Sutton Wins First European Big Race Of The Season

Last updated : 27 February 2011 By Kev Monks

Team Sky's Chris Sutton won the Kuurne-Brussells- Kuurne race as the European cycling season got underway in Belgium.

A strong field incuding a number of Brits were in Belgium for the race, the day after Sebastian Langeevald had won the Het Nieuwsblad in Ghent and it was An-Post Sean Kelly's Andrew Fenn who was in a break of three riders with 92km to go.

Fenn was dropped on the final climb of the day , leaving Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ) and Sander Armee (Topsport Vlaanderen) out on their own. at the head of the field.

They were joined by six others including Matthew Hayman as the race approached the first of two final circuits in Kuurne.

HTC Highroad's HTC's Lars Bak went on the attack and was 22 seconds clear. However, he was chased down with Team Sky including Russell Downing doing much of the work to try and get a sprint win for Edvald Boasson Hagen or Chris Sutton.

It was a plan that worked as Chris Sutton was first over the line to take the victory.

Sutton interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygz4AoQc1Ho&feature=player_embedded#at=11

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The route for the road race in the London 2012 Olympics has been announced.

The 250km long race, on fully closed roads and a route agreed by all local authorities, UCI and British Cycling starts and finishes on The Mall in London and goes south west through Putney, Richmond Park, Twickenham, Westhumble and Dorking before getting to Box Hill where there will be nine laps of a 15.5km circuit.

After completing this, the competitors head north via Leatherhead, Esher, Hampton Court and Kingston-upon-Thames, back to the Mall.

The women's race is 140 kilometres long and includes two laps of Box Hill.