 15pts
3 Russell Hampton (GB, Sigma Sport - Specialized) 13pts
4 Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) 11pts
5 Mark McNally (GB, AN Post - Sean Kelly) 10pts
6 Andrew Fenn (GB, AN Post - Sean Kelly) 10pts
UNISON Best Young Rider, after Stage 8a
1 Jelle Wallays (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen) 24:59:29
1 Alex Dowsett (GB, Sky Procycling) 10:14:73
2 Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) @ 0:05
3 Lieuwe Westra (Ned, Vacansoleil DCM) same time
4 Steve Cummings (GB, Sky Procycling) @ 0:09
5 Geraint Thomas (GB, Sky Procycling) @ 0:16
6 Alex Wetterall (Swe, Endura Racing) @ 0:19
7 Michael Rogers (Aus, Sky Procycling) same time
8 Thor Hushovd (Nor, Garmin Cervelo) @ 0:23
9 Damien Guadin (Fra, Europcar) @ 0:25
10 Joost Posthuma (Ned, Leopard Trek) @ 0:26
Overall General Classification, after Stage 8a
1 Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) 24:58:17
2 Stephen Cummings (GB, Sky ProCycling) @ 0:36
3 Jan Barta (Cze, Team NetApp) @ 0:56
4 Linus Gerdemann (Ger, Leopard Trek) @ 0:57
5 Leopold Koenig (Cze, Team NetApp) @ 1:01
6 Jonathan Tiernan Locke (GB, Rapha Condor Sharp) @ 1:03
7 Jelle Wallays (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen) @ 1:12
8 Iker Camano (Spa, Endura Racing) same time
9 Joost Posthuma (Ned, Leopard Trek) @ 1:13
10 Daniel Lloyd (GB, Team Garmin - Cervelo) @ 1:25
The Prostate Cancer Charity Points Classification, after Stage 8a
1 Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) 66pts
2 Geraint Thomas (GB, Sky ProCycling) 58pts
3 Mark Cavendish (GB, HTC Highroad) 52pts
4 Stephen Cummings (GB, Sky ProCycling) 35pts
5 Stijn Neirynck (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen) 30pts
Skoda King of the Mountains Classification, after Stage 8a
1 Jonathan Tiernan Locke (GB, Rapha Condor Sharp) 71pts
2 Russell Hampton (GB, Sigma Sport Specialized) 48pts
3 Steve Cummings (GB, Sky ProCycling) 30pts
4 Linus Gerdemann (Ger, Leopard Trek) 28pts
5 Jack Bauer (NZ, Endura Racing) 20pts
Yodel Sprints Classification, after Stage 8a
1 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel, AN Post - Sean Kelly 36pts
2 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu, AN Post - Sean Kelly) 15pts
3 Russell Hampton (GB, Sigma Sport - Specialized) 13pts
4 Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) 11pts
5 Mark McNally (GB, AN Post - Sean Kelly) 10pts
6 Andrew Fenn (GB, AN Post - Sean Kelly) 10pts
UNISON Best Young Rider, after Stage 8a
1 Jelle Wallays (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen) 24:59:29
Quotes - Alex Dowsett, Sky Procycling
Winner TfL London Stage 8a Individual Time Trial
“Everything just clicked. I recceed the course twice and even when I got up this morning I knew that my legs weren’t going to feel as bad as they had done the last few days. It’s been a hard tour for all of us, always trying to put Lars Boom on the back foot so we’ve been attacking all the time and it takes it out of you. Yesterday was a slightly easier stage, being flat and quite controlled gave my legs a chance to come round. Once I got going I knew my legs were good and I could do a good ride.
“It’s amazing; it’s one of those things I would hopefully tell my children in years to come. It’s going to take a while to sink in. London has been pretty kind to me, it’s amazing.
“This means a lot to the team. Especially to be in London and pull off a stage win. We can leave this stage with our heads held high because we’ve thrown everything at Lars Boom. We’ve got a strong team here but hats off to the guy. He’s even taken us on himself at time without his team which shows what a rider he is and a true deserved winner of this Tour. We have all done pretty much everything we could to get one over on him.
“Today has really shown that I can mix it with the top guys and onwards and upwards hopefully.
“This afternoon will go pretty much the same as every race. We’ll attack it. Mark Cavendish will be tough to beat on the sprint so we might have to work around that somehow.”