Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) won the final stage of the Tour of Britain in brilliant solo fashion having launched a long-range attack in the Welsh hills. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) sealed the overall win after sprinting to second place from a select group of four just 11 seconds back.
Featured image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Report
Wout van Aert withstood multiple attacks on the final and decisive stage to win year’s Tour of Britain as Ineos Grenadiers’ Spanish climber Carlos Rodriguez took the hilly stage into Caerphilly.
Van Aert’s victory makes him only the third rider to win the race twice, capping off an excellent week for his Jumbo-Visma team, the Dutch squad also winning five stages and the Points Classification with Olav Kooij.
2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 8: Margam Country Park to Caerphilly (166.8km) – Wout van Aert of Team Jumbo Visma (Wearing the Leaders Jersey) takes the overall victory in the General Classification. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
“It feels great,” said the Belgian, who also won the GC in 2021. “We’ve had such an amazing week as a team, starting off with five stage wins in a row, which is pretty incredible. From then on there was a lot of pressure on us in this race, but we managed to control every stage basically. So I’m super proud, especially to finish off that teamwork.”
The race was set for a showdown in the mountains of South Wales, the 166km route from Margam Country Park to Caerphilly taking in four Category One climbs, including a double ascent of Caerphilly Mountain in the finale.
A breakaway of six riders went clear 10km into proceedings, the familiar sight of Pinarello King of the Mountains leader James Fouché (Bolton Equities-Black Spoke) among them, the Kiwi sealing the classification by reaching the summit of the Rhigos climb first. He was again joined by Abram Stockman (TDT – Unibet Cycling Team) as well as Ollie Wood (Great Britain), sprinter Casper van Uden (Team dsm – firmenrich) who was second into Newark, Max Walker (TRINITY Racing), and Johan Meens (Bingoal WB).
2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 8: Margam Country Park to Caerphilly (166.8km) – Oliver Wood of Team Great Britain, James Fouche of Team Bolton Equities Black Spoke (Wearing the Pinarello King of the Mountains Jersey), Johan Meens of Team Bingoal WB, Max Walker of Team Trinity Racing, Abram Stockman of Team TDT Unibet Cycling, Casper van Uden of Team DSM Firmenich in the breakaway. Image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
With the break caught ahead of the second climb of the day up Bryn Du, Ineos-Grenadiers rolled back the years and signalled their intentions by decimating the peloton and setting an infernal pace on the opening slopes, race leader Van Aert momentarily isolated from his Jumbo-Visma team. With Ineos-Grenadiers leader Tom Pidcock out of the race with a saddle sore infection, it was over to Carlos Rodriguez, the prodigiously talented Spaniard fresh off the back of 5th place in this year’s Tour de France, who attacked halfway up the climb, with the in-form Stevie Williams (Great Britain), recent winner of the Arctic Race of Norway joining him.
As the gap went out to 1′ 25”, Movistar and what remained of Jumbo-Visma set to work chasing the pair at the front of a diminished peloton, the duo’s advantage cut to only ten seconds by the first passage of Caerphilly Mountain.
2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 8: Margam Country Park to Caerphilly (166.8km) – Carlos Rodriguez of Team INEOS Grenadiers, Stephen Williams of Team Great Britain. Image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
It was here that the double-digit gradients ended Stevie Williams’ hopes of overall glory, the Welshman distanced by Rodriguez on his home roads; the former Spanish champion still in with a chance of overall victory, starting the day 39 seconds adrift of Van Aert.
Rodriguez remained out front as he hit the Mountain for the second time, with little more than 5km remaining. Multiple attacks came from the select group behind, including a powerful effort from Van Aert in pursuit of the stage victory. However, they were unable to catch Rodriguez, who soloed to a memorable win, 11 seconds ahead of Van Aert, who led home a group of four riders, with Damien Howson (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) third on the stage, Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Pro Cycling) fourth and Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) fifth. Rodriguez’s efforts may have not been enough for the overall win, but his teammate Sheffield did win the young rider’s classification.
2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 8: Margam Country Park to Caerphilly (166.8km) – Wout van Aert of Team Jumbo Visma (Wearing the Leaders Jersey). Image: Alex Whitehead/Swpix.com
Rodriguez told reporters after the stage: “The plan was to go on the climb with 50 kilometres to go and force the other teams to chase. We had Magnus [Sheffield] in a good position so that he just had to follow the wheels and eventually I could get the victory. Losing Tom [Pidcock] was a big setback for us but we had to keep trying and keep believing. We had a good team and we had to try to win the GC or the stage.”
In finishing second on the stage, Van Aert held onto his three-second advantage from the previous stage ahead of Tobias Johannessen, the Norwegian climber moving up to 2nd on GC, with Danien Howson, the Australian, finishing 3rd overall on the same time. The best-placed Brit was Cumbrian Mark Donovan (Q36.5), in 5th, followed by Saint Piran’s Zeb Kyffin in 6th, both riders 23 seconds adrift of van Aert.
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Max Walker (TRINITY Racing) made it into the break on the back of a quiet race for his team, their focus on supporting Soudal-Quickstep bound sprinter Luke Lamperti. He was joined by National Circuit Race Champion Ollie Wood (Great Britain), riding for the national team. Still without a trade team, Wood has had a solid race in support of Ethan Vernon, the sprinter coming close to a stage win on multiple occasions.
