The early morning rain gave way to sunshine just in time for the start of third and final stage of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire in Wakefield yesterday.
The early morning rain gave way to sunshine just in time for the start of third and final stage of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire in Wakefield yesterday. This was a huge blessing as ahead of the riders lay 167km of the hardest roads in Yorkshire, featuring six categorised climbs and several more that were equally noteworthy before finally crossing the finishing line in Roundhay Park on the outskirts of Leeds.
Once again the crowds came out in their thousands to see the riders for the last time and once again, the racing was spectacular. Within 20km a group of 22 riders had gone clear, including Tom Stewart and James McLaughlin to ensure that Madison Genesis continued to be represented in every break of the race so far. Unfortunately though, Thomas Voekler was also there and as a race-lead threat, Team Sky began the chase and the group's lead quickly diminished.
In a similar move to yesterday's stage, seven of the original leaders broke free as the group was about to be caught including Madison Genesis rider James McLaughlin. With Voekler safely back in the main bunch, Team Sky let the group have their freedom and the lead built to almost five minutes before the brutal roads took their toll and the breakaway group disintegrated with just over 50km to go.
In the chasing pack the team were working hard to keep Erick near the front on the narrow damp roads and keep him in contention for the overall honours. By the time the lead group tackled the final climb of the day just 25km from the finish; there was an elite group of 22 riders left from the original 144 that had started the race last Friday. The accelerations on the climbs in the front group were brutal but Erick battled valiantly to stay with the main contenders to hold onto his very impressive eighth place overall.
Roger Hammond, Team Manager:
"What a weekend! The race was amazing; the crowds, the roads, the atmosphere, there aren't too many races like that in the world. I'm so proud of how the team rose to the occasion and committed to the plan. Erick rode his heart out to hold onto the top-10 overall, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. The entire team worked tirelessly and selflessly all weekend which was incredibly pleasing to see. "
