BRITAIN’S biggest cycling event came to an end on Sunday with Steve Cummings clinching the overall victory after taking the yellow jersey following the sixth stage through Dartmoor.
The sixth stage of the tour on Friday saw the cyclists, including legends on two wheels Sir Bradley?Wiggins and Mark Cavendish, speed through Devon towns and villages including North Tawton, Whiddon Down and Moretonhampstead.
Team Sky’s Wout Poels was first to cross the stage six finish line at Haytor.
Julien Vermote had led the general classification standings since winning the second stage between Carlisle and Kendal but wilted on the final climb towards Haytor, allowing Cummings to take the yellow jersey off him, coming in eighth.
Cummings is the second British rider to win the modern incarnation of the Tour of Britain following Sir Bradley Wiggins’ victory in 2013. Behind Cummings was BMC Racing Team’s Rohan Dennis in second and Team Giant Alpecin’s Tom Dumoulin in third.
Team Dimension Data’s Steve Cummings said after the race: ‘I’m delighted. Finally I can smile and enjoy it. It’s been a tough week. It was so close that it wasn’t done until I crossed the line.
‘I’d like to thank my team mates for keeping me out of trouble and the British public for supporting everyday like they have. It’s been a great week.’Pictures by James Bird.