Millar has to settle for second in Beijing Tour

Published on Monday 10 October 2011 00:46

SCOTLAND’S David Millar had to settle for second spot at the end of the Tour of Beijing yesterday, as Germany’s Tony Martin held off a strong British challenge to triumph.

World time trial champion Martin, who won the opening time trial stage by 17 seconds from Millar, maintained that advantage throughout the five-day race, staying ahead of Garmin Cervelo rider Millar, with Team Sky pair Chris Froome and Steven Cummings third and fourth.

Elsewhere, Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium won the Paris-Tours classic in a head-to-head sprint with Italy’s Marco Marcato.

The 26-year-old Van Avermaet made his move at the end of the 230.5km (143.2 mile) flat route from Voves to Tours, attacking in the race’s final 10km and withstanding a challenge by Marcato. Kasper Klostergaard-Larsen of Denmark was third.

The win in yesterday’s 105th edition of Paris-Tours caps a strong season for Van Avermaet with top ten finishes in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Milan-San Remo one-day classics.

Van Avermaet, a team-mate of Tour de France champion Cadel Evans, held off late threats from fellow Belgian Philippe Gilbert and Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel. The field also included the new world champion, Britain’s Mark Cavendish, racing for the first time in the rainbow striped jersey won at last month’s world championships in Holte, Denmark.

Cavendish crossed the line in 42nd place, 1 minute 23 seconds back in a group of riders including Van Avermaet’s teammate, Taylor Phinney of the United States.

Meanwhile, Saxo Bank team manager Bjarne Riis said Alberto Contador will be enough of a weapon against the might of the new RadioShack-Nissan cycling team next year.

The American Johan Bruyneel, who guided Lance Armstrong to his record seven Tour de France titles, will be at the helm of RadioShack-Nissan, the result of the merger between RadioShack and Leopard-Trek. Twice Tour runner-up Andy Schleck is set to be the leader of an outfit also likely to feature Andreas Kloeden and Fabian Cancellara.

“Maybe Johan Bruyneel will be leading the best team in the world but with Contador, I will always have the best rider in the world and that’s a fact,” said Riis.

Contador, however, is awaiting a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling next month over a failed dope test in the 2010 Tour de France.