Much has been written predicting that this will be the year, at the Amgen TofC, when the cycling "old guard" gives way to the next generation of young riders. And, as if on cue, the winner of Monday's 76.7 mile Stage 2, actually the first stage of this year's race after Sunday's Stage 1 was scrapped due to inclement weather, was none other than a fast young rider with a name that says it all, Ben Swift.
Swift, 23 years young and a U.K. native, riding for Team Sky, turned on the after-burners in the last 7 km of the shortened stage to beat out Peter Sagan of Team LiquiGas at the line. Sagen himself is an experienced racer, at the ripe old age of 21, who took home two stage wins in last year's TofC (5th and 6th stages) as well as the Best Young Riders and Overall Points jerseys.
Swift, with superb help from his Team Sky teammates, looks to be a pure sprinter, prompting one commentator after today's stage to suggest that he may be the "next Mark Cavendish." Well, Cavendish himself is only 26, and a fierce competitor who will not move aside easily for anyone, young or old.
0 comments:
Post a Comment