The Tour of Britain sprang to life on a swelteringly hot day, as Uno-X Pro Cycling Team’s Rasmus Tiller took victory in Gloucester on Saturday after a pulsating stage.
Race leader Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) attacked three times in the final 30 kilometres on the roads into the historic city, the last of which ended when a reduced peloton caught him within 850 metres of the finish line by Gloucester Docks, but he nonetheless retains his three-second lead ahead of the final stage.
Featured image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
Report
The Tour of Britain’s first full stage in Gloucestershire was marked by a flurry of attacks, which put van Aert’s Jumbo–Visma team under pressure on the first Pinarello King of the Mountains climb at Winchcombe Hill. It was here that INEOS Grenadiers rider Ben Turner jumped clear of the peloton and was quickly followed by Cumbrian Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling).
2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 7: Tewkesbury to Gloucester (170.9km) – Abram Stockman of Team TDT Unibet Cycling, Ben Turner of Team INEOS Grenadiers of Team INEOS Grenadiers, Liam Johnston of Team Trinity Racing, Alexander Richardson of Team Saint Piran, Damian Howson of Team Q36.5 Pro Cycling in the breakaway. Image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
Just when it appeared that a chasing trio of Abram Stockman (TDT – Unibet Cycling Team), Liam Johnston (TRINITY Racing), and Alex Richardson (Saint Piran) were going to be stuck in no man’s land, the leading duo waited for them. The quintet soon gained a three-minute advantage over the peloton.
Van Aert’s first attack of the day came on Crawley Hill, the second Pinarello king of the mountain climb, with a little over 25 kilometres remaining. This whittled the peloton down significantly, but left him short of Jumbo – Visma team-mates for company. His next acceleration of note came on an uncategorised ramp near Painswick, to which nobody initially responded. Within seconds he bridged across to Turner and Donovan, the two survivors from the early breakaway.
2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 7: Tewkesbury to Gloucester (170.9km) – Wout van Aert of Team Jumbo Visma (Wearing the Leaders Jersey). Image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
Impressively, Great Britain rider Stevie Williams was able to join the leaders, before an equally mighty performance saw stage six winner Danny van Poppel (BORA–hansgrohe), reigning Tour of Britain champion Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar Team), and Zeb Kyffin (Saint Piran) bridge the gap.
Undeterred by the everybody-against-van Aert status in the race, the Belgian launched another acceleration 4.3 kilometres outside of historic Gloucester and initially looked like he was about to all but seal this year’s overall victory. However, Tiller and Johannessen, together with Nils Politt (BORA – hansgrohe) worked well to close the gap and reel the Jumbo–Visma rider back shortly after the flamme rouge.
Pollit opened up the sprint for van Poppel, but Johannessen and Tiller were ready to pounce, with the stage winner launching his successful sprint around with 100 metres to go.
2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 7: Tewkesbury to Gloucester (170.9km) – Rasmus Tiller of Team Uno-X Pro Cycling Wins Stage 7 of the 2023 Tour of Britain in Gloucester. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Van Aert said: “Today I overestimated the course a bit. It was quite tough in the final and there were some fast guys who could hang on. Tomorrow we will see an even smaller group [at the finish.
“I thought attack was the best form of defence, so that’s what I did. Unfortunately, I isolated myself with guys on my wheel who wouldn’t cooperate – that was a bit of a mistake.
“My team-mates have done a terrific job the whole week, so it’s quite normal that we don’t get any help from the others I’m still proud of them and hopefully they can hold on for one more day and I can pay them back with a nice GC victory.”
Tomorrow’s final stage from Margam Country Park – Caerphilly features not one but two ascents of the Caerphilly Mountain climb, as well as plenty of climbing beforehand, meaning that the finale of this year’s race should be a ferocious battle right to the end.
Meanwhile, a communiqué issued from the Tour of Britain commissaires panel after stage 7 said that riders could be removed tomorrow if they fall more than five minutes behind. 40 riders finished stage 7 – featuring much less selective terrain than stage 8 – more than five minutes behind the winner, raising the prospect of a high number of riders being pulled from the race before they race the finish line.
