Steve Cummings takes the Tour of Britain lead on Dartmoor

Steve Cummings crossed the summit of the Haytor climb in Devon and into the Yellow Jersey presented by Eisberg as leader of the Tour of Britain at the end of the sixth stage, as Team Sky’s Wout Poels took the stage win in the South West.

Poels led the way, striking out with 1.5-kilometres to go to cross the summit alone for the victory, his third Tour of Britain stage win.

Behind Team Dimension Data man Cummings was amid a gaggle of chasers, crossing the line alone in eighth, at 21-seconds , but with more than enough in hand over previous race leader Julien Vermote to earn himself a 49-second lead on General Classification over Tom Dumoulin.

Speaking after pulling on the Tour of Britain’s Yellow Jersey presented by Eisberg for the first time, Steve Cummings said;

The team have done an excellent job all week in taking care of me every day and sacrificed chances for Mark [Cavendish] in the sprints to protect me. I was feeling a little bit of pressure coming into today and I just thought all I could do was do my best and I gave it my all at the end and I’m delighted to take Yellow.

I’ve been second twice before in this race, once by four seconds and once by eight seconds I think, so this race is normally won by seconds not minutes. You still have to claw back those seconds and it’s not done until it’s done. The time trial I’ll just give it full gas and hopefully it’ll be enough to hold off the superstar time trialists Dumoulin and Dennis.

Steve Cummings

Stage 6 ToB2016 Yellow Jersey Holder, Team Dimension Data

In a stage run off in extremely blustery and often wet conditions right from the start at Sidmouth on Devon’s Jurassic Coast the peloton never let the day’s break get more than just over a three minute advantage as the race wended its way across Devon towards the Dartmoor denouement.

With the race together at the foot of the Haytor climb it was BMC Racing’s Rohan Dennis who kicked things off with the first attack, being joined by Tom Dumoulin, Gorka Izagirre and Poels as Vermote was distanced.

At 2.5-kilometres to go Cummings and Tony Gallopin briefly made the junction with the three leaders, before Dennis went again, taking Dumoulin and Poels with him.

The next attack was the tall Dutchman’s, and despite the valiant efforts of the Giant Alpecin and BMC rider they couldn’t do enough to reel him in, allowing the Team Sky man to add victory atop Haytor to his summit finish win on Hartside in Cumbria 12-months previously.

“The last part we took control and we wanted to close the gap to go for the stage victory with me,” said Poels speaking afterwards.

“Yogi [Ian Stannard] and Danny [van Poppel] did a really good job, so I was really happy with that. It’s my sixth [win] of the season already and it’s always nice to win here at the Tour of Britain; last year on the uphill finish and this year again. It’s a really nice race.”

Along with Vermote’s demotion from the overall lead to eleventh overall, Etixx Quick-Step teammate Dan Martin completed a miserable day for the team, dropping from fifth to twelth.

Six riders now lie within a minute of the lead going into the Bristol double-stage, including Olympic Games Time Trial Silver medallist Tom Dumoulin, and 2014 Tour of Britain winner Dylan Van Baarle.

The last of those six Xandro Meurisse extended his lead in the SKODA King of the Mountains classification to 15-points over Nicolas Roche, with just 18 left to play for on the Bristol circuit on Saturday afternoon.

For the sprinters Jasper Bovenhuis enjoyed another productive day in the breakaway to hold an eight point lead over Johnny McEvoy in the Yodel Sprints Jersey, while Dan McLay and Nicola Ruffoni have 29-points a-piece towards the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Classification, with the Brit wearing the blue jersey.

 

Highlights of Stage Six are on ITV4 at 8pm on Friday 9 September, with a repeat at 1pm on Saturday 10 September.

The Tour of Britain resumes with the Bristol Stage presented by OVO Energy, taking place over a 15-kilometre circuit in Bristol that includes both the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the SKODA King of the Mountains climb of Bridge Valley Road.

Riders will contest an individual time trial over one lap of the Bristol circuit from 10:01, before the afternoon sees a six-lap circuit race on the same circuit, finishing on the Clifton Downs where Michal Kwiatowski won a Tour of Britain stage in 2014.

Jack Bauer holds off the peloton for Stage Five Tour of Britain victory

Jack Bauer (Cannonade Drapac) put in an all action display to win Stage Five of the Tour of Britain into Bath with a dramatic finish on the Royal Avenue as the peloton caught the break at the line

The victory, his first individual win since breaking his leg 14-months ago at the Tour de France, came at the end of a hard 194.5-kilometre stage from Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The Kiwi was part of a five rider break who survived until the final dash for the line, with Bauer and breakaway companions Amael Moinard and Erick Rowsell taking the 1-2-3 in Victoria Park, ahead of Caleb Ewan and Stage Four winner Dylan Groenewegen who led in the break.

