Early breaker Vermote claims Tour of Britain’s second stage

Julien Vermote (Etixx – Quick-Step) jumped into the early breakaway a few minutes into the Tour of Britain’s second stage Monday and made his time at the front of the race count, ultimately nabbing the stage victory in Kendal.

After a small group of chasers joined the initial escape group inside the final 15 kilometers, Vermote and one of the new additions at the front, Dimension Data’s Steve Cummings, jumped clear in the final 10km. The pair held off a pack of pursuers and then battled for the stage win between themselves. Vermote proved stronger on the uphill run to the line, taking the win and the race lead.

Top 10, stage 2

• 1. Julien VERMOTE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, in 4:40:50
• 2. Stephen CUMMINGS, DIMENSION DATA, at :02
• 3. Daniel MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :58
• 4. Xandro MEURISSE, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :58
• 5. Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :58
• 6. Ben SWIFT, TEAM SKY, at :58
• 7. Guillaume MARTIN, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 1:02
• 8. Tom DUMOULIN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 1:02
• 9. Dylan VAN BAARLE, CDT, at 1:02
• 10. Jacopo MOSCA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 1:06

Top 10 overall

• 1. Julien VERMOTE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, in 8:33:20
• 2. Stephen CUMMINGS, DIMENSION DATA, at :06
• 3. Daniel MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 1:04
• 4. Xandro MEURISSE, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 1:08
• 5. Ben SWIFT, TEAM SKY, at 1:08
• 6. Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 1:08
• 7. Dylan VAN BAARLE, CDT, at 1:12
• 8. Guillaume MARTIN, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 1:12
• 9. Tom DUMOULIN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 1:12
• 10. Nicolas ROCHE, TEAM SKY, at 1:16

Vermote was among 15 riders to escape the pack shortly after the race left Carlisle, but he was the only one left in contention for the victory at the end of 187.7 kilometers. A lumpy parcours put the Tour of Britain peloton to the test, and spurred multiple attacks as riders in the bunch tried catch up to the escapees. Cummings and a few others managed to pull it off. The Briton made the catch inside the final 20km, and then he and Vermote took off to form a new lead group of two.

The pair built an advantage even as a small but determined group of pursuers that included Vermote’s Etixx teammate Dan Martin and big engines like Tom Dumoulin (Giant – Alpecin) and Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) tried to bring them back. As Vermote and Cummings hit the climb to the finish, it was clear that stage 2 was theirs for the taking.

Even after spending a long day in the break, Vermote quickly put Cummings into the rearview mirror when he put the hammer down on the uphill drag. He crossed the line with a two-second gap, and took the race lead from Lotto – Soudal’s André Greipel. Martin led the chasers across the line to take third behind Vermote and Cummings.

“I knew once the break it had gone it would be very difficult to catch us or if they did catch us they would have wasted a lot of energy as well,” said Vermote.

“Once I saw Cummings coming back I knew I had to stay in his wheel because once he gets a little gap he’s gone. We had good cooperation between us but I’m really glad I could take the stage win.”

The Tour of Britain continues Tuesday with a 179km stage 3 from Congleton to Knutsford.