A communiqué from the Tour of Britain commissaires says riders could be removed on the final, very hilly, stage tomorrow if they fall more than five minutes behind #TourOfBritainpic.twitter.com/7Rsz9r0RMA
Zeb Kyffin (Saint Piran) deserves a special mention, one of only two UCI Continental riders to finish in the 12-rider leading group (the other being TRINITY Racing’s Liam Johnston). The 25-year-old London-based rider is having his best season yet, with a win at the Lancaster Grand Prix and second overall at Kreiz Breizh Elites (2.2) among his achievements. Now sitting 9th overall with just one stage remaining of the Tour of Britain – one of only ten riders within three seconds of van Aert – he is on the cusp of his biggest result yet.
Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) pulled off the remarkable feat of being in the main break of the day and then hanging on to finish at the head of the race. Donovan is now the highest-placed Brit on GC (in seventh). An accomplished climber, he looks well-placed to challenge for a top GC result in tomorrow’s fearsome finale.
Stevie Williams (Great Britain) also showed his class, jumping across to join van Aert’s group and matching the Belgian on the steepest ramps when it mattered. Like Kyffin and Donovan, he is also just three seconds back on GC. With his punch, finishing speed and apparent good form, the Welshman looks capable of mounting a challenge to van Aert. Racing on home soil, he’s bound to have plenty of roadside support too. One to watch on Caerphilly Mountain.
The Tour of Britain sprang to life on a swelteringly hot day, as Uno-X Pro Cycling Team’s Rasmus Tiller took victory in Gloucester on Saturday after a pulsating stage.
Race leader Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) attacked three times in the final 30 kilometres on the roads into the historic city, the last of which ended when a reduced peloton caught him within 850 metres of the finish line by Gloucester Docks, but he nonetheless retains his three-second lead ahead of the final stage.
Featured image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
Report
The Tour of Britain’s first full stage in Gloucestershire was marked by a flurry of attacks, which put van Aert’s Jumbo–Visma team under pressure on the first Pinarello King of the Mountains climb at Winchcombe Hill. It was here that INEOS Grenadiers rider Ben Turner jumped clear of the peloton and was quickly followed by Cumbrian Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling).
Just when it appeared that a chasing trio of Abram Stockman (TDT – Unibet Cycling Team), Liam Johnston (TRINITY Racing), and Alex Richardson (Saint Piran) were going to be stuck in no man’s land, the leading duo waited for them. The quintet soon gained a three-minute advantage over the peloton.
Van Aert’s first attack of the day came on Crawley Hill, the second Pinarello king of the mountain climb, with a little over 25 kilometres remaining. This whittled the peloton down significantly, but left him short of Jumbo – Visma team-mates for company. His next acceleration of note came on an uncategorised ramp near Painswick, to which nobody initially responded. Within seconds he bridged across to Turner and Donovan, the two survivors from the early breakaway.
Impressively, Great Britain rider Stevie Williams was able to join the leaders, before an equally mighty performance saw stage six winner Danny van Poppel (BORA–hansgrohe), reigning Tour of Britain champion Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar Team), and Zeb Kyffin (Saint Piran) bridge the gap.
Undeterred by the everybody-against-van Aert status in the race, the Belgian launched another acceleration 4.3 kilometres outside of historic Gloucester and initially looked like he was about to all but seal this year’s overall victory. However, Tiller and Johannessen, together with Nils Politt (BORA – hansgrohe) worked well to close the gap and reel the Jumbo–Visma rider back shortly after the flamme rouge.
Pollit opened up the sprint for van Poppel, but Johannessen and Tiller were ready to pounce, with the stage winner launching his successful sprint around with 100 metres to go.
Van Aert said: “Today I overestimated the course a bit. It was quite tough in the final and there were some fast guys who could hang on. Tomorrow we will see an even smaller group [at the finish.
“I thought attack was the best form of defence, so that’s what I did. Unfortunately, I isolated myself with guys on my wheel who wouldn’t cooperate – that was a bit of a mistake.
“My team-mates have done a terrific job the whole week, so it’s quite normal that we don’t get any help from the others I’m still proud of them and hopefully they can hold on for one more day and I can pay them back with a nice GC victory.”
Tomorrow’s final stage from Margam Country Park – Caerphilly features not one but two ascents of the Caerphilly Mountain climb, as well as plenty of climbing beforehand, meaning that the finale of this year’s race should be a ferocious battle right to the end.
Meanwhile, a communiqué issued from the Tour of Britain commissaires panel after stage 7 said that riders could be removed tomorrow if they fall more than five minutes behind. 40 riders finished stage 7 – featuring much less selective terrain than stage 8 – more than five minutes behind the winner, raising the prospect of a high number of riders being pulled from the race before they race the finish line.
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