Endura take Canary Wharf honours

By Giles Broadbent on June 1, 2012 11:17 AM |

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Endura Racing hit winning form at a windy Canary Wharf to take the individual and team honours, extending their lead at the top of The Halfords Tour Series to 11 points.

Australian Zak Dempster outsprinted Mike Northey, Chris Opie and World Track Champion Andy Tennant at the end of the hour long race round the skyscrapers.

Olympic Gold medallist Ed Clancy led in the bunch sprint for fifth, but with Endura's Scott Thwaites and Russell Downing taking seventh and ninth, Endura took their fifth win of the season.

Downing had kickstarted the evening's success, leading his Clifford Chance team to victory in the Canary Wharf Corporate Grand Prix ProAm relay.

"It was pretty easy for me", said Downing, "The guys had done all the hard work so it was pretty cruisey. It's very windy out there tonight so all these guys did awesome out there."

Yanto Barker took the honours in the evening's Boardman Bikes Sprints competition, but it was Australian Bernard Sulzberger of Team Raleigh - GAC who kept the yellow jersey and now enjoys a 10-point lead over Metaltek Scott's Marcel Six.

With Endura Racing out in front overall, the chasing pack look like they're jostling for the runners-up spot.

Dropping the flag for The Halfords Tour Series' London round was World Champion Mark Cavendish, who later made an appearance to present the winning Endura team on the Canary Wharf podium.

"It's wicked to be here and to see the racing," said Cavendish. "I've been watching on TV so I wanted to come down and watch it and it's been really good."

Highlights of Round Seven are tonight (Friday, 8pm, ITV4) and next stop for the tour is Torquay on Tuesday.

More pictures in The Wharf on Thursday.