Stage 2 results

• 1. Julien VERMOTE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, in 4:40:50
• 2. Stephen CUMMINGS, DIMENSION DATA, at :02
• 3. Daniel MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :58
• 4. Xandro MEURISSE, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :58
• 5. Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :58
• 6. Ben SWIFT, TEAM SKY, at :58
• 7. Guillaume MARTIN, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 1:02
• 8. Tom DUMOULIN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 1:02
• 9. Dylan VAN BAARLE, CDT, at 1:02
• 10. Jacopo MOSCA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 1:06
• 11. Nicolas ROCHE, TEAM SKY, at 1:07
• 12. Rohan DENNIS, BMC RACING TEAM, at 1:07
• 13. Mark CHRISTIAN, WGN, at 2:50
• 14. Ruben ZEPUNTKE, CDT, at 4:23
• 15. Edmund BRADBURY, NFTO, at 4:27
• 16. Erick ROWSELL, MGT, at 4:29
• 17. Marco MARCATO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 4:31
• 18. Ian BIBBY, NFTO, at 4:31
• 19. Dion SMITH, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 4:31
• 20. Amets TXURRUKA, OBE, at 4:33
• 21. Jack BAUER, CDT, at 4:33
• 22. Tao GEOGHEGAN HART, GBR, at 4:33
• 23. Lukasz WISNIOWSKI, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 4:33
• 24. James SHAW, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 4:33
• 25. Giovanni VISCONTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 4:33
• 26. Steven LAMPIER, JLT CONDOR, at 4:33
• 27. Edoardo ZARDINI, BARDIANI CSF, at 4:33
• 28. Sebastian LANGEVELD, CDT, at 4:43
• 29. Thomas STEWART, MGT, at 4:45
• 30. Daniel PEARSON, WGN, at 4:45
• 31. Miguel Angel BENITO DIEZ, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 4:49
• 32. Loic VLIEGEN, BMC RACING TEAM, at 4:49
• 33. Domingos ANDRÉ MACIEL GONÇALVES, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 4:53
• 34. Thomas LEEZER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 4:55
• 35. Martijn TUSVELD, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 4:55
• 36. Hector SAEZ BENITO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 4:59
• 37. Jochem HOEKSTRA, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 5:18
• 38. Russell DOWNING, JLT CONDOR, at 5:21
• 39. Nicolas VEREECKEN, SKT, at 5:21
• 40. Gorka IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 5:21
• 41. Carlos BARBERO CUESTA, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 5:21
• 42. Enrico GASPAROTTO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 5:21
• 43. Francesco Manuel BONGIORNO, BARDIANI CSF, at 5:21
• 44. Matthew HOLMES, MGT, at 5:26
• 45. Alistair SLATER, JLT CONDOR, at 5:26
• 46. Diego RUBIO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 5:29
• 47. Amaël MOINARD, BMC RACING TEAM, at 5:33
• 48. Maarten WYNANTS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 5:35
• 49. Robert POWER, OBE, at 5:35
• 50. Bertjan LINDEMAN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 5:49
• 51. Wout POELS, TEAM SKY, at 11:58
• 52. Jonathan DIBBEN, WGN, at 13:03
• 53. Mark STEWART, GBR, at 13:03
• 54. Robert PARTRIDGE, NFTO, at 13:03
• 55. Roy CURVERS, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 13:03
• 56. Luka MEZGEC, OBE, at 13:03
• 57. Karol DOMAGALSKI, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 13:03
• 58. Rick ZABEL, BMC RACING TEAM, at 13:03
• 59. Ian STANNARD, TEAM SKY, at 13:03
• 60. Oliver KET-SPARK, SKT, at 13:03
• 61. André GREIPEL, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 13:03
• 62. Daniel MCLAY, GBR, at 13:03