It was a tough day out there. We had a great group, a really motivated group and really balanced which is quite unusual for a breakaway in that everyone really commits,” said the Cannondale Drapac rider after the stage.

I really appreciate what I have and I’ve tried to make a real go of it this year but this really caps off a difficult season for me and I think many people had written me off thinking I just couldn’t ride my bike any more or perform to the same level. But a year on I’m back and I’m able to win a race and I’m really grateful for that.

Jack Bauer

Stage 5 ToB winner, Cannonade Drapac

With the race in effect all coming back together for the finish the overall classification remained unchanged, with Julien Vermote continuing in the Yellow Jersey presented by Eisberg.  The Belgian lies six seconds ahead of Steve Cummings heading towards a potentially decisive summit finish in Devon on Friday’s Stage Six.

Bauer had broken away along with Moinard, Rowsell, Javier Moreno and Johnny McEvoy as the race headed across South Wales.  The quintet built a lead of over five-minutes as the race headed through Gloucestershire, which was whittled down by the teams of Lotto Soudal and LottoNL Jumbo working towards the sprint.

The gap steadily diminished, and with four rider remaining out front the gap was just a handful of seconds racing through the outskirts of Bath.  Taking the penultimate left-hand corner Bauer went clear, but immediately eased as he sense the gradient steepen, following Moreno’s wheel through the final right hander before opening his sprint, to take the win as the charging peloton caught the escapees moments too late.

Dan McLay took a top ten spot in the bunch kick to move into the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey, while Jasper Bovenhuis kept the Yodel Sprints Jersey and Xandro Meurisse the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey.

 

All images ©Sweetspot & Theo Southee photography

Highlights of Stage Five are on ITV4 at 8pm with a repeat at Midday on Friday 9 September and available on demand via the ITV Hub for 30-days.

Stage Six sees the peloton head to Devon for a 150-kilometre stage from Sidmouth to Haytor in the Dartmoor National Park, which culminates with a summit finish atop a five-kilometre climb.  Live coverage of Stage is on ITV4 from 12:30, with highlights at 8pm.

Tour of Britain Dylan Groenewegen wins Stage Four in Wales

Dylan Groenewegen sprinted to victory at the end of Stage Four of the Tour of Britain on the Royal Welsh Showground, heading home British duo Dan McLay and Ben Swift, at the end of the 218-kilometre stage through Mid-Wales from Denbigh.

The Dutch National Champion was afforded the perfect leadout by LottoNL Jumbo teammate Tom Leezer onto the showground, and held off McLay over the final 200-metres from the last corner.

Behind Swift’s third place on the stage and resulting time bonus helped him move up to third overall, while Julien Vermote, the Yellow Jersey presented by Eisberg came home fifth to retain his race lead for a third day.

I won in Yorkshire and I’ve won here too. 

Today was a very hard stage with all the climbs, and it was very long, so I knew there was only a small chance I could fight for it. But the team was very strong and I started to think I could do it. It was a very hard final but the team worked very hard and I had four guys for me, so it was a perfect team performance.

Dylan Groenewegen

Tour of Britain Stage 4 Winner, LottoNL Jumbo

It had in fact been the other Lotto team in the Tour of Britain, Lotto Soudal who had worked had to set up the sprint over the final 15-kilometre run through Powys, but they were usurped for pole position on the left hand turn into the Showground by their Dutch compatriots.

Four riders had spent the stage up the road, including Bardiani CSF’s Alessandro Tonelli as the longest surviving, and winner of the HIGH5 Combativity Award for Stage Four.

The quartet were eventually swept off when the General Classification contenders vying for the Yellow Jersey presented by Eisberg began to battle, with Dan Martin, Wout Poels and the teams of Movistar and Cannondale Drapac all active.

This flurry of attacks split the field, ditching sprinters like Mark Cavendish, Caleb Ewan and Elia Viviani, and briefly Andre Greipel, although the German national champion got back across to the leaders.

 

All images ©Sweetspot & Theo Southee photography

No great advantage was ever established with some of the dropped riders able to rejoin as the race hit Rhayader and the main roads leading to Builth Wells the General Classification battle was over, barring a hotly contest intermediate Yodel Sprint in Newbridge-on-Wye with less than 20-kilometres remaining.

