Tour of Britain 2017 – Stage 2 [FULL STAGE]

September 04, 2017

Tour of Britain 2017 – Stage 2 – Kielder Water & Forest Park – Blyth : 211 km

The 2017 Tour of Britain is a eight-stage men’s professional road cycling race. It is the fourteenth running of the modern version of the Tour of Britain and the 77th British tour in total. The race starts on 3 September in Edinburgh and finishes on 10 September in Cardiff. The race is part of the 2017 UCI Europe Tour.

Elia Viviani (Team Sky) was declared the winner of stage 2 of the Tour of Britain 45 minutes after a hotly contested sprint in Blyth, with race judges finally deciding to relegate Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) for cutting across the road ahead of the Italian in sight of the finish line.

The Norwegian started his sprint down the middle of the road but changed his line, failing to allow Viviani enough space along the barriers. The Italian protested after crossing the line in second place.

Judges have been forced to rule on several controversial sprints this season, and as in the Tour de France when they kick Peter Sagan out of the race, they carefully watched the television replay of the sprint and eventually decided that Boasson Hagen’s move had been excessive.

Viviani was declared the winner with Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) moving up to second and Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) into third.

“Owain put me on Boasson Hagen’s wheel in the final which was perfect and what we talked about this morning in our meeting, to be in second or third place going into the sprint,” Viviani said after he was declared the winner. “We have a really strong leadout, Tao is the youngest, but he is one of the best talents in British cycling and he has done two days on the front for me.

“All the team deserve this win and I hope to win again in the next few days too.”

Thanks to the 10-second time bonus, Viviani also took the overall race lead and so will wear the green jersey during Tuesday’s 178km third stage is from Normanby Hall Country Park to Scunthorpe.

A long day out before a controversial finish

The riders faced a long day in the saddle on stage 2, with an 8.7km neutralised sector coming before 211.7km in the rolling roads of the Northeast of England from Kielder Water Forest Park to Blyth on the coast in the longest stage of the race.

The sprinters and their teams were ready to control the racing but the lesser-known British teams were keen to be in the spotlight of the full live television coverage.

A seven-rider break away jumped clear when the flag dropped and formed the move of the day. In there were Lukasz Owsian (CCC Sprandi) defending the climber’s competition leader’s jersey, plus Rory Townsend (Bike Channel-Canyon), Graham Briggs (JLT Condor), Matt Holmes (Madison Genesis), Kamil Gradek (One Pro Cycling), Jacob Scott (An Post ChainReaction) and Silvan Dillier (BMC). Briggs, Scott, and Owsian had all been in the break on stage 1.

The seven in the break fought for each sprint and climb during the stage either hunting a jersey or defending that of a teammate in the peloton. Graham Briggs (JLT Condor) was especially active in both competitions. He did enough to equal the points total of Karol Domagalski (One Pro Cycling) but the Polish rider kept hold of the jersey on the tie breaker. Jacob Scott (An Post) drew level on points with Owsian at the top of climber’s competition standings but Owsian kept the jersey after a count-back.

The seven perhaps also fancied their chances of fighting for the stage victory. However Team Sky, Orica-Scott and Dimension Data never let them gain more than five minutes and gradually reeled them, with young riders Rob Power (Orica Scott) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Team Sky) doing long stints on the front of the peloton.

After several desperate attacks from the breakaway, Holmes attacked alone and it proved to be the start of a rapid downfall, with the gap quickly falling below a minute. Soon after the rest of the break was swept up and so was Holmes after holding on to take the final sprint in Seaton Sluice with 16km to go.

The sprint trains then took over, with Tony Martin doing huge turns for Kristoff and Vasil Kiryienka using his power for Team Sky and Viviani. Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) tried a solo attack with 8.5km, perhaps testing his form and stating his case in the Belgian team selected today for the world road race championships in Norway.

Geraint Thomas helped close the gap on the Belgian for Team Sky with five kilometres to go and the British team stayed on the front. It left them with just a rider to help Viviani in the final kilometre but he was well placed when the sprint started. The Italian went along the barriers, taking the shortest line as Boasson Hagen went down the middle and then moved across.

If the Norwegian had perhaps held his line he would have won. Instead, he could only apologise for his move and accept relegation to the back of the peloton.

