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Steve Cummings wins national road race title to seal rare double

Dimension Data rider likely to Tour de France with British national champion's colours for road and time trial stages...

Steve Cummings of Dimension Data is likely to head to the Tour de France this week as British national champion on the road and in the time trial after sealing a rare double on the Isle of Man today.

The 36-year-old took the time trial title on Thursday, breaking an eight-year domination of the event by today's runner-up, five time champion Alex Dowsett, and the retired Sir Bradley Wiggins, who won on three occasions.

Today he added victory in the road race, with Chris Lawless of Axeon Hagens Berman second and JLT-Condor's Ian Bibby third.

Only David Millar, in 2007, has previously won both titles in the same year.

Dimension Data hasn't yet confirmed its team for the Tour de France yet, but Cummings double means the Wirral rider, winner of stages in the past two editions, is a virtual certainty to take to the start in Duesseldorf on Saturday.

But just two months ago, he underwent major surgery in Sheffield after breaking his collarbone, scapula and sternum in a crash at the Tour of the Basque Country.

Two-time champion Peter Kennaugh had animated the race on his native island with a solo attack but was brought back in a race that produced the first podium without a Team Sky rider since the UCI WorldTour outfit started racing in 2010.

He launched a solo attack from the break in the closing kilometres of what sounds like a pulsating race this afternoon - but one with no live television coverage, to the dismay of many fans on social media.

"It was a really tough race, but that style of competition is what you miss when you haven’t been racing," said Cummings.

"It was punchy and explosive and there were so many efforts.

"I’m back now so we can forget about the injuries.

"It’s nice to be back doing what I do and looking forward to whatever is next.

"It’ll be nice to be at the Tour and to get stuck in."

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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dottigirl | 6 years ago
2 likes

Had a bit of a hoot at this - his only tweet since winning the RR:

https://twitter.com/StevoCummings/status/879056183335821312

 

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Simon E | 6 years ago
0 likes

Following the rather sparse updates from BC et al via twitter was OK until a bunch of moaners used the #RoadChamps hashtag to whinge about the lack of live coverage, which buried the race news under a pile of repetetive, pointless rubbish.  surprise

Highlights on ITV4 tonight (Monday), repeated on Tuesday during the day.

Over in Ireland Ryan Mullen (Cannondale-Drapac) also won both races, repeating the feat achieved in 2014 when he was just 19.

Avatar
me | 6 years ago
0 likes

Excellent ride in a great race.  And the weather on the rock wasn't too bad either.

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dodgy | 6 years ago
1 like

First stage of the tour and it's a TT, would love to see him in yellow.

Despite his shoulder injury recently, you have to think he's in with a chance with his current form.

 

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Simon E | 6 years ago
0 likes

It's not unique but it is the first time a British rider has achieved the double since David Millar in 2007.

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Simon_MacMichael replied to Simon E | 6 years ago
0 likes

Simon E wrote:

It's not unique but it is the first time a British rider has achieved the double since David Millar in 2007.

Thanks for the second pair of eyes - went through both lists but somehow missed that; article suitably amended.

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