That Yodel Sprint saw Tony Gallopin taking the points, and more importantly the time bonuses, which elevated him into fourth overall behind Swift, but now ahead of Dan Martin.

Thanks to the win at the day’s opening Yodel Sprint in Mold, Jasper Bovenhuis retook the Yodel Sprints Jersey while the battle between Xandro Meurisse and Nicolas Roche for the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey continued apace.

The Belgian has now eked out a two-point lead over the Irish Champion and wears the jersey for a third day on Stage Five.

Julien Vermote continues in the Yellow Jersey presented by Eisberg and also inherits the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey, while second overall Steve Cummings continues as the Adnams Best British Rider in the Tour of Britain.

Highlights of Stage Four from Denbigh to Builth Wells are on ITV4 at 8pm with a repeat on the same channel at Midday on Thursday 8 September and available on demand via the ITV Hub.

The Tour of Britain remains in Wales for the Start of Stage Five in Aberdare Park in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which then crosses South Wales and the Forest of Dean for the finish on the Royal Avenue in Bath.

Ian Stannard solos to victory in stage 3 of Tour of Britain

Ian Stannard soloed to a memorable stage victory in the beautiful surrounds of Tatton Park on the outskirts of Knutsford, as huge crowds lined the route of the first every Cheshire East stage of the Tour of Britain.

The Team Sky man won by nearly two-minutes from breakaway companions Graham Briggs and Kristian House, to lead a British 1-2-3 at the end of the 180-kilometre stage from Congleton, with the peloton racing in over five and a half minutes down.

Overnight leader Julien Vermote retained the Yellow Jersey presented by Eisberg and his six second lead over Steve Cummings, with the other main General Classification positions remaining unchanged.

Speaking afterwards, Stannard, who lives locally to the Stage Three route in Wilmslow said;

 

I was keen to get away. It’s always nice to win from a breakaway and go solo too. I really enjoyed it today. I knew I want to go over the top of the Cat and Fiddle with about five minutes on the peloton, we’d have a chance on the run-in then. I heard it went out but I didn’t know much more. I was just happy to be up there.

Ian Stannard

Team Sky

 

Interview – Ian Stannard Team Sky – Stage 3 Winner Tour of Britain 2016 by Cycling Shorts

Post race interview with Ian Standard of Team Sky after he soloed to a memorable stage victory in the beautiful surrounds of Tatton Park on the outskirts of Knutsford, as huge crowds lined the route of the first every Cheshire East stage of the Tour of Britain.

After being waved away in front of the biggest crowds of the week so far in the historic market town of Congleton, it was Matt Cronshaw of Madison Genesis who lit the race up, attacking as soon as the race was de-neutralised on the outskirts of town, taking Briggs, House and Stannard with him.

The break was down to three by the time it reached the second SKODA King of the Mountains climb of the Brickworks, with Cronshaw distanced and eventually swept up on the day’s final categorised climb of the Cat & Fiddle.

Over the top of that climb as the route navigated a series of false flats across the moors of the Peak District National Park Stannard went away,

 

Lunch Ride – Ian Stannard’s 178.6 km bike ride

EPIC RIDE, GREAT STAGE VICTORY, EXTREME KUDOS!!! managed to see rac4 times, at start Congleton, at KOM Alderley & bottom of Cat & up the little hill for Gawsworth from Fools Nook.

casting Briggs and House adrift to then contest their own race for second.

Stannard was long since finished and celebrating with family and his team as Briggs and Middlewich resident House fought out the battle for second, Briggs staying on the ONE Pro Cycling man’s wheel to come around House in the final metres for the runner-up spot.

Bardiani CSF’s Nicola Ruffoni led in the peloton for fourth, outsprinting Danny Van Poppel  and Ramon Sinkeldam, who pulled on the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey.

Andre Greipel retains the Yodel Sprints jersey going into Stage Four in Wales, while Xandro Meurisse keeps the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey for a further day.  The Belgian enjoyed a day long tussle with Nicolas Roche for the remaining points at each of the three climbs, but only managed to extend his hold on the jersey by a solitary point.

 

All images ©CyclingShorts.cc | chrismaher.co.uk

Stage Four is the longest of the 2016 Tour of Britain, weighing in at 218-kilometres from Denbigh to Builth Wells, and also including 4,000-metres of ascent as the route wends its way south through Mid-Wales to the finish on the Royal Welsh Showground.

Audio Interview – Ian Stannard Stage 3 ToB2016 Winner

Post race interview with Ian Standard of Team Sky after he soloed to a memorable stage victory in the beautiful surrounds of Tatton Park on the outskirts of Knutsford, as huge crowds lined the route of the first every Cheshire East stage of the Tour of Britain.

