Tour of Britain 2021 – Stage 6 [LAST 10 KM]

September 10, 2021

Tour of Britain 2021 – Stage 6 – Carlisle – Gateshead : 198 km

After a one-year hiatus the Tour of Britain is back, ready and raring to kickstart many riders’ preparations for the upcoming World Championships. With a dynamic eight-day route that features stages in England, Wales and Scotland, this year’s race is one of the most ‘complete’ tours of Britain ever seen. Add to that a star-studded start list which contains the likes of Julian Alaphilippe, Wout van Aert and Mark Cavendish and you have all the makings of a truly memorable edition. The Tour of Britain is the UK’s flagship stage race and one of the most important warm-up events on the calendar for those riders with lofty, end-of-season goals. Back for the first time since 2019 due to a COVID-19-enforced hiatus, the race will – once again – serve as a testing ground for prospective World Champions. The eight-day race runs from September 5th to September 12th and features stages as far south as Penzance and as far north as Aberdeen. As the riders make their long trek north, they’ll tackle three stages for the sprinters, a decisive team time trial and four demanding hilly stages that cover quintessentially British terrain.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) claimed his third stage win of the 2021 Tour of Britain after powering to the line to beat a small group of favourites including race leader Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) and world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep).

The winning break formed after Van Aert attacked with under 15km to go to. The Belgian national champion drew a group with him that included Hayter and his teammate Carlos Rodgriguez, James Shaw (Ribble-Weldtite) and the Israel Start-Up Nation duo of Michael Woods and Dan Martin.

The riders quickly built up a lead of around 30 seconds on the rest of the peloton and the last 10km saw a volley of attacks, with Shaw and Woods particularly aggressive. The Canadian attacked with 7km to go but was reeled in soon after before Shaw put in one last-ditch move to break free.

That attack was unsuccessful and it was Alaphilippe who opened his sprint first after an excellent lead-out from Mikkel Honoré. Hayter was able to come around the world champion but he was no match for Van Aert, who came over the top of Hayter and opened his sprint on the opposite side of the road, powering clear to take another stage win.

The bonus seconds – 10, 6, 4 for the top three – saw Van Aert cut Hayter’s race lead to just four seconds with two more stages remaining in this year’s race.

The earlier part of the stage had seen a nine-man break go clear with Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-QuickStep) among those who attacked.

How it unfolded

The early break formed with Mark Cavendish and Tim Declercq (Deceuninck-QuickStep), George Bennett (Jumbo Visma), Mark Donovan (Team DSM), Mason Hollyman (Israel Cycling Academy), Colin Joyce (Rally Cycling), Rory Townsend (Canyon dhb SunGod), Daniel Mclay (Arkea Samsic), and Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin Fenix) going clear in the early stages as the race left Carlise.

Donovan was an unwelcome presence in the break given that he sat just 1:42 off the leader’s jersey and in order to eliminate the early chase from Ineos Grenadiers the QuickStep pairing of Declercq and Cavendish worked together to eliminate the Team DSM rider from the move.

On Hartside Pass, with 114km to go the gap has stabilized at just over four minutes with little action from the bunch until Israel Start-Up Nation and Movistar began to chase once Donovan and Hollyman had been caught. On Killhope Cross with 94km to go the leading group managed their advantage and after climbing Burtree Fell the gap stood at three minutes with 80km remaining.

Heavy rain began to fall before Alex Dowsett set about properly cutting into the break’s advantage and with 35km remaining Cavendish and his companions had just 1:40 over the bunch. McLay was the next rider to slip back and with 17km to go and the bunch hot on their heels Cavendish attacked. The move was short-lived with the bunch making contact soon after and on a shallow rise Shaw moved clear.

Ineos Grenadiers looked to establish control having already used up Richie Porte and Owain Doull earlier in the stage but when Van Aert attacked with 13km to go only Woods, Alaphilippe and Dan Martin could initially respond.

Carlos Rodriguez dragged Hayter and several other riders back into contention but Alaphilippe and then Woods both attacked before the leaders finally relented and set about positioning themselves for the sprint.

