Hunter sprints to victory in Mumbai

Robbie Hunter of Team RadioShack won the mass sprint of the second race in the Tour of Mumbai series. Elia Viviani (Liquigas), who won the first race two days earlier, was second, with Jonathon McEvoy of Team Motorpoint third.

"Robbie McEwen flatted with about three kilometers to go," explained Hunter. "It was impossible for him to get a wheel or a bike change and come back for the sprint, that's why I had to do the sprint.

"I put myself on the wheel of Viviani. There was a strong head wind and with only 200 metres to go Viviani was still waiting and waiting. So I headed out. Maybe Viviani judged the head wind really wrong. He reacted when I went, but he came too late. I am happy to offer the victory to the team. We won't complain about our start of the season.

The race was scheduled to be 12 laps of a circuit course for a total of 104 km, but it was shortened to 11 laps and 79 km, after being delayed for over an hour and a half due to amateur riders and photographers on the course.

A rider from the Kazakhstan national team led with one lap to go, but the peloton caught him near the end of the race.

"It was harder than expected," said RadioShack team director Alain Gallopin. "We planned to put one of our riders in a breakaway, but that didn't work. Finally there was a long breakaway of nine riders with none of our riders, so we had to chase.

"With five riders at the start, and saving McEwen and Hunter for the sprint, we had to do the chasing job with only three riders. Liquigas helped with three riders too, but all other teams refused to help. We only brought back the last guy with 5K to go. Bad luck for Robbie McEwen again. His flat tyre was our only flat tyre of the day, but it came again at the wrong moment."

McEwen, who finished second in the first race on a bike borrowed from a teammate after puncturing, endured more misfortune on Sunday when he looked poised to make amends. "This time it was over, " said McEwen, according to Sporza. "Fortunately Hunter won a clever sprint."

"I had to lead out the sprint for Robbie McEwen as he was second in the first race and there were overall points up for grabs in the points classification with nice prize money," said Hunter. "Robbie really wanted to win the first race and with his flat tyre it didn't work out.

"Today it was the same story, so he will start in his next race with a real big motivation. It's just a question of time. McEwen's next race will be the Tour of Sardinia. I will start in the Ruta del Sol and Paris-Nice," he said.

The Tour of Mumbai is a series of two one-day races, with no overall  classification.  Viviani won the “most consistent rider” jersey and award, after finishing first and second.

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