Racing Issues

In the world of tarmac racing the season is getting towards those moments where everyone suddenly takes notice. This week the Tour de Suisse is where the action is, and that action has included Mark Cavendish winning a stage in emphatic fashion and then crashing the next day as he wound up for the sprint:

Taken down in a crash with 300m to go today. Ironically, I'd eased up as I wasn't willing to risk crashing. #sorehead pic.twitter.com/XwvioXhv1X

— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) June 18, 2014

Also crashing, and this putting an end to all the debate about the Sky Tour de France team, was Bradley Wiggins. He is now aiming to come back for the National Championships and will be out injured for the French race. With Froome dogged with problems, under scrutiny for asthma medication, failing to defend his Dauphiné Libre title as he managed to let a lead slip away to Contador and Talansky and not looking as strong as he did a few weeks ago perhaps Sky's job is not looking as simple and assured as it did recently.

On the downhill scene this video shows a superb view of Manon Carpenter and Rachel Atherton's races in Leogang, where Atherton's fitness problems after her continued illness shows against Carpenter's desire to win. The race is on at the top with British ladies dominating.

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