Results :
1 Wout Van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma 4:35:56
2 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
3 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep
4 Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Movistar Team
5 James Shaw (GBr) Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
6 Michael Woods (Can) Israel Start-up Nation
7 Daniel Martin (Irl) Israel Start-up Nation
8 Mikkel Honoré (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep
9 Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Movistar Team 0:00:04
10 Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers
11 Carlos Barbero (Spa) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:00:10
12 Connor Swift (GBr) Team Arkea-Samsic
13 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
14 Gavin Mannion (USA) Rally Cycling
15 Maximilian Stedman (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod
16 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix
17 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
18 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Ineos Grenadiers
19 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers
20 Sergio Roman Martin Galan (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
21 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
22 Alex Peters (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
23 Robert Doonaldson (GBr) Great Britain
24 Christopher Blevins (USA) Trinity Racing
25 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Team Arkea-Samsic
26 Gijs Leemreize (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
27 Mark Donovan (GBr) Team DSM
28 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team DSM
29 Romain Combaud (Fra) Team DSM
30 Joel Nicolau Beltran (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
31 Simon Clarke (Aus) Team Qhubeka Assos
32 Ben Healy (Irl) Trinity Racing
33 Mauro Schmid (Swi) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:00:25
34 Sean Bennett (USA) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:01:02
35 Silvan Dillier (Swi) Alpecin-Fenix 0:01:27
36 Robin Carpenter (USA) Rally Cycling
37 Ben Tulett (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix
38 Thomas Mein (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:02:56
39 Michal Paluta (Pol) Global 6 Cycling 0:03:18
40 Davide Ballerini (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:04:12
41 Oliver Stockwell (GBr) Great Britain 0:04:17
42 Ryan Christensen (NZl) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:04:22
43 James Mitri (NZl) Global 6 Cycling
44 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Israel Start-up Nation
45 Alex Richardson (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix
46 Matthew Gibson (GBr) Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
47 Leon Mazzone (GBr) Saint Piran
48 Steve Lampier (GBr) Saint Piran
49 Luke Lamperti (USA) Trinity Racing
50 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
51 Josu Etxeberria Azpilikueta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
52 Max Kanter (Ger) Team DSM
53 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
54 George Bennett (NZl) Jumbo-Visma
55 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:05:37
56 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Movistar Team
57 Jon Barrenetxea Golzarri (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
58 Nickolas Zukowsky (Can) Rally Cycling
59 Gruffudd Lewis (GBr) Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
60 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
61 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Team Qhubeka Assos
62 Max Walker (GBr) Trinity Racing
63 Rhys Britton (GBr) Great Britain
64 Bradley Symonds (GBr) Saint Piran
65 Colin Joyce (USA) Rally Cycling
66 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling
67 Joey Rosskopf (USA) Rally Cycling
68 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team
69 Rory Townsend (Irl) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:08:45
70 Tim Naberman (Ned) Team DSM
71 Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Movistar Team
72 Matthew Bostock (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod
73 Jimmy Janssens (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
74 Owain Doull (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:09:40
75 Richie Porte (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers
76 Daniel McLay (GBr) Team Arkea-Samsic
77 André Greipel (Ger) Israel Start-up Nation 0:11:57
78 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Israel Start-up Nation
79 Jokin Murguialday (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
80 Thomas Gloag (GBr) Trinity Racing
81 Simon Wilson (GBr) Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
82 Mason Hollyman (GBr) Israel Cycling Academy
83 Christopher Latham (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
84 Nícolas Sessler (Bra) Global 6 Cycling
85 Hans Becking (Ned) Global 6 Cycling
86 Jacob Scott (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod
87 William Tiball (GBr) Great Britain 0:14:22
88 Tom Mazzone (GBr) Saint Piran 0:22:14
89 Oliver Maxwell (GBr) Saint Piran
90 Max Rushby (GBr) Great Britain
91 Ollie Peckover (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling 0:29:29
92 Ross Holland (GBr) Saint Piran
93 William Bjergfelt (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
94 Ross Lamb (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
DNF Charles Page (GBr) Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
DNF Andrew Turner (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling
DNF Tim Edvard Pettersen (Nor) Global 6 Cycling
DNF Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Team DSM
DNS Daniel Bigham (GBr) Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
DNS Ethan Vernon (GBr) Great Britain
DNS Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Team Qhubeka Assos