• 63. Dylan GROENEWEGEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 13:03
• 64. Nicola BOEM, BARDIANI CSF, at 13:03
• 65. Johann VAN ZYL, DIMENSION DATA, at 13:03
• 66. Javier MORENO BAZAN, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 13:03
• 67. Conor DUNNE, JLT CONDOR, at 13:03
• 68. Mark CAVENDISH, DIMENSION DATA, at 13:43
• 69. Paolo SIMION, BARDIANI CSF, at 14:47
• 70. Mark MCNALLY, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 14:47
• 71. Ryan MULLEN, CDT, at 14:47
• 72. Oliver WOOD, GBR, at 14:47
• 73. Jacob SCOTT, SKT, at 14:47
• 74. Caleb EWAN, OBE, at 14:47
• 75. Adam BLYTHE, GBR, at 14:47
• 76. Steele VON HOFF, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 14:47
• 77. Ramon SINKELDAM, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 14:47
• 78. Javier Francisco ARAMENDIA LORENTE, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 14:47
• 79. Taylor Karl GUNMAN, MGT, at 14:47
• 80. Paul MARTENS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 14:47
• 81. Eugenio ALAFACI, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 14:47
• 82. Danny VAN POPPEL, TEAM SKY, at 14:47
• 83. Nicola RUFFONI, BARDIANI CSF, at 14:47
• 84. Giacomo NIZZOLO, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 14:47
• 85. Thomas MOSES, JLT CONDOR, at 14:47
• 86. Marco COLEDAN, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 14:47
• 87. Boy VAN POPPEL, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 14:47
• 88. Mark RENSHAW, DIMENSION DATA, at 14:47
• 89. Liam STONES, NFTO, at 14:47
• 90. Damien SHAW, SKT, at 14:47
• 91. Robert WAGNER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 14:47
• 92. Juan Jose LOBATO DEL VALLE, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 14:47
• 93. Gabriel CULLAIGH, GBR, at 14:47
• 94. Jens DEBUSSCHERE, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 14:47
• 95. Dale APPLEBY, NFTO, at 14:47
• 96. Jasper DE BUYST, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 14:47
• 97. Maximiliano Ariel RICHEZE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 14:47
• 98. Jay Robert THOMSON, DIMENSION DATA, at 14:47
• 99. Jonathan MCEVOY, NFTO, at 14:47
• 100. Marcel SIEBERG, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 14:47
• 101. Jasper BOVENHUIS, SKT, at 14:47
• 102. Taylor PHINNEY, BMC RACING TEAM, at 14:47
• 103. Bernhard EISEL, DIMENSION DATA, at 14:47
• 104. Taylor EISENHART, BMC RACING TEAM, at 14:47
• 105. Graham BRIGGS, JLT CONDOR, at 14:47
• 106. Alessandro TONELLI, BARDIANI CSF, at 16:00
• 107. Peter WILLIAMS, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 21:19
• 108. Alexandre BLAIN, MGT, at 21:19
• 109. Alex DOWSETT, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 21:19
• 110. Tony MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 21:19
• 111. Elia VIVIANI, TEAM SKY, at 21:19
• 112. Hayden MCCORMICK, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 22:51
• 113. Jorge ARCAS PENA, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 22:51
• 114. Kristian HOUSE, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 22:51
• 115. Christopher LATHAM, WGN, at 22:51
• 116. Mathew CRONSHAW, MGT, at 22:51
• 117. Owain DOULL, WGN, at 22:51
• 118. Alexander EDMONSON, OBE, at 22:51
• 119. Bradley WIGGINS, WGN, at 22:51
• 120. Michael HEPBURN, OBE, at 22:51
• 121. Adrien COSTA, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 23:21
• 122. Emiel WASTYN, SKT, at 26:28
• 123. Bjorn THURAU, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 27:41
• DNS Wouter WIPPERT, CDT

