Swift takes Picardie overall

Ben Swift (Team Sky) did not contest the final sprint of the Tour de Picardie in France, because he didn’t have to.

With overall victory all but assured, the young British sprinter stepped aside and let the others chase glory in the 174.5km third and final stage from Crépy-en-Valois to Sissonne on Sunday. It’s the first major victory for Swift, one of the most promising British sprinters since, well, Mark Cavendish.

Jimmy Casper (Sojasun) out-kicked Koldo Fernández (Euskaltel-Euskadi) to win the stage in just over four hours. Team Sky did its part by controlling the stage to set up the mass gallop.

Fernández slotted into second overall at seven seconds back, with Alan Davis (Astana) rounding out the podium at 10 seconds back.

Quick results
Stage:

• 1. Jimmy Casper (FRA/SAU), 74.5 km in 4:02:06.
• 2. Kaldo Fernandez de Larrea (ESP/EUS)           s.t.
• 3. Danilo Napolitano (ITA/KAT)               s.t.
• 4. Lloyd Mondory (FRA/ALM)               s.t.
• 5. Jose Rojas (ESP/GCE)                         s.t.
• 6. Robert Van Hummel (NED/SKS)                 s.t.
• 7. David  Boucher (FRA/LAN)                     s.t.
• 8. Allan Davis (AUS/AST)                         s.t.
• 9. Swift (GB/SKY)                             s.t.
• 10. Arnaud Coyot (FRA/GCE)                       s.t.

GC:

• 1. Ben Swift (GBR/SKY)                   12:26:25.
• 2. Koldo Fernandez de Larrea (ESP/EUS)    at     07.
• 3. Allan Davis (AUS/AST)                     at     10.
• 4. Russell Downing (GBR/SKY)            at         12.
• 5. Michael Van Staeyen (BEL/TSV)       at           16.
• 6. Borut Bozic (SLO/VAC)                   at       16.
• 7. Alexandre Pichot (FRA/BTL)           at          16.
• 8. Steven Van Vooren (BEL/VLA)        at           19.
• 9. Mikhaylo Khalilov (UKR/KAT)         at           20.
• 10. Jimmy Casper (FRA/SAU)             at            21.