[themaclad]

Sadly clashes with the Vuelta and even worse actually have to go to work for two days so will miss a fair bit of it, hopefully also it will get to the last stage due tLiz pegging out last year.
Usually ITV cover this one live

[ritchiebaby]

ITV4's live coverage starts on Sunday at 11.30am with highlights at 8pm. Each day's schedule is at roughly the same times.

I'll be an occasional watcher, depending on other commitments.

[themaclad]

Dutch rider Olav Kooij sprinted to victory on stage one of the Tour of Britain after being led out by his Jumbo-Visma team-mate Wout van Aert.

The Belgian finished second on the 161.6km route that began in Altrincham and finished in Manchester city centre.

Ireland's Sam Bennett was third, with Britain's Tom Pidcock, who hopes to challenge Van Aert for the overall title, finishing safely in 12th.

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

"I can't ask much more than to get a one-two," said Kooij.

"With Wout in front to get us first and second into the last corner I knew it was just then straight to the line, and luckily we got it."

Ethan Vernon was the highest-placed British rider, finishing fifth.

Huge crowds turn out for Tour of Britain launch
Five riders, including Harry Tanfield and emerging British talent Jack Rootkin-Gray, had gone up the road early on a route that looped around the hills above Manchester.

However, they were given little leeway as the Ineos Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma teams controlled the tempo of the peloton.

And with the race back together, Van Aert acted as the perfect lead-out man as the sprinters assembled near the finish line on Deansgate.

"We know there is quite a lot of responsibility on us as a team to control things and get things together either for the sprints or the general classification," added Kooij.

Stage one results
1. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) 3hrs 51mins 02secs

2. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) same time

3. Sam Bennett (Ire/Bora-Hansgrohe)

4. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar)

5. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain)

6. Stian Fredheim (Nor/Uno-X Pro)

7. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)

8. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Bora-Hansgrohe)

9. Gonzalo Serrano (Spa/Movistar)

10. Rory Townsend (Ire/Bolton Equities Black Spoke)

Breakaway lasted until 10kms, fair play to ITV for the coverage got snippits of conversation between riders, highlight though for me they went through Millbrook in Cheshire, went past my old Junior school aklso my house, just think if I'd not moved 57 years ago I could have watched the Tour go past my door

[themaclad]

A nothing happened stage

Olav Kooij edged a sprint to the line to claim back-to-back victories on stage two of the Tour of Britain.

Kooij finished just ahead of fellow Dutch rider Danny van Poppel, with Belgium's Wout van Aert in third.

Ethan Vernon was again the leading British rider, finishing sixth on the 109.9km route around Wrexham.

Ineos Grenadiers' Tom Pidcock, who hopes to challenge for the overall honours when the race concludes on Sunday, was ninth.

Kooij's triumph followed a similar pattern to his win in Manchester on Sunday, with the peloton controlling and then reeling in a small breakaway group in anticipation of a bunch sprint.

And Van Aert once again led out his Jumbo-Visma team-mate in the finale, which was marred by Tobias Lund Andresen's heavy fall as the leaders wound up for the finish.

Tuesday's 154.7km run from Goole to Beverley is also expected to favour the sprinters.

Stage two results
1. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) 2hrs 22mins 51secs

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

3. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma)

4. Sam Bennett (Ire/Bora-hansgrohe)

5. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar)

6. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain)

7. Luke Lamperti (US/Trinity Racing)

8. Stian Fredheim (Nor/Uno-X Pro)

9. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

10. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)

General classification after stage two
1. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) 6hrs 13mins 53secs

2. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) Same time

3. Sam Bennett (Ire/Bora-hansgrohe)

4. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar)

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

6. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain)

7. Stian Fredheim (Nor/Uno-X Pro)

8. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)

9. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

10. Gonzalo Serrano (Spa/Movistar)

[themaclad]

Deja Deja Vu same winner, sadly having to actually go into work tomorrow so limited watching ability

[themaclad]

Olav Kooij continued his brilliant start to the Tour of Britain by sprinting to a third straight win on stage three from Goole to Beverley.

The general classification leader held off fellow Dutchman Danny van Poppel and Britain's Ethan Vernon.

The Jumbo Visma rider matches Edvald Boasson Hagen's record of three straight stage wins in the 2009 event.

Britons Tom Pidcock and Robert Donaldson finished sixth and seventh respectively in a tight finish.

Kooij's triumph followed a similar pattern to his wins in Wrexham on Monday and Manchester on Sunday, with the peloton reeling in a small breakaway group before a bunch sprint.