General classification

• 1. Julien VERMOTE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, in 8:33:20
• 2. Stephen CUMMINGS, DIMENSION DATA, at :06
• 3. Daniel MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 1:04
• 4. Xandro MEURISSE, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 1:08
• 5. Ben SWIFT, TEAM SKY, at 1:08
• 6. Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 1:08
• 7. Dylan VAN BAARLE, CDT, at 1:12
• 8. Guillaume MARTIN, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 1:12
• 9. Tom DUMOULIN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 1:12
• 10. Nicolas ROCHE, TEAM SKY, at 1:16
• 11. Jacopo MOSCA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 1:16
• 12. Rohan DENNIS, BMC RACING TEAM, at 1:17
• 13. Mark CHRISTIAN, WGN, at 3:00
• 14. Ruben ZEPUNTKE, CDT, at 4:33
• 15. Edmund BRADBURY, NFTO, at 4:37
• 16. Erick ROWSELL, MGT, at 4:39
• 17. Ian BIBBY, NFTO, at 4:41
• 18. Dion SMITH, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 4:41
• 19. Marco MARCATO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 4:41
• 20. Jack BAUER, CDT, at 4:43
• 21. Tao GEOGHEGAN HART, GBR, at 4:43
• 22. Steven LAMPIER, JLT CONDOR, at 4:43
• 23. Edoardo ZARDINI, BARDIANI CSF, at 4:43
• 24. Lukasz WISNIOWSKI, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 4:43
• 25. Giovanni VISCONTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 4:43
• 26. Amets TXURRUKA, OBE, at 4:43
• 27. James SHAW, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 4:43
• 28. Sebastian LANGEVELD, CDT, at 4:53
• 29. Daniel PEARSON, WGN, at 4:55
• 30. Thomas STEWART, MGT, at 4:55
• 31. Loic VLIEGEN, BMC RACING TEAM, at 4:59
• 32. Miguel Angel BENITO DIEZ, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 4:59
• 33. Domingos ANDRÉ MACIEL GONÇALVES, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 5:03
• 34. Martijn TUSVELD, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 5:05
• 35. Thomas LEEZER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 5:05
• 36. Hector SAEZ BENITO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 5:09
• 37. Jochem HOEKSTRA, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 5:28
• 38. Nicolas VEREECKEN, SKT, at 5:31
• 39. Gorka IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 5:31
• 40. Francesco Manuel BONGIORNO, BARDIANI CSF, at 5:31
• 41. Carlos BARBERO CUESTA, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 5:31
• 42. Enrico GASPAROTTO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 5:31
• 43. Russell DOWNING, JLT CONDOR, at 5:31
• 44. Matthew HOLMES, MGT, at 5:36
• 45. Alistair SLATER, JLT CONDOR, at 5:36
• 46. Diego RUBIO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 5:39
• 47. Amaël MOINARD, BMC RACING TEAM, at 5:43
• 48. Robert POWER, OBE, at 5:45
• 49. Maarten WYNANTS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 5:45
• 50. Bertjan LINDEMAN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 5:58
• 51. Wout POELS, TEAM SKY, at 12:08
• 52. André GREIPEL, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 12:54
• 53. Conor DUNNE, JLT CONDOR, at 13:07
• 54. Daniel MCLAY, GBR, at 13:13
• 55. Rick ZABEL, BMC RACING TEAM, at 13:13
• 56. Mark STEWART, GBR, at 13:13
• 57. Karol DOMAGALSKI, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 13:13
• 58. Roy CURVERS, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 13:13
• 59. Luka MEZGEC, OBE, at 13:13
• 60. Jonathan DIBBEN, WGN, at 13:13
• 61. Oliver KET-SPARK, SKT, at 13:13
• 62. Robert PARTRIDGE, NFTO, at 13:13
• 63. Javier MORENO BAZAN, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 13:13
• 64. Nicola BOEM, BARDIANI CSF, at 13:13
• 65. Ian STANNARD, TEAM SKY, at 13:13
• 66. Johann VAN ZYL, DIMENSION DATA, at 13:13
• 67. Dylan GROENEWEGEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 13:13
• 68. Mark CAVENDISH, DIMENSION DATA, at 13:53
• 69. Jasper BOVENHUIS, SKT, at 14:48
• 70. Caleb EWAN, OBE, at 14:51
• 71. Ramon SINKELDAM, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 14:53
• 72. Jonathan MCEVOY, NFTO, at 14:55
• 73. Ryan MULLEN, CDT, at 14:56
• 74. Thomas MOSES, JLT CONDOR, at 14:56
• 75. Paolo SIMION, BARDIANI CSF, at 14:57
• 76. Steele VON HOFF, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 14:57
• 77. Oliver WOOD, GBR, at 14:57
• 78. Nicola RUFFONI, BARDIANI CSF, at 14:57
• 79. Giacomo NIZZOLO, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 14:57
• 80. Maximiliano Ariel RICHEZE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 14:57
• 81. Jens DEBUSSCHERE, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 14:57
• 82. Jacob SCOTT, SKT, at 14:57
• 83. Boy VAN POPPEL, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 14:57
• 84. Liam STONES, NFTO, at 14:57
• 85. Mark RENSHAW, DIMENSION DATA, at 14:57
• 86. Adam BLYTHE, GBR, at 14:57
• 87. Mark MCNALLY, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 14:57
• 88. Graham BRIGGS, JLT CONDOR, at 14:57
• 89. Dale APPLEBY, NFTO, at 14:57
• 90. Taylor PHINNEY, BMC RACING TEAM, at 14:57
• 91. Taylor EISENHART, BMC RACING TEAM, at 14:57
• 92. Taylor Karl GUNMAN, MGT, at 14:57
• 93. Gabriel CULLAIGH, GBR, at 14:57
• 94. Eugenio ALAFACI, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 14:57
• 95. Javier Francisco ARAMENDIA LORENTE, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 14:57
• 96. Paul MARTENS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 14:57
• 97. Damien SHAW, SKT, at 14:57
• 98. Danny VAN POPPEL, TEAM SKY, at 14:57
• 99. Marcel SIEBERG, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 14:57
• 100. Jay Robert THOMSON, DIMENSION DATA, at 14:57
• 101. Robert WAGNER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 14:57
• 102. Juan Jose LOBATO DEL VALLE, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 14:57
• 103. Bernhard EISEL, DIMENSION DATA, at 14:57
• 104. Alessandro TONELLI, BARDIANI CSF, at 16:10
• 105. Jasper DE BUYST, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 16:31
• 106. Marco COLEDAN, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 16:41
• 107. Peter WILLIAMS, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 21:23
• 108. Alexandre BLAIN, MGT, at 21:29
• 109. Tony MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 21:29
• 110. Alex DOWSETT, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 21:29
• 111. Elia VIVIANI, TEAM SKY, at 21:29
• 112. Christopher LATHAM, WGN, at 23:01
• 113. Mathew CRONSHAW, MGT, at 23:01
• 114. Jorge ARCAS PENA, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 23:01
• 115. Hayden MCCORMICK, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 23:01
• 116. Kristian HOUSE, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 23:01
• 117. Owain DOULL, WGN, at 23:01
• 118. Alexander EDMONSON, OBE, at 23:01
• 119. Bradley WIGGINS, WGN, at 23:01
• 120. Adrien COSTA, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 23:31
• 121. Michael HEPBURN, OBE, at 24:46
• 122. Emiel WASTYN, SKT, at 26:38
• 123. Bjorn THURAU, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 27:51