Danny van Poppel (BORA-hansgrohe) disrupted Jumbo-Visma’s Tour of Britain domination with a brilliantly timed sprint win, pipping Ethan Vernon (Great Britain) at the line by the width of a tyre.
Featured image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Report
Stage six, the second of the race’s Eastern England doubleheader, rolled out from Southend’s Western Esplanade in the shadow of the city’s historic pier.
It took just two kilometres for three riders to go clear and form the stage’s first breakaway, although the time the trio of Kamil Malecki (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and TDT – Unibet Cycling Team’s Joren Boem and Abram Stockman were to have outfront was clearly numbered when Alex Coleman (Team Flanders-Baloise) bridged across to them approaching the cottages.com sprint at Burnham-on-Crouch at 50.4 kilometres.
After a frantic 30 minutes, Saint Piran seized the initiative, as newly-crowned track world champion Will Tidball took his chance and attacked with 90 kilometres remaining.
2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 6: Southend-on-Sea to Harlow (146.2km) – Jack Rootkin-Gray of Team Saint Piran, William Tidball of Team Saint Piran in the breakaway. Image: Alex Whitehead/Swpix.com
This move got the attention of Danny van der Tuuk (Equipo Kern Pharma), Stockman and team-mate Hartthijs De Vries, and a second Saint Piran rider in Jack Rootkin-Gray.
Their momentum was hindered by a number of punctures, which affected van der Tuuk and Tidball’s day. Eventually, only the TDT – Unibet Cycling Team duo were left at the front of the race; the peloton reeled them in shortly after passing through North Weald Bassett with 14 kilometres to go.
A late attack from Belgian rider Dimitri Peyskens (Bingoal WB) proved unsuccessful, following which INEOS Grenadiers and then Jumbo – Visma took turns to showcase themselves at the head of the bunch.
Van Poppel and Vernon (Great Britain) were in prime position to launch their attacks on the finishing straight, sitting in fifth and third wheel respectively, when Uno-X Pro Cycling Team’s Tord Gudmestad kicked off the battle for the line. The pair approached the finish together shoulder to shoulder, with van Poppel denying Vernon the opportunity to become the first British stage winner since Ethan Haytor in Warrington two years ago by one of the smallest margins in race history.
2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 6: Southend-on-Sea to Harlow (146.2km) – Danny Van Poppel of Team Bora Hansgrohe Wins Stage 6 of the 2023 Tour of Britain in Harlow with Ethan Vernon of Team Great Britain in second. Image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
Van Aert retained the leader’s jersey with his three-second lead intact, while team-mate Kooij still tops the cottages.com points and Sportive Breaks best young riders classifications. James Fouche’s lead in the Pinarello king of the mountains is still catchable as the race heads to Gloucestershire for the first of two undulating stages on Saturday.
Brit Watch
Ethan Vernon has improved with every stage in this race and came cruelly close to a stage win today after brilliantly manoeuvering himself to punch through a small gap between Tord Gudmestad (Uno-X Pro Cycling) and Kooij to burst into the lead in the closing metres, only for van Poppel to come round him at the last.
Vernon’s teammate Noah Hobbs also deserves a shout-out, getting himself to the front in the run-in, finding Vernon and playing a vital role in supporting Vernon to position himself behind Kooij at just the right moment.
Jack Rootkin-Gray and Will Tidball both briefly shone in the second break of the day, only for punctures to disrupt the group. With the weekend’s final two stages likely to be much more selective, it will be interesting to see whether the Saint Piran will be in the mix.
Danny van Poppel (BORA-hansgrohe) disrupted Jumbo-Visma’s Tour of Britain domination with a brilliantly timed sprint win, pipping Ethan Vernon (Great Britain) at the line by the width of a tyre.
Featured image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Report
Stage six, the second of the race’s Eastern England doubleheader, rolled out from Southend’s Western Esplanade in the shadow of the city’s historic pier.
It took just two kilometres for three riders to go clear and form the stage’s first breakaway, although the time the trio of Kamil Malecki (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and TDT – Unibet Cycling Team’s Joren Boem and Abram Stockman were to have outfront was clearly numbered when Alex Coleman (Team Flanders-Baloise) bridged across to them approaching the cottages.com sprint at Burnham-on-Crouch at 50.4 kilometres.
After a frantic 30 minutes, Saint Piran seized the initiative, as newly-crowned track world champion Will Tidball took his chance and attacked with 90 kilometres remaining.
This move got the attention of Danny van der Tuuk (Equipo Kern Pharma), Stockman and team-mate Hartthijs De Vries, and a second Saint Piran rider in Jack Rootkin-Gray.
Their momentum was hindered by a number of punctures, which affected van der Tuuk and Tidball’s day. Eventually, only the TDT – Unibet Cycling Team duo were left at the front of the race; the peloton reeled them in shortly after passing through North Weald Bassett with 14 kilometres to go.
A late attack from Belgian rider Dimitri Peyskens (Bingoal WB) proved unsuccessful, following which INEOS Grenadiers and then Jumbo – Visma took turns to showcase themselves at the head of the bunch.
Van Poppel and Vernon (Great Britain) were in prime position to launch their attacks on the finishing straight, sitting in fifth and third wheel respectively, when Uno-X Pro Cycling Team’s Tord Gudmestad kicked off the battle for the line. The pair approached the finish together shoulder to shoulder, with van Poppel denying Vernon the opportunity to become the first British stage winner since Ethan Haytor in Warrington two years ago by one of the smallest margins in race history.
Van Aert retained the leader’s jersey with his three-second lead intact, while team-mate Kooij still tops the cottages.com points and Sportive Breaks best young riders classifications. James Fouche’s lead in the Pinarello king of the mountains is still catchable as the race heads to Gloucestershire for the first of two undulating stages on Saturday.
Brit Watch
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