What a crock. Sure maybe Cav let him win but second best is not bad. There has got to be some seriously sour grapes here, the distance excuse is rubbish. He rode in support of Cav in milan-san remo (handy to have the bloke who won that race on your team as well), and every day for a month in the tour.
Tour Of Britain: Stage 5, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com