Results :
1 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky 5:16:32
2 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
3 Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors
4 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-Scott
5 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin
6 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors
7 Floris Gerts (Ned) BMC Racing Team
8 Roger Kluge (Ger) Orica-Scott
9 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal
10 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Movistar Team
11 Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Quick-Step Floors
12 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data
13 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
14 Steele Von Hoff (Aus) One Pro Cycling
15 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky
16 Alan Banaszek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
17 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
18 Christopher Lawless (GBr) Great Britain
19 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF
20 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
21 Oliver Wood (GBr) Great Britain
22 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
23 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
24 Brenton Jones (Aus) JLT Condor
25 Nils Politt (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
26 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Great Britain
27 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale-Drapac
28 Hayden Mccormick (NZl) One Pro Cycling
29 Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF
30 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
31 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Movistar Team
32 Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
33 James Lowsley-Williams (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon
34 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
35 Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
36 Laurens De Plus (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
37 Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team
38 Mark Stewart (GBr) An Post Chain Reaction
39 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Cannondale-Drapac
40 Matthew Teggart (Irl) An Post Chain Reaction
41 Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica-Scott
42 James Shaw (GBr) Lotto Soudal
43 Russell Downing (GBr) JLT Condor
44 Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team
45 Mads Würtz Schmidt (Den) Katusha-Alpecin
46 Harry Tanfield (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon
47 Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac
48 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
49 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-Scott
50 Joey Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team
51 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
52 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
53 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Katusha-Alpecin
54 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
55 Lars Boom (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
56 Jacob Hennessy (GBr) Great Britain
57 Regan Gough (NZl) An Post Chain Reaction
58 Alistair Slater (GBr) JLT Condor
59 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Dimension Data
60 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team
61 Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Movistar Team
62 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky
63 Thomas Gibbons (USA) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
64 Karol Domagalski (Pol) One Pro Cycling
65 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar Team
66 Eric Marcotte (USA) Cylance Cycling
67 Peter Williams (GBr) One Pro Cycling
68 Tiago Machado (Por) Katusha-Alpecin
69 Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Bardiani CSF
70 Richard Handley (GBr) Madison Genesis
71 Senne Leysen (Bel) Lotto Soudal
72 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
73 James Oram (NZl) One Pro Cycling
74 Hugh Carthy (GBr) Cannondale-Drapac
75 Dexter Gardias (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon
76 Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal
77 Kamil Gradek (Pol) One Pro Cycling
78 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors
79 Jan Tratnik (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
80 Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF
81 Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF
82 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Movistar Team
83 Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Bardiani CSF
84 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team
85 Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac
86 Andres Diaz (Ven) Cylance Cycling
87 James Knox (GBr) Great Britain
88 Connor Swift (GBr) Madison Genesis
89 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
90 Sean Mckenna (Irl) An Post Chain Reaction
91 Alexandre Blain (Fra) Madison Genesis
92 Jacob Scott (GBr) An Post Chain Reaction
93 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
94 Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
95 Jonathan Mcevoy (GBr) Madison Genesis
96 Jay Thompson (RSA) Dimension Data
97 Ian Bibby (GBr) JLT Condor
98 Orlando Garibay (Mex) Cylance Cycling
99 Robert Partridge (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon
100 Bryan Lewis (USA) Cylance Cycling
101 Marcin Bialoblocki (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
102 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-Scott
103 Taylor Gunman (NZl) Madison Genesis
104 Damien Shaw (Irl) An Post Chain Reaction
105 Kyle Murphy (USA) Cylance Cycling
106 James Gullen (GBr) JLT Condor
107 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data
108 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Lotto Soudal
109 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
110 Adam Hartley (GBr) Great Britain 0:00:28
111 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data 0:00:39
112 Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:00:52
113 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Sky 0:01:07
114 Rory Townsend (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon 0:01:17
115 Chris Opie (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon
116 Rob Power (Aus) Orica-Scott 0:01:58
117 Matthew Holmes (GBr) Madison Genesis 0:08:49
118 Graham Briggs (GBr) JLT Condor 0:11:09
DSQ Taylor Phinney (USA) Cannondale-Drapac