 

Interview – Ian Stannard Team Sky – Stage 3 Winner Tour of Britain 2016 by Cycling Shorts

Post race interview with Ian Standard of Team Sky after he soloed to a memorable stage victory in the beautiful surrounds of Tatton Park on the outskirts of Knutsford, as huge crowds lined the route of the first every Cheshire East stage of the Tour of Britain.

Full stage 1 race report and gallery can be viewed by clicking here.

Full stage 2 race report and gallery can be viewed by clicking here.

Full stage 3 race report and gallery can be viewed by clicking here.

All images & Content ©CyclingShorts.cc | chrismaher.co.uk

Stage 2 Tour of Britain 2016 – Julien Vermote wins in Kendal

The Etixx Quick-Step rider was among the survivors of a 15-rider breakaway on the 188-kilometre stage from Carlisle and was joined by Dimension Data man Cummings, who had broken away on the climb of The Struggle, and was an aggressive presence throughout the run in to Kendal.

 

I knew once the break it had gone it would be very difficult to catch us or if they did catch us they would have wasted a lot of energy as well.

Once I saw Cummings coming back I knew I had to stay in his wheel because once he gets a little gap he’s gone. We had good co-operation between us but I’m really glad I could take the Stage win.

 

Julien Vermote

Stage 2 winner & Yellow Jersey holder, Etixx Quick-Step

After starting in clear conditions in front of large crowds in Carlisle, the first half of the stage was run off in sunny conditions, with the strong 15-rider lead group containing overnight leader and Stage One winner Andre Greipel, Team Sky’s Nicolas Roche and Vermote.

Once through Keswick and over the second SKODA King of the Mountains climb of Chestnut Hill the rain and mist set in with the, much anticipated, climb of The Struggle out of Ambleside proving decisive.

 

 

Interview – Stage 2 Tour of Britain 2016 – Julien Vermote wins in Kendal by Cycling Shorts

Post race interview with Stage 2 winner and Yellow Jersey holder Julien Vermote of Etixx Quick-Step.

Dimension Data’s Mark Cavendish led the peloton onto The Struggle, just over a minute and a half down on the fracturing front group as Vermote and Roche went clear from the break with Xandro Meurisse, Bert-Jan Lindemann  and Trek Segafredo stagiare Jacopo Mosca.

First to bridge across was BMC’s former World Hour Record holder Rohan Dennis with an impressive ride, making six in front on the descent, with a chase group of ten led by Cummings and Ben Swift behind.  Under pressure from Cummings and Gallopin that group dissolved, with Cummings going on to make it across.

The Brit put in several attacks on the rolling Crook road from Windermere towards Kendal, with Vermote the only rider able to follow him.  The pair built a 40-second gap as they approached 5-kilometres to go, the majority of that work done by Cummings as with Dan Martin behind Vermote was content to bide his time until the finale on Beast Banks.

With Cummings leading up the climb, Vermote surged past on the outside as the gradient eased going into the final 200-metres, crossing the line with a 2-second advantage over Cummings, good enough for a six second lead overnight going into Stage Three in Cheshire.

The win was Vermote’s first since his victory in Brighton during the 2014 Tour of Britain, when he won alone at the end of another arduous stage.

I asked the team to come here, I knew it wasn’t originally in the programme but I knew there would be some opportunities,” said Vermote reflecting on his win.  “It’s an open race with only 6 riders per team so that makes it different to all the other races. It’s a really tough race though, small roads and up and down all day but I’m just really happy I took my chance.

Julien Vermote

Stage 2 winner & Yellow Jersey holder, Etixx Quick-Step

Behind Vermote on the General Classification is Cummings at six seconds, with Dan Martin third at 1-minute 04-seconds, before Meurisse, Swift and Tony Gallopin all a further four seconds in arrears, while only the top-12 riders remain within three minutes of the Yellow Jersey presented by Eisberg.

Stage One winner Greipel moved into the Yodel Sprints jersey after taking a clean sweep of the intermediate Yodel Sprints in Hesket Newmarket, Cockermouth and Grasmere, and Wanty Group Gobert’s Meurisse took the lead in the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey.

Stage Three sees Cheshire East host their first ever stage of the Tour of Britain, with Congleton hosting the start and Tatton Park outside Knutsford the stage finish, which the race will pass through at around 1pm, before returning for an expected finish at around 3.15pm.

All images ©CyclingShorts.cc | www.chrismaher.co.uk

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