Ben Swift:
Final stage of Tour Down Under
Britain’s Ben Swift won the final stage of the Tour Down Under to
finish third overall in the six-stage race.
Swift out-sprinted fellow Team Sky rider Greg Henderson for his
second win of the event to finish behind winner Cameron Meyer and
Matthew Goss. “I was struggling really badly halfway through after the
efforts of Saturday,” he said.
“I had to hang out there.” Cycling legend Lance Armstrong finished
his last overseas race 65th while Mark Cavendish finished 129th and
last.
Armstrong refused to speak to reporters afterwards about the latest
doping allegations made against him this week.
The seven-time Tour de France champion took part in the race against
the backdrop of a United States federal investigation triggered by
former team-mate Floyd Landis’s allegations that Armstrong and other
prominent figures used performance-enhancing drugs.
The Texan, who never tested positive throughout his career, has
denied any wrongdoing and tweeted on Friday that he looks forward to
being cleared by the US Anti-Doping Agency.
Armstrong’s team manager Johan Bruyneel said he could ride a last
professional race at the Tour of California in May.
British sprint star Mark Cavendish finished last of the riders who
completed the Tour Down Under. The HTC-Highroad rider had a fall on the
second stage and was left nursing some damaging cuts and bruises for the
rest of the race. |