After Friday evening’s spectacular opening ceremony, it was time for the athlete to centre stage with a number of events getting underway in the London Olympic Games. And on The Mall, in central London, the men’s Olympic road race kicked off this morning.
250 kilometres of racing, with nine ascents of Box Hill, before a flat run in to The Mal, willl see the course head from the county’s capital and into some of the most scenic parts of the south of England.
Mark Cavendish (Great Britain) lines up as the race favourite and with Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome among his support, Great Britain will be looking to set up a sprint finale similar to last year’s Worlds. Cavendish won't be alone in his desire for a sprint. Matthew Goss, Andre Greipel, Tom Boonen and Tyler Farrar will have their fingers crossed for a similar outcome. The Spanish, led by Luis Leon Sanchez and Alejandro Valverde, will sense their opportunities will come from a break, while Peter Sagan, the one man team from Slovakia, could look to win from either a break or a sprint.