General Classification after Stage 6 :
1 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 22:53:32
2 Wout Van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:04
3 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:21
4 Mikkel Honoré (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:35
5 Michael Woods (Can) Israel Start-up Nation 0:00:54
6 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers 0:01:08
7 Daniel Martin (Irl) Israel Start-up Nation 0:01:10
8 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix 0:01:37
9 Mark Donovan (GBr) Team DSM 0:01:58
10 Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers 0:02:01
11 Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Movistar Team 0:02:02
12 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
13 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team DSM
14 James Shaw (GBr) Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling 0:02:10
15 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:02:27
16 Connor Swift (GBr) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:02:36
17 Gavin Mannion (USA) Rally Cycling 0:02:52
18 Simon Clarke (Aus) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:03:01
19 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:03:31
20 Joel Nicolau Beltran (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:03:42
21 Alex Peters (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling 0:03:47
22 Robin Carpenter (USA) Rally Cycling 0:03:54
23 Maximilian Stedman (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:04:17
24 Silvan Dillier (Swi) Alpecin-Fenix 0:04:27
25 Sergio Roman Martin Galan (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:04:38
26 Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Movistar Team 0:05:06
27 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:06:21
28 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:07:37
29 George Bennett (NZl) Jumbo-Visma 0:07:42
30 Michal Paluta (Pol) Global 6 Cycling 0:07:47
31 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Ineos Grenadiers 0:08:03
32 Mauro Schmid (Swi) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:08:25
33 Colin Joyce (USA) Rally Cycling 0:09:37
34 Steve Lampier (GBr) Saint Piran 0:10:06
35 Oliver Stockwell (GBr) Great Britain 0:10:22
36 Ryan Christensen (NZl) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:10:28
37 Carlos Barbero (Spa) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:10:34
38 Josu Etxeberria Azpilikueta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:11:06
39 Matthew Gibson (GBr) Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling 0:11:16
40 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:11:20
41 James Mitri (NZl) Global 6 Cycling 0:11:32
42 Robert Doonaldson (GBr) Great Britain 0:11:41
43 Alex Richardson (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix 0:11:53
44 Ben Tulett (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix 0:12:19
45 Rory Townsend (Irl) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:14:32
46 Max Walker (GBr) Trinity Racing 0:14:51
47 Christopher Blevins (USA) Trinity Racing 0:14:59
48 Thomas Gloag (GBr) Trinity Racing 0:15:18
49 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Israel Start-up Nation
50 Nickolas Zukowsky (Can) Rally Cycling 0:15:42
51 Sean Bennett (USA) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:16:59
52 Joey Rosskopf (USA) Rally Cycling 0:17:37
53 Owain Doull (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:17:45
54 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Movistar Team 0:19:08
55 Richie Porte (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers 0:19:31
56 Romain Combaud (Fra) Team DSM 0:20:47
57 Davide Ballerini (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:21:30
58 Gijs Leemreize (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:21:44
59 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Israel Start-up Nation 0:23:09
60 Ben Healy (Irl) Trinity Racing 0:23:19
61 Mason Hollyman (GBr) Israel Cycling Academy 0:23:35
62 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:24:42
63 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team 0:25:29
64 Thomas Mein (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:27:29
65 Max Kanter (Ger) Team DSM 0:28:05
66 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling 0:28:47
67 Jimmy Janssens (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:31:06
68 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:32:34
69 Luke Lamperti (USA) Trinity Racing 0:32:45
70 Leon Mazzone (GBr) Saint Piran 0:32:51
71 Jon Barrenetxea Golzarri (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:32:59
72 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:33:25
73 Gruffudd Lewis (GBr) Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling 0:34:14
74 Jacob Scott (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:36:40
75 Tim Naberman (Ned) Team DSM 0:39:35
76 André Greipel (Ger) Israel Start-up Nation 0:39:36
77 Rhys Britton (GBr) Great Britain 0:39:50
78 Matthew Bostock (GBr) Canyon DHB Sungod 0:44:26
79 Nícolas Sessler (Bra) Global 6 Cycling 0:45:26
80 Daniel McLay (GBr) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:45:28
81 Hans Becking (Ned) Global 6 Cycling 0:47:20
82 Jokin Murguialday (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:47:21
83 Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Movistar Team 0:56:07
84 Bradley Symonds (GBr) Saint Piran 0:58:56
85 Ollie Peckover (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling 0:59:38
86 Simon Wilson (GBr) Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling 1:03:35
87 Christopher Latham (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling 1:05:36
88 Oliver Maxwell (GBr) Saint Piran 1:13:09
89 William Tiball (GBr) Great Britain 1:13:32
90 Ross Lamb (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling 1:14:48
91 William Bjergfelt (GBr) Swiftcarbon Pro Cycling 1:15:09
92 Tom Mazzone (GBr) Saint Piran 1:21:59
93 Max Rushby (GBr) Great Britain 1:23:18
94 Ross Holland (GBr) Saint Piran 1:26:00