Gerrans just gets the better of Cancellara

Mark Cavendish, Britain’s world champion, did not figure in the 298-km Classic after struggling to stay with the pace on the climb to La Manie with 90km still to go.

The Poggio, the final climb before the descent to the finish, proved decisive with Gerrans, Cancellara and Vincenzo Nibali breaking away from the bunch.

RadioShack rider Cancellara did most of the work in the final kilometres with Gerrans of GreenEdge taking his wheel and tiring Nibali doing his best to hang on.

Gerrans surged for the line with the bunch closing, Cancellara taking second and Nibali third.

Ilkley-based rider Brit Tate secured victory in the second round of the Salt Ayre Cycling Association’s Spring Series in Lancaster on Saturday, inching ahead of her team-mate and fellow Yorkshire rider Racheal Bamford, from Otley.

Tate, an 18-year-old riding for the Dirtwheels team, came first in an eight-rider sprint for the line at the end of the 50-minute race.

The men’s race was won for a second week running by Carnforth’s Matt Cronshaw (Node 4-Giordana).

In time trialling, Doncaster area riders performed well over the weekend.

Former British Best All-Rounder against the clock, Kevin Dawson (Strategic Lions) won the Doncaster Wheelers 10-mile event on the Hatfield Woodhouse to Blaxton course, clocking 21:05 to win by 59 seconds from Stocksbridge CC’s Stewart Smith.

In the Hull Thursday Road Club’s George Ely 24-mile two-up event, another Doncaster rider John Tanner teamed up with Colin Humphrey from Sportscover to win with a time of 47:59.

This was 1:18 faster than the next best pairing, Ashley Brown and Adam Duggleby, both Yorkshiremen riding for the Sportscover outfit.

Team Swift duo Joel Wainman, from Hull, and Jon Surtees from Lincolnshire completed the podium, another eight seconds off the pace.