[themaclad]

To be honest think we know who has won after today, had it on when got back from work Jumbo Visma even though they nearly got sawn off at a roundabout still took the stage with ease

[themaclad]

Probs watch Vuelta tomorrow big hill day

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Wout van Aert produced a surprise late attack to win stage five and establish a lead in the general classification of the Tour of Britain.

The Belgian appeared to be leading out his Jumbo-Visma team-mate Olav Kooij but instead surged clear of the peloton in the final kilometre in Felixstowe.

Great Britain's Ethan Vernon was three seconds back in second place, with Dutch rider Danny van Poppel third.

The eight-stage race concludes in Caerphilly on 10 September.

With a bunch sprint anticipated to conclude the 192.4km route around the Suffolk port town, much of the talk had centred on whether Kooij would take a record fifth consecutive stage victory at the race.

However, Van Aert's powerful move caught his rivals - and the assembling sprint trains - out and he punched the air in delight as he crossed the line with a clear gap to the next set of riders.

"It is always tricky to make a plan like that," said Van Aert, 28. "When you can execute like this it gives a lot of satisfaction. Another great day for the team and [we are] really proud of this one.

"It came up as a joke slash idea and we knew if somebody responded, the bunch would still be stretched out and Olav still had a good chance in the sprint.

"We tried something else and I think that's the nice thing about cycling, there are enough times when it is boring and you know what is going to happen. It's nice to spice things up. It was a really special victory."

Vernon now sits at second in the GC race, with Ineos Grenadiers' Tom Pidcock, who finished safely in the main bunch, at seventh overall.

Stage six on Friday sees the riders travel 146.2km from Southend-on-Sea to Harlow.

Stage five results
1. Wout Van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) 4hrs 20mins 05secs

2. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain) +3 secs

3. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Bora-hansgrohe) Same time

4. Alexander Salby (Den/Bingoal WB)

5. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar)

6. Davide Persico (Ita/Bingoal WB)

7. Milan Fretin (Bel/Flanders-Baloise)

8. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)

9. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

10. Stian Fredheim (Nor/Uno-X Pro Cycling)

General classification after stage five
1. Wout Van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) 17hrs 45mins 36secs

2. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain) +3 secs

3. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar) Same time

4. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma)

5. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)

6. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Bora-hansgrohe)

7. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

8. Casper van Uden (Ned/DSM)

9. Gonzalo Serrano (Spa/Movistar)

10. Davide Persico (Ita/Bingoal WB)

[themaclad]

Not watched had the Vuelta on although Jumbo Visma will take places 1/2/3 in that Remco went pop literally



Danny van Poppel denied Ethan Vernon a home victory via a photo finish on stage six of the Tour of Britain.

Vernon took the lead during a sprint finish in Harlow, only for Bora-hansgrohe's Van Poppel, 30, to snatch victory with a late lunge for the line.

That ended Jumbo-Visma's 100% record this year as Olav Kooij took the first four stages before Wout van Aert won on Thursday to take the overall lead.

The Belgian star remains top of the general classification standings.

He is just three seconds ahead of a group of 52 riders led by Vernon, Kooij and Van Poppel, with Ineos Grenadiers' British star Tom Pidcock in fifth.

Part of a six-man Great Britain team, 23-year-old Vernon has finished on the podium in each of the last four stages in the eight-stage race.

Two TdT-Unibet riders were the last to be caught from the initial breakaway on Friday's relatively flat 146.2km route from Southend.

Dimitri Peyskens launched an attack 6.5km from the finish before being swallowed up by the peloton with 2.7km remaining.

Saturday's stage is classified as hilly and is 170.9km long from Tewkesbury to Gloucester.

Stage six results
1. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Bora-hansgrohe) 3hrs 14mins 34secs

2. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain) Same time

3. Tord Gudmestad (Nor/Uno-X Pro Cycling)

4. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma)

5. Casper van Uden (Ned/DSM-Firmenich)

6. Nicolo Parisini (Ita/Q36.5 Pro Cycling)

7. Davide Persico (Ita/Bingoal WB)

8. Robert Donaldson (GB/Trinity Racing

9. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

10. Szymon Sajnok (Pol/Q36.5 Pro Cycling)

General classification after stage six
1. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) 21hrs 00mins 10secs

2. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain) +3secs

3. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) Same time

4. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Bora-hansgrohe)

5. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

6. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)

7. Casper van Uden (Ned/DSM-Firmenich)

8. Davide Persico (Ita/Bingoal WB)

9. Gonzalo Serrano (Spa/Movistar)

10. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar)

[themaclad]

Wout van Aert launched a series of late attacks on stage seven of the Tour of Britain but was reeled in late on, with Rasmus Tiller winning the final sprint.

Uno-X Pro Cycling's Tiller was the fastest of the 13-man group that came to the line, beating Danny van Poppel and Great Britain's Stephen Williams.

