Mark Cavendish will defend road race title at Worlds
Last updated on .From the section Cycling

Reigning champion Mark Cavendish will compete in the road race at the World Championships after being selected for the event by Great Britain.
The 27-year-old is part of a nine-man team, which also includes Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.
Froome will also compete in the time trial alongside Alex Dowsett, who was chosen ahead of Wales' Geraint Thomas.
The championships run from 16-23 September in the Netherlands, with the elite races live on the BBC.
Olympic silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead is selected as part of the six-strong team for the women's road race.
Wendy Houvenaghel, who recently won the British title, has been chosen for the women's time trial despite criticising her team-mates and describing her non-selection for the Olympic event as "unjust" last month.
and Wiggins on Friday because of a stomach bug.
Earlier this month, the 32-year-old withdrew from the individual time trial for the Championships in Limburg, with British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford saying: "To expect Brad to hold form is a big ask.
"Once again we find ourselves in a very fortunate position of having a strong pool of riders across the board. Brad has opted out of riding the time-trial at the worlds. This year's focus for him has been fully on the Tour de France and the Olympics."
Thomas, who was one of the men selected on the GB long-list for the time-trial and road race but not chosen to race in either, will compete for Team Sky in the team time trial, alongside the likes of fellow-Brit Dowsett and Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen.
The team time trial is a new event at this year's World Championships and sees riders competing in the colours of their professional teams, instead of their countries.
Great Britain squad for the 2012 UCI Road World Championships:
Elite men - road race
Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Alex Dowsett, Chris Froome, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift, Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, Bradley Wiggins
Elite men - time trial
Alex Dowsett, Chris Froome
Elite women - road race
Lizzie Armitstead, Katie Colclough, Nicole Cooke, Nikki Harris, Sharon Laws, Emma Pooley
Elite women - time trial
Wendy Houvenaghel, Emma Pooley
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The criticism wasn't that they didn't help Cav, it was that they didn't try to set up a finish for their own sprinters, which in turn made it impossible for Cavendish to win. His claim that they deliberately lost in order to spite him is up for debate, of course, but that they did not ride to win is not in question.
It says he will "defend" his title, not he will "successfully defend".
Should the "Missile" get up the last climb anywhere near the front of the race then hey; he does occasionally surprise everybody on the climbs. Mind after yesterday???
It is all going to be about who tries to make the breaks and which teams wants to close them down. We cannot have a repeat of the Olympic race this time - a lot of teams got egg on their faces there apart frae team GB.
ITV4 show quite a lot live over & above their highlights packages. Not all of the live action for sure, but quite a bit & their coverage rocks!
I am a woman addicted to watching cycling BUT WHERE IS IT ON TV?
Only Football didn't sell out - doesn't that say something?
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Try ITV4, lots of cycling.
Yes, real football fans realised it was a Mickey Mouse tournament.
Millar is not suited to this terrain. He has ridden a long season. He is focusing on the TTT i believe. Cav's is only there because he is current WC, and its expected of him.
For me Gilbert was looking strong in the Vuelta & have a feeling it may go his way.
I would love to see someone from GB challenging but its been a hard year for most of them with team Sky so maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part and made harder without Millar who's a great leader.
My money is on the classics king Tom Boonen as the course is perfect for him.
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Thanks for that, I haven't laughed so much in ages.