Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) sprinted to victory in stage four of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men, marking his second win of the tour. The 138-kilometre stage from Derby to Newark-on-Trent saw Magnier replicate his performance from stage one, narrowly defeating Ethan Vernon (Israel – Premier Tech) in a fast-paced finish. Vernon’s teammate Stevie Williams maintained his 16-second overall lead.
Featured image: Elliot Keen/British Cycling/via SWpix.com
Report
The stage began with a flurry of early attacks as the riders left Derby Arena, with Ben Swift (INEOS Grenadiers) breaking clear 128 kilometres from the finish. Swift quickly opened up a gap of 40 seconds before being joined by Rowan Baker (Saint Piran), Liam O’Brien (Lidl-Trek Future Racing), and Scott McGill (Project Echelon Racing). The peloton, controlled by Israel – Premier Tech and Soudal Quick-Step, allowed the quartet to extend their lead to over 2:30 minutes.
Swift’s brief stint as the virtual race leader ended when he returned to the peloton with 114 kilometers remaining to assist his teammates. Williams’ Israel – Premier Tech squad and the Soudal Quick-Step team worked together to keep the remaining breakaway riders’ lead between 1:30 and 1:45 minutes. The breakaway was gradually reeled in, and by the 30-kilometre mark, the gap was down to 17 seconds.
Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain 2024 – Stage 4: Derby to Newark-On-Trent, England – Ben Swift (INEOS Grenadiers), Rowan Baker (Saint Piran). Image: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
Liam O’Brien launched a bold solo attack, managing to increase the gap to 38 seconds and claim maximum points at the intermediate sprint in Collingham. However, the peloton caught the breakaway shortly after, prompting a series of attacks. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) diligently chased down each move, including a dangerous attack by Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers) with 10 kilometres to go.
In the final kilometers, Uno-X Mobility took control of the leadout, but it was Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) who delivered the perfect setup for Magnier. Despite a strong challenge from Vernon, Magnier surged to victory, with Vernon finishing second and Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) taking third.
Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain 2024 – Stage 4: Derby to Newark-On-Trent, England – Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) wins Stage 4 of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain 2024 in Newark-On-Trent. Image: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
Williams retained the overall leader’s jersey, preserving his 16-second advantage over Oscar Onley, who continues to lead the young riders’ classification. Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) remains third overall after collecting bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint. Magnier’s stage win secured him the points classification lead, while Callum Thornley (TRINITY Racing) kept his King of the Mountains jersey, with no climbs contested in this stage.
Rowan Baker (Saint Piran) was awarded the day’s combativity prize for his aggressive riding in the early breakaway.
The race continues on Saturday with the penultimate stage in West Northamptonshire, where the riders will face 149.6 kilometres from the University of Northampton to the town center of Northampton.
Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) sprinted to victory in stage four of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men, marking his second win of the tour. The 138-kilometre stage from Derby to Newark-on-Trent saw Magnier replicate his performance from stage one, narrowly defeating Ethan Vernon (Israel – Premier Tech) in a fast-paced finish. Vernon’s teammate Stevie Williams maintained his 16-second overall lead.
Featured image: Elliot Keen/British Cycling/via SWpix.com
Report
The stage began with a flurry of early attacks as the riders left Derby Arena, with Ben Swift (INEOS Grenadiers) breaking clear 128 kilometres from the finish. Swift quickly opened up a gap of 40 seconds before being joined by Rowan Baker (Saint Piran), Liam O’Brien (Lidl-Trek Future Racing), and Scott McGill (Project Echelon Racing). The peloton, controlled by Israel – Premier Tech and Soudal Quick-Step, allowed the quartet to extend their lead to over 2:30 minutes.
Swift’s brief stint as the virtual race leader ended when he returned to the peloton with 114 kilometers remaining to assist his teammates. Williams’ Israel – Premier Tech squad and the Soudal Quick-Step team worked together to keep the remaining breakaway riders’ lead between 1:30 and 1:45 minutes. The breakaway was gradually reeled in, and by the 30-kilometre mark, the gap was down to 17 seconds.
Liam O’Brien launched a bold solo attack, managing to increase the gap to 38 seconds and claim maximum points at the intermediate sprint in Collingham. However, the peloton caught the breakaway shortly after, prompting a series of attacks. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) diligently chased down each move, including a dangerous attack by Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers) with 10 kilometres to go.
In the final kilometers, Uno-X Mobility took control of the leadout, but it was Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) who delivered the perfect setup for Magnier. Despite a strong challenge from Vernon, Magnier surged to victory, with Vernon finishing second and Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) taking third.
Williams retained the overall leader’s jersey, preserving his 16-second advantage over Oscar Onley, who continues to lead the young riders’ classification. Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) remains third overall after collecting bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint. Magnier’s stage win secured him the points classification lead, while Callum Thornley (TRINITY Racing) kept his King of the Mountains jersey, with no climbs contested in this stage.
Rowan Baker (Saint Piran) was awarded the day’s combativity prize for his aggressive riding in the early breakaway.
The race continues on Saturday with the penultimate stage in West Northamptonshire, where the riders will face 149.6 kilometres from the University of Northampton to the town center of Northampton.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.