Van Aert was caught with 800m left to the finish line in Gloucester.

But the Belgian retained his three-second overall lead heading into Sunday's final stage.

A group of 10 riders, led by Van Poppel and Tiller, are 10 seconds behind, along with the British trio of Mark Donovan, Stephen Williams and Zeb Kyffin, who sit seventh, eighth and ninth.

The tour's final stage on Sunday is a 166.8km route through South Wales, starting in Margam Country Park before finishing in Caerphilly.

Stage seven results
1. Rasmus Tiller (Nor/Uno-X Pro Cycling) 3hrs 50mins 53secs

2. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Bora-hansgrohe) Same time

3. Stephen Williams (GB/Great Britain)

4. Gregor Muhlberger (Aut/Movistar)

5. Damien Howson (Aus/Q36.5 Pro Cycling)

6. Tobias Johannessen (Nor/Q36.5 Pro Cycling)

7. Zeb Kyffin (GB/Saint Piran Pro)

8. Magnus Sheffield (US/Ineos Grenadiers)

9. Liam Johnston (Aus/Trinity Racing)

10. Mark Donovan (GB/Q36.5 Pro Cycling)

General classification after stage seven
1. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) 24hrs 51mins 3secs

2. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Bora-hansgrohe) +3secs

3. Rasmus Tiller (Nor/Uno-X Pro Cycling) Same time

4. Tobias Johannessen (Nor/Q36.5 Pro Cycling)

5. Damien Howson (Aus/Q36.5 Pro Cycling)

6. Magnus Sheffield (US/Ineos Grenadiers)

7. Mark Donovan (GB/Q36.5 Pro Cycling)

8. Stephen Williams (GB/Great Britain)

9. Zeb Kyffin (GB/Saint Piran Pro)

10. Gregor Muhlberger (Aut/Movistar)

Didn't bother had the Spanish one on were Remco didn't go oop and pulls 9 minutes back on GC bizarre

[themaclad]

Excellent finish to this as Rodriguez tried to get a winning distance of 39 seconds never quite got a big enough led and the Visma win again

Wout van Aert was crowned Tour of Britain champion for a second time as Carlos Rodriguez won this year's final stage.

Van Aert held a three-second overall lead over a group of 10 riders heading into stage eight.

Rodriguez launched a final attack ascent, but had to beat Van Aert by at least 39 seconds to secure the general classification crown.

The Spaniard finished just 11 seconds ahead of the Belgian.

Jumbo-Visma's Van Aert won by three seconds overall to add to his 2021 title.

Uno-X's Tobias Halland Johannessen of Norway finished second in the general classification, with Australia's Q.36.5 rider Damien Howsen coming third.

New Zealand's James Fouche secured the king of the mountains prize for best climber.

Staging elite cycling in the UK 'definitely' harder than ever
Tour of Britain diverted after unrelated road accident
Sunday's final stage had to be diverted after an unrelated accident on the route which reportedly left one person hurt, and a section over Bwlch mountain did not go ahead.

The race resumed half an hour later with Rodriguez and Great Britain's Stephen Williams attacking on the mountain climb of Bryn Du with 50km remaining.

The pair led the chasing group by 20 seconds as they headed into the first ascent of Caerphilly Mountain before Rodriguez launched a solo attack at the top of the climb.

However, Van Aert led a group of four in chasing down the Ineos Grenadiers rider and held off a late challenge from Magnus Sheffield as he crossed the line in second.

Stage eight results
1. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) 3hrs 52mins 43secs

2. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) +11 secs

3. Damien Howson (Aus/Q36.5 Pro Cycling) Same time

4. Tobias Johannessen (Nor/Uno-X Pro Cycling)

5. Magnus Sheffield (US/Ineos Grenadiers)

6. Nils Politt (Ger/Bora-Hansgrohe) +30secs

7. Zeb Kyffin (GB/Saint Piran Pro) +31secs

8. Mark Donovan (GB/Q36.5 Pro Cycling) Same time

9. Gregor Muhlberger (Aut/Movistar)

10. Kamiel Bonneu (Bel/Team Flanders-Baloise)

General classification after stage eight
1.Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) 28hrs 43mins 57secs

2. Tobias Johannessen (Nor/Uno-X Pro Cycling) +3secs

3. Damien Howson (Aus/Q36.5 Pro Cycling) Same time

4. Magnus Sheffield (US/Ineos Grenadiers)

5. Mark Donovan (GB/Q36.5 Pro Cycling) +23secs

6. Zeb Kyffin (GB/Saint Piran Pro) Same time

7. Gregor Muhlberger (Aut/Movistar)

8. Kamiel Bonneu (Bel/Team Flanders-Baloise)

9. Nils Politt (Ger/Bora-Hansgrohe) +28 secs

10.Carlos Rodriguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time