Svein Tuft (Orica-GreenEDGE) has added the Canadian road race title to the win in the time trial that he took a few days ago by putting in an excellent solo performance in today's 2014 championships. Being on his own for more than 100km, the Canadian held off his chasers to claim his second win in the event while his his teammate Christian Meier made it a great day for Orica-GreenEDGE by finishing third.
Sven Tuft is known as an excellent time triallist but in the road races he is mostly known as a domestique. So to win the Canadian road race championships he had to invent his own time time trial and that's what he did in today's 2014 edition of the event.
After a very hectic and fast start that had seen the group splinter to pieces, Tuft found himself with Orica-GreenEDGE teammate Christian Meier in a small lead group that contained no less than 15 riders from the Smartstop team. Not intimated by his rivals, the Canadian attacked on his own with more than 100km to go, probably in an attempt to allow Meier to save energy for later.
On the hilly circuit, however, Tuft kept extending his advantage until it reached two minutes while behind a race of attrition was taking place that saw the group constantly get smaller and smaller. However, the chasers had big problems getting closer to the Orica-GreenEDGE rider who maintained his 2-minute gap for almost the entire race.
Meier made sure to follow all moves and when a three-rider group with Ryan Roth and Michael Woods had emerged on the penultimate lap. Despite their best efforts, however, the chasers were still 2 minutes behind by the time Tuft started the final 30km downhill section to the finish.
A tiring Tuft started to lose ground but with 8km to go, he was still 1.40 ahead and it was clear that nothing could be done to stop the outstanding Canadian who soloed across the line to take his second road race title just days after winning the time trial. Woods had been dropped from the chase group but Roth beat Meier in the sprint for second to deny the Orica-GreenEDGE pair a 1-2 in the event.
As Tuft is not in contention for a spot on the Orica-GreenEDGE roster for the Tour de France, it is unknown when he will make his debut in his new jersey.
Result:
1. Svein Tuft
2. Ryan Roth
3. Christian Meier
4. Michael Woods
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