General Classification after Stage 2 :
1 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky 9:50:35
2 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-Scott 0:00:04
3 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data 0:00:07
4 Karol Domagalski (Pol) One Pro Cycling 0:00:08
5 Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:00:09
6 Kamil Gradek (Pol) One Pro Cycling
7 Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:10
8 Lars Boom (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:00:12
9 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:14
10 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors
11 Floris Gerts (Ned) BMC Racing Team
12 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
13 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal
14 Christopher Lawless (GBr) Great Britain
15 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
16 Brenton Jones (Aus) JLT Condor
17 Oliver Wood (GBr) Great Britain
18 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale-Drapac
19 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Movistar Team
20 Hayden Mccormick (NZl) One Pro Cycling
21 Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF
22 Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Quick-Step Floors
23 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
24 Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
25 Mark Stewart (GBr) An Post Chain Reaction
26 Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
27 Mads Würtz Schmidt (Den) Katusha-Alpecin
28 Nils Politt (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
29 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
30 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Movistar Team
31 James Shaw (GBr) Lotto Soudal
32 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
33 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky
34 Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team
35 Matthew Teggart (Irl) An Post Chain Reaction
36 Russell Downing (GBr) JLT Condor
37 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
38 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
39 Laurens De Plus (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
40 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Cannondale-Drapac
41 Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac
42 Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica-Scott
43 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Dimension Data
44 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
45 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-Scott
46 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
47 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Katusha-Alpecin
48 Joey Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team
49 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
50 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
51 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar Team
52 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team
53 Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Movistar Team
54 Tiago Machado (Por) Katusha-Alpecin
55 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-Scott
56 Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Bardiani CSF
57 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky
58 Dexter Gardias (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon
59 Hugh Carthy (GBr) Cannondale-Drapac
60 James Oram (NZl) One Pro Cycling
61 Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF
62 Richard Handley (GBr) Madison Genesis
63 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors
64 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Movistar Team
65 Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac
66 James Knox (GBr) Great Britain
67 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
68 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:30
69 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data 0:00:43
70 Roger Kluge (Ger) Orica-Scott 0:00:56
71 Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:01:06
72 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:01:58
73 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:02:02
74 Steele Von Hoff (Aus) One Pro Cycling 0:02:04
75 Regan Gough (NZl) An Post Chain Reaction
76 Alistair Slater (GBr) JLT Condor
77 Eric Marcotte (USA) Cylance Cycling
78 Jan Tratnik (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
79 Jay Thompson (RSA) Dimension Data
80 James Gullen (GBr) JLT Condor
81 Rory Townsend (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon 0:03:21
82 Bryan Lewis (USA) Cylance Cycling 0:04:11
83 Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:06:35
84 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:06:40
85 James Lowsley-Williams (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon
86 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Great Britain
87 Harry Tanfield (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon
88 Thomas Gibbons (USA) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
89 Jacob Hennessy (GBr) Great Britain
90 Senne Leysen (Bel) Lotto Soudal
91 Peter Williams (GBr) One Pro Cycling
92 Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal
93 Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Bardiani CSF
94 Connor Swift (GBr) Madison Genesis
95 Alexandre Blain (Fra) Madison Genesis
96 Andres Diaz (Ven) Cylance Cycling
97 Sean Mckenna (Irl) An Post Chain Reaction
98 Jonathan Mcevoy (GBr) Madison Genesis
99 Ian Bibby (GBr) JLT Condor
100 Jacob Scott (GBr) An Post Chain Reaction
101 Damien Shaw (Irl) An Post Chain Reaction
102 Taylor Gunman (NZl) Madison Genesis
103 Kyle Murphy (USA) Cylance Cycling
104 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Lotto Soudal
105 Alan Banaszek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:07:44
106 Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF
107 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data
108 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data 0:08:23
109 Rob Power (Aus) Orica-Scott 0:08:38
110 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Sky 0:08:51
111 Matthew Holmes (GBr) Madison Genesis 0:10:50
112 Orlando Garibay (Mex) Cylance Cycling 0:11:19
113 Marcin Bialoblocki (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
114 Robert Partridge (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon 0:12:56
115 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:12:57
116 Adam Hartley (GBr) Great Britain 0:13:25
117 Chris Opie (GBr) Bike Channel Canyon 0:14:14
118 Graham Briggs (GBr) JLT Condor 0:24:00