Britain: Cummings takes control, Poels wins stage 6

HAYTOR, United Kingdom (AFP) — Steve Cummings put himself in pole position to emulate Bradley Wiggins and become only the second British rider to win the Tour of Britain after taking the overall lead on Friday. Wiggins won the race in 2013.

The 35-year-old Dimension Data rider is enjoying an indian summer in terms of his career with stage wins this year at four major races including the Criterium du Dauphine and the Tour de France.

“The team have done an excellent job all week in taking care of me every day and sacrificed chances for Mark [Cavendish] in the sprints to protect me,” said Cummings. “I was feeling a little bit of pressure coming into today and I just thought all I could do was do my best and I gave it my all at the end and I’m delighted to take yellow.”

Stage 6, top 10

• 1. Wout POELS, TEAM SKY, in 4:56:15
• 2. Rohan DENNIS, BMC RACING TEAM, at :06
• 3. Tom DUMOULIN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :08
• 4. Dylan VAN BAARLE, CDT, at :12
• 5. Xandro MEURISSE, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :16
• 6. Nicolas ROCHE, TEAM SKY, at :16
• 7. Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :16
• 8. Stephen CUMMINGS, DIMENSION DATA, at :20
• 9. Erick ROWSELL, MGT, at :30
• 10. Gorka IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :30

Top-10 overall

• 1. Stephen CUMMINGS, DIMENSION DATA, in 27:04:11
• 2. Tom DUMOULIN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :49
• 3. Rohan DENNIS, BMC RACING TEAM, at :51
• 4. Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :53
• 5. Dylan VAN BAARLE, CDT, at :57
• 6. Xandro MEURISSE, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :58
• 7. Nicolas ROCHE, TEAM SKY, at 1:06
• 8. Ben SWIFT, TEAM SKY, at 1:14
• 9. Jacopo MOSCA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 1:20
• 10. Guillaume MARTIN, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 1:24

And he now holds a 49-second lead over Dutchman Tom Dumoulin after Friday’s challenging sixth stage from Sidmouth to Haytor on Dartmoor.

Overnight leader Julien Vermote of Belgium — who had led since winning Monday’s second stage — had an awful day in the saddle and slipped out of the top 10 in the overall standings.

The stage itself went to Dutch rider Wout Poels, the Team Sky rider going clear in the final 1.5km to record his third win on British roads.

“The last part we took control and we wanted to close the gap to go for the stage victory with me,” said Poels. “Yogi [Ian Stannard] and Danny [van Poppel] did a really good job, so I was really happy with that. It’s my sixth [win] of the season already and it’s always nice to win here at the Tour of Britain; last year on the uphill finish and this year again. It’s a really nice race.”

Cummings — second in the 2008 and 2011 editions — came eighth.

Saturday’s stage is a time trial which could be a cliffhanger as Dumoulin thrives in them having taken silver in the Olympics last month.

