Dean a one man band

When New Zealand rider Julian Dean crossed the line for ninth place, the Crédit Agricole rider was very satisfied with his ride despite having to fend for himself, but says the future lies with developing the current crop of junior and espoir riders to ensure a bright future for cycling in his country.

"In the first part it was easy and then in the end it was very difficult. My team performance was a one-man effort and my own performance was good. I'm happy that I tried to follow [Alexandre] Vinokourov in the end. I used a bit of energy there, but I did the best I could on the day," he told Cyclingnews' Hernan Alvarez Macias.

"It was a long day but a pleasing result" Dean added. "To be honest, I am not as good physically now as before the Olympics, but coming off my recent results and with the racing still to come, I am pleased with today. My result was good as it shows we have some talent now, but the real talent is in the future with the crop of under-23s and junior riders, who have such a bright future."