The 21-year-old, racing in his first Tour of Britain, once again relied on a devastating lead out from team-mate Wout van Aert in the final kilometre.

After three bunch sprints Kooij is now tied with 55 other riders at the top of the general classification battle on time and leads because of his superior total in the points classification.

Wednesday's 166.6km relatively flat stage from Sherwood Forest to Newark is expected to be another day for the sprinters.

"We actually miscalculated in those final kilometres, we thought the finish would be a bit earlier, but in the end we still managed to make it a hat-trick," Kooij said.

Stage three results
1. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) 2hrs 22mins 51secs

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

3. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain)

4. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar)

5. Rasmus Tiller (Nor/Uno-X Pro)

6. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

7. Robert Donaldson (GB/Trinity Racing)

8. Casper van Uden (Ned/dsm-firmenich)

8. Rory Townsend (Ire/Bolton Equities Black Spoke)

10. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)

General classification after stage three
1. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) 9hrs 39mins 51secs

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

3. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar)

4. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain)

5. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma)

6. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)

7. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

8. Gonzalo Serrano (Spa/Movistar)

9. Rasmus Tiller (Nor/Uno-X Pro)

10. Rory Townsend (Ire/Bolton Equities Black Spoke)

[themaclad]

4 on the bounce

The Netherlands' Olav Kooij won stage four of this year's Tour of Britain to equal Edvald Boasson Hagen's record of four consecutive stage wins.

The Jumbo-Visma rider, 21, maintained his 100% record on his race debut by winning the 166.6 km stage from Sherwood Forest to Newark.

Kooij remains general classification leader by virtue of his superior tally in points classification.

Britain's Ethan Vernon was third to edge from fourth to second overall.

Kooij and Vernon are among 56 riders tied on the same time halfway through the eight-stage race, with Britain's Tom Pidcock still in seventh overall.

Britain's Harry Tanfield and TdT-Unibet team-mate Abram Stockman formed a two-man breakaway on Wednesday, which was caught by the peloton 27.5km from Newark.

The first four stages have all featured little climbing and ended in bunched sprint finishes, and Belgian star Wout van Aert, the 2021 race winner, again led out team-mate Kooij.

The race leader then finished strongly to stay clear of compatriot Casper van Uden and Vernon, and go level with Norwegian Boasson Hagen, who won four straight stages en route to the first of his two Tour of Britain titles in 2009.

Thursday's stage is a relatively flat 192.4km route which begins and ends in Felixstowe and could present Kooij with the chance to take the record outright.

Stage four results
1. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) 3hrs 45mins 40secs

2. Casper van Uden (Ned/DSM-Firmenich) Same time

3. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain)

4. Milan Fretin (Bel/Flanders-Baloise)

5. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar)

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

7. Davide Persico (Ita/Bingoal WB)

8. Ben Turner (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)

9. Sam Bennett (Ire/Bora-hansgrohe)

10. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)

General classification after stage four
1. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) 13hrs 25mins 31secs

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

3. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar)

4. Wout Van Aert (Bel/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-Firmenich)

9. Gonzalo Serrano (Spa/Movistar)

10. Rory Townsend (Ire/Bolton Equities Black Spoke)

[ritchiebaby]

Although I've only managed to watch 2 stages live, I have to say how boring I've found this race. There's no mountains, hardly any hills and a general pedestrian procession. Added to that, due to the inability of race officials to differentiate finishing times, we currently have the prospect of any one of 79 riders winning the race after one explosive effort to race clear of the rest on the final day. Absolutely ludicrous in my opinion and I doubt if I'll have the inclination to follow the Tour any further.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Although I've only managed to watch 2 stages live, I have to say how boring I've found this race. There's no mountains, hardly any hills and a general pedestrian procession.

Even as a layman, it's striking to see on the map how they barely venture south of the Avon-Thames line or north of the Ribble-Humber line, which isn't exactly doing what it says on the old "Tour of Britain" tin. Is there nowhere for them to cycle in the Cairngorms, the Lake District, the Quantocks or Chilterns or Mendips?

[ritchiebaby]

Well Ska'd, I'm glad to say that my "new" favourite rider, WVA, must have felt my frustration and done something about it. That was much more like it, but my original point still stands, as there will be scores of riders within 3 seconds of the leader.

Saturday and Sunday will probably be a wee bit harder in the Cotswolds and South Wales, but still small book compared to the major tours.