Stage 6 results

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

General classification

• 1. Stephen CUMMINGS, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, in 27:04:11
• 2. Tom DUMOULIN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :49
• 3. Rohan DENNIS, BMC RACING TEAM, at :51
• 4. Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :53
• 5. Dylan VAN BAARLE, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :57
• 6. Xandro MEURISSE, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :58
• 7. Nicolas ROCHE, TEAM SKY, at 1:06
• 8. Ben SWIFT, TEAM SKY, at 1:14
• 9. Jacopo MOSCA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 1:20
• 10. Guillaume MARTIN, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 1:24
• 11. Julien VERMOTE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 1:25
• 12. Daniel MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 2:10
• 13. Mark CHRISTIAN, WGN, at 3:11
• 14. Erick ROWSELL, MGT, at 4:34
• 15. Tao GEOGHEGAN HART, GBR, at 4:51
• 16. Dion SMITH, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 5:24
• 17. Steven LAMPIER, JLT CONDOR, at 5:59
• 18. Edoardo ZARDINI, BARDIANI CSF, at 6:05
• 19. Domingos ANDRÉ MACIEL GONÇALVES, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 6:28
• 20. Daniel PEARSON, WGN, at 6:33
• 21. Francesco Manuel BONGIORNO, BARDIANI CSF, at 6:39
• 22. Gorka IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 6:48
• 23. Ruben ZEPUNTKE, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at 7:40
• 24. Edmund BRADBURY, NFTO, at 7:50
• 25. Russell DOWNING, JLT CONDOR, at 8:30
• 26. Giovanni VISCONTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 8:50
• 27. Enrico GASPAROTTO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 9:43
• 28. Diego RUBIO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 9:46
• 29. Jack BAUER, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at 9:55
• 30. Martijn TUSVELD, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 10:50
• 31. Amaël MOINARD, BMC RACING TEAM, at 11:41
• 32. Loic VLIEGEN, BMC RACING TEAM, at 11:57
• 33. Marco MARCATO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 12:03
• 34. Wout POELS, TEAM SKY, at 13:03
• 35. Thomas STEWART, MGT, at 13:15
• 36. Maarten WYNANTS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 14:22
• 37. Jochem HOEKSTRA, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 14:40
• 38. Nicolas VEREECKEN, SKT, at 15:55
• 39. Javier MORENO BAZAN, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 16:37
• 40. Alistair SLATER, JLT CONDOR, at 16:45
• 41. Nicola BOEM, BARDIANI CSF, at 16:53
• 42. Amets TXURRUKA, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at 17:35
• 43. Robert POWER, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at 20:08
• 44. Hector SAEZ BENITO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 22:37
• 45. Bertjan LINDEMAN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 22:43
• 46. André GREIPEL, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 23:02
• 47. Paul MARTENS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 23:20
• 48. Peter WILLIAMS, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 23:37
• 49. Tony MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 24:56
• 50. James SHAW, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 25:09
• 51. Miguel Angel BENITO DIEZ, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 25:59
• 52. Lukasz WISNIOWSKI, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 27:01
• 53. Jorge ARCAS PENA, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 27:20
• 54. Danny VAN POPPEL, TEAM SKY, at 28:22
• 55. Ian BIBBY, NFTO, at 28:46
• 56. Sebastian LANGEVELD, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at 28:58
• 57. Daniel MCLAY, GBR, at 29:07
• 58. Bjorn THURAU, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 29:19
• 59. Mark STEWART, GBR, at 29:21
• 60. Carlos BARBERO CUESTA, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 29:28
• 61. Matthew HOLMES, MGT, at 29:49
• 62. Ian STANNARD, TEAM SKY, at 29:55
• 63. Jacob SCOTT, SKT, at 30:58
• 64. Gabriel CULLAIGH, GBR, at 31:05
• 65. Karol DOMAGALSKI, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 31:21
• 66. Taylor PHINNEY, BMC RACING TEAM, at 31:24
• 67. Thomas LEEZER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 32:08
• 68. Jens DEBUSSCHERE, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 32:13
• 69. Roy CURVERS, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 34:29
• 70. Taylor EISENHART, BMC RACING TEAM, at 34:47
• 71. Dylan GROENEWEGEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 37:00
• 72. Steele VON HOFF, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 37:25
• 73. Rick ZABEL, BMC RACING TEAM, at 38:02
• 74. Luka MEZGEC, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at 38:02
• 75. Boy VAN POPPEL, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 38:54
• 76. Eugenio ALAFACI, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 39:10
• 77. Bernhard EISEL, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at 40:16
• 78. Alessandro TONELLI, BARDIANI CSF, at 40:32
• 79. Marcel SIEBERG, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 40:54
• 80. Caleb EWAN, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at 42:45
• 81. Mark CAVENDISH, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at 43:14
• 82. Mark MCNALLY, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 43:41
• 83. Jonathan DIBBEN, WGN, at 44:03
• 84. Paolo SIMION, BARDIANI CSF, at 44:39
• 85. Johann VAN ZYL, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at 44:42
• 86. Jasper DE BUYST, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 46:30
• 87. Thomas MOSES, JLT CONDOR, at 46:33
• 88. Marco COLEDAN, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 48:06
• 89. Maximiliano Ariel RICHEZE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 48:38
• 90. Ryan MULLEN, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at 50:30
• 91. Javier Francisco ARAMENDIA LORENTE, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 50:32
• 92. Nicola RUFFONI, BARDIANI CSF, at 50:48
• 93. Hayden MCCORMICK, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 51:11
• 94. Adam BLYTHE, GBR, at 51:16
• 95. Alex DOWSETT, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 51:44
• 96. Jonathan MCEVOY, NFTO, at 52:59
• 97. Mark RENSHAW, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at 53:51
• 98. Robert WAGNER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 54:41
• 99. Damien SHAW, SKT, at 54:56
• 100. Robert PARTRIDGE, NFTO, at 55:20
• 101. Dale APPLEBY, NFTO, at 55:34
• 102. Oliver WOOD, GBR, at 57:19
• 103. Oliver KET-SPARK, SKT, at 57:26
• 104. Conor DUNNE, JLT CONDOR, at 58:11
• 105. Taylor Karl GUNMAN, MGT, at 59:12
• 106. Jasper BOVENHUIS, SKT, at 1:00:25
• 107. Jay Robert THOMSON, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at 1:02:33
• 108. Liam STONES, NFTO, at 1:02:57
• 109. Christopher LATHAM, WGN, at 1:04:10
• 110. Owain DOULL, WGN, at 1:04:54
• 111. Bradley WIGGINS, WGN, at 1:06:25
• 112. Elia VIVIANI, TEAM SKY, at 1:06:43
• 113. Kristian HOUSE, ONE PRO CYCLING, at 1:08:53
• 114. Mathew CRONSHAW, MGT, at 1:08:59
• 115. Alexander EDMONSON, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at 1:16:47
• 116. Michael HEPBURN, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at 1:24:15
• 117. Emiel WASTYN, SKT, at 1:34:01