Commonwealth Games dry run to showcase cycling elite

WITH less than 400 days until the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow is set for a dry run of one of the major events with the British Road Race Championships today.

Although dwarfed in the cycling calendar by summer tours across Italy and, of course, the grandeur of the Tour de France, the British Championships have proven to be the first stage for many promising riders who eventually go on to bigger things.

Scots will get the chance to see the likes of Mark Cavendish, Lizzie Armitstead and David Millar ride the streets of East Ayrshire, before the race weaves through Glasgow for the first-time in an urban setting.

One man who will not make the trip north for the Championships is 2012 Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins, who has withdrawn from the competition through illness, and will also miss the landmark event in France.

The Team Sky rider was champion in consecutive years for 2009 and 2010 in the Time Trial category, whilst also picking up Road Race glory in 2011.

The Championships kick-off on today, as the Time Trial winds around the coastal town of Stewarton in a 24.6km loop for men and 17.6km for the women and Under-23 races.

Tipped for the first-ever triple consecutive, 24-year-old Alex Dowsett is the red-hot favourite, having won the Time Trials in 2011 and 2012, becoming the second most successful rider in the competition. Dowsett comes into the British Championships in strong form after winning the eighth stage of the Giro D’Italia this year and finishing second in the Road Race in 2012.

For the last two years, the Women’s Time Trial title has been taken by Wendy Houvenaghel – but the 38-year-old will not compete in the 2013 edition.

That leaves the door wide open for one of a few young riders to become British champion, including a number of 2012 Olympic gold medallists. Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell and Dani King are three with excellent track records, but the much-fancied Julia Shaw will be looking to get the gold medal after three years of silver.

On Sunday, through the streets of Glasgow, the Women’s race is very open with European and Olympic champions looking to fill the void of the absent Nicole Cooke, a 10-time winner of the Championships, who retired in January at the age of 29.

Cavendish and team-mate Andy Fern will set the pace for the 182km men’s race looking to take the championships from Team Sky’s Ian Stannard, the 2011 and 2012 winner, with others, such as, Ben Swift not to be ruled out.