Stevie Williams was waiting for today’s stage, starting the day on 8th place, only three seconds behind Wout Van Aert. The Welsh climber left nothing on the road in his pursuit of victory, forming an excellent partnership with stage winner Carlos Rodriguez after attacking on the second climb of the day. Williams has been in excellent form since his medal at the National Road Race Championship in June and his audacious ride today caps off an excellent race for the Great Britain team, the young squad riding brilliantly in support of Williams and Vernon all week.
Zeb Kyffin’s (Saint Piran) performance is one of the biggest stories of the week, the leader of the National Road Series demonstrating his class in Britain’s biggest race with 6th overall. Kyffin attacked on the first stage, running the sprinters close in Manchester and hasn’t looked back, mixing it with some of the best riders in the world on today’s brutal stage. A move up the ladder from Continental level would be thoroughly deserved following his outstanding season, something a number of Saint Piran riders will have on their minds following an excellent race for the Cornish team.
Mark Donovan (Q36.5) is one of the most underrated riders in the peloton, underlining that by finishing the race as top Brit in 5th place. the Pro Team rider mixed it with the best over the hilly weekend stages, finishing today’s stage in 8th place, only 31 seconds down on Rodriguez.
2023 Tour of Britain – Stage 7: Tewkesbury to Gloucester (170.9km) – Mark Donovan of Team Q36.5 Pro Cycling on the podium receiving the Best British Rider Award. Image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) won the final stage of the Tour of Britain in brilliant solo fashion having launched a long-range attack in the Welsh hills. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) sealed the overall win after sprinting to second place from a select group of four just 11 seconds back.
Featured image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Report
Wout van Aert withstood multiple attacks on the final and decisive stage to win year’s Tour of Britain as Ineos Grenadiers’ Spanish climber Carlos Rodriguez took the hilly stage into Caerphilly.
Van Aert’s victory makes him only the third rider to win the race twice, capping off an excellent week for his Jumbo-Visma team, the Dutch squad also winning five stages and the Points Classification with Olav Kooij.
“It feels great,” said the Belgian, who also won the GC in 2021. “We’ve had such an amazing week as a team, starting off with five stage wins in a row, which is pretty incredible. From then on there was a lot of pressure on us in this race, but we managed to control every stage basically. So I’m super proud, especially to finish off that teamwork.”
The race was set for a showdown in the mountains of South Wales, the 166km route from Margam Country Park to Caerphilly taking in four Category One climbs, including a double ascent of Caerphilly Mountain in the finale.
A breakaway of six riders went clear 10km into proceedings, the familiar sight of Pinarello King of the Mountains leader James Fouché (Bolton Equities-Black Spoke) among them, the Kiwi sealing the classification by reaching the summit of the Rhigos climb first. He was again joined by Abram Stockman (TDT – Unibet Cycling Team) as well as Ollie Wood (Great Britain), sprinter Casper van Uden (Team dsm – firmenrich) who was second into Newark, Max Walker (TRINITY Racing), and Johan Meens (Bingoal WB).
With the break caught ahead of the second climb of the day up Bryn Du, Ineos-Grenadiers rolled back the years and signalled their intentions by decimating the peloton and setting an infernal pace on the opening slopes, race leader Van Aert momentarily isolated from his Jumbo-Visma team. With Ineos-Grenadiers leader Tom Pidcock out of the race with a saddle sore infection, it was over to Carlos Rodriguez, the prodigiously talented Spaniard fresh off the back of 5th place in this year’s Tour de France, who attacked halfway up the climb, with the in-form Stevie Williams (Great Britain), recent winner of the Arctic Race of Norway joining him.
As the gap went out to 1′ 25”, Movistar and what remained of Jumbo-Visma set to work chasing the pair at the front of a diminished peloton, the duo’s advantage cut to only ten seconds by the first passage of Caerphilly Mountain.
It was here that the double-digit gradients ended Stevie Williams’ hopes of overall glory, the Welshman distanced by Rodriguez on his home roads; the former Spanish champion still in with a chance of overall victory, starting the day 39 seconds adrift of Van Aert.
Rodriguez remained out front as he hit the Mountain for the second time, with little more than 5km remaining. Multiple attacks came from the select group behind, including a powerful effort from Van Aert in pursuit of the stage victory. However, they were unable to catch Rodriguez, who soloed to a memorable win, 11 seconds ahead of Van Aert, who led home a group of four riders, with Damien Howson (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) third on the stage, Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Pro Cycling) fourth and Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) fifth. Rodriguez’s efforts may have not been enough for the overall win, but his teammate Sheffield did win the young rider’s classification.
Rodriguez told reporters after the stage: “The plan was to go on the climb with 50 kilometres to go and force the other teams to chase. We had Magnus [Sheffield] in a good position so that he just had to follow the wheels and eventually I could get the victory. Losing Tom [Pidcock] was a big setback for us but we had to keep trying and keep believing. We had a good team and we had to try to win the GC or the stage.”
In finishing second on the stage, Van Aert held onto his three-second advantage from the previous stage ahead of Tobias Johannessen, the Norwegian climber moving up to 2nd on GC, with Danien Howson, the Australian, finishing 3rd overall on the same time. The best-placed Brit was Cumbrian Mark Donovan (Q36.5), in 5th, followed by Saint Piran’s Zeb Kyffin in 6th, both riders 23 seconds adrift of van Aert.
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