28/07/2012 BBC Weekend News

Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News from the Olympic Park,

where tens of thousands of fans have been turning up for the first

full day of the Games. However, Britain's hopes of an early medal

in the men's cycling road race were dashed a short time ago when Mark

Cavendish failed to finish in the top three. Our sports correspondent,

Dan Roan, is near the finishing line. Dan, what happened?

Good afternoon. Mark Cavendish came into this race under unprecedented

levels of expectation but the feeling was that if anyone could

handle the pressure it was him. A British cyclist won the Tour De

France last weekend but Olympic glory proved beyond them.

These days Britain's cyclists need little pre-race introduction. Last

weekend Bradley Wiggins was making history. Now as Team GB arrived in

London, the focus would shift to a team-mate Mark Cavendish and the

sprinter's bid to deliver a metal. The first morning of these Games is

about to get under way. The road race is about to start. Can Mark

Cavendish that the gold rush that the country's is craving.

The fear was that this race would prove too hard and long to control

for Team GB. Experienced riders were allowed to infiltrate a

breakaway. The favourites then lost Chris Froome. Fabian Cancellara

crashed out of contention, but Britain was left with too much to

do, even Bradley Wiggins with nothing to give. Mark Cavendish was

nowhere to be seen at. The instead, the crowd got Alexandre Vinokourov,

one of cycling's convicted drug streets, winning.

It was a massive anti-climax for the disappointed fans behind me as

they go home. Some will question Team GB's tactics, but others will

wonder if Mark Cavendish was too exhausted after the Tour De France.

Today shows that even being hosts of the Olympics and being world

champion Mike Mark Cavendish is, it is no guarantee of success in sport.

Our other main story and in Syria the city of Aleppo has come under

heavy bombardment in what rebels say is the start of an army assault

to force them out. Many casualties have been reported and a steady

stream of vehicles carrying families is leaving the city, as

Mike Wooldridge reports. Video footage from the Web is said

to be of running battles today on the streets. It is a rebel

stronghold in the city of Aleppo. The footage cannot be independently

verified by a journalist in the district says that fighting started

at 4am and eight hours later it was still going. Syrian troops backed

by helicopter gunships have been massing for the past two days.

Rebels have reported that government forces were moving on

districts of the city where rebels were concentrated. Fighter planes

have been flying over at low altitude. The regime has left no

one in doubt that it is determined to reassert its authority in Aleppo

after efforts to do the same in Damascus. Russia, a long-time ally

of Syria, called for understanding of Syria's position. I am DUP seek

-- armed opposition groups are occupying cities. How can you

expect the Syrian government to say, it go ahead, or overthrow me? This

is unrealistic. Russia is accusing Western countries of helping the

opposition fighters. It said today it would not allow searches of

Russian ships, under a brand new EU regulations of presenting shipments

to at Syria. -- preventing. A patient who was being treated for

legionnaires' disease has died in hospital in Staffordshire. A total

of 16 cases have been confirmed in the outbreak, which began in Stoke-

on-Trent on Tuesday. One person remains critically ill.

More now on the Olympics. The very first gold medal of 2012 was won

this morning. China's Siling Yi took the top spot on the podium

after victory in the women's ten metre shooting. The 23-year-old

reached the final with a near- perfect score of 399 out of 400.

Well, today's sporting action followed last night's spectacular

opening ceremony which was watched by 27 million people in the UK

alone, and many more worldwide. Among those with a starring role in

the ceremony was the Queen, who this morning paid a visit to some

of the Olympic venues. Clive Myrie reports.

The speeches are over. Now it is time for the sport to begin. No

heads of state here today, just ordinary people entering the

Olympic Park for the first time. There is a positive back, everyone

is speaking to each other, saying, where are you going? It is

fantastic. We have been here for a month. It is a once-in-a-lifetime

experience. Last night's jaw- dropping opening ceremony was

watched by 26.9 million people in the UK. An estimated 1 billion

people around the world. Danny Boyle's vision of Britannia really

did rule the airwaves. There was humour as well. The evening, Mr

Bond. As space in which Daniel Craig playing James Bond met the

Queen at Buckingham Palace. Later as he apparently parachuted with

Her Majesty into the Olympic Stadium. It is a moment of

invention that few will forget, Alyssa that the second the most

unlikely of Bond girls. Commie jingoistic and chauvinistic, but I

think we knock the spots off Beijing last night. Today the Queen

came back to the Olympic park and topped by the athletes' village.

She was standing outside our accommodation. We do not normally

get that sort of attention so it has been a fantastic experience.

The relaxed atmosphere among the crowd here is in stark contrast to

the pressure that the athletes are experience in in the sporting

venues. Out here it is one big garden party and that is what the