George finishes in top 10 at UCI

Former Dundee High School pupil Alfie George was the best placed Briton as American Quinn Simmons soloed to victory in the junior men’s road race on another damp day at the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire.

George finished seventh as fellow 18-year-old Simmons, from Durango, Colorado, attacked from a small breakaway with 34 kilometres of the 144km route from Richmond to Harrogate to go, and won by 56 seconds from Italian Alessio Martinelli.

“It does feel great, top 10,” said George. “It was good but it’s not quite what we came.

“It didn’t quite pan out on the day... Coming to the finishing circuit I didn’t know if I had the legs. I was a bit in two minds because I wasn’t the absolute strongest on the climbs, but the group was so small I had to cover moves on the climbs.

“I also knew I couldn’t do all the work because I wouldn’t have anything left for the sprint. It’s not quite what we came for, but seventh – it’s pretty good.”

Though things were nowhere near as dire as when roads flooded during Tuesday’s under23 men’s time trial, the rain returned yesterday to create difficult conditions.

Great Britain’s Max Walker went in one early break but the key move came when American pair Simmons and Magnus Sheffield attacked on the descent into Blubberhouses, drawing Britain’s Lewis Askey with them.

Simmons then went again on the first of three ascents of the Oak Beck climb on the finishing circuit and quickly moved 50 seconds clear.

Sheffield then added to American celebrations by beating Holland’s Enzo Leijnse to bronze.