| 2016 UCI Europe Tour | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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_crossing_Clifton_Suspension_Bridge.JPG) Crossing Clifton Suspension Bridge during stage 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates | 4–11 September | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 8, including one split stage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 1,295.6 km (805.0 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 31h 30' 45"[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2016 Tour of Britain was a nine-stage men's professional road cycling race. It was the thirteenth running of the modern version of the Tour of Britain and the 76th British tour in total. The race started on 4 September in Glasgow and finished on 11 September in London.[2] The race was part of the 2016 UCI Europe Tour.
Team Dimension Data rider Steve Cummings became the first British rider to win the Tour overall since Bradley Wiggins in 2013,[3] as well as improving upon two previous runner-up finishes to win the race for the first time. Cummings finished second on the second stage in Cumbria,[4] and assumed the race lead from Belgium's Julien Vermote (Etixx–Quick-Step) at the summit finish at Haytor,[5] and maintained the yellow jersey over the final two days. Cummings eventually won the race by 26 seconds ahead of Australian rider Rohan Dennis of the BMC Racing Team – who won the circuit race in Bristol on the penultimate day[6] – while the podium was completed by Tom Dumoulin from the Netherlands, riding for Team Giant–Alpecin, 12 seconds behinds Dennis and 38 seconds in arrears of Cummings.[7]
In the race's other classifications, another Dutch rider Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL–Jumbo) won the blue jersey for the points classification on the final stage, taking the lead from Dennis with a second-place finish to Caleb Ewan in London.[8] Groenewegen also won a stage during the race, the longest stage of the Tour, into Builth Wells.[9] Dutchman Jasper Bovenhuis won the green jersey for the sprints classification for An Post–Chain Reaction,[3] having featured in breakaways on the first and last stages of the race. Xandro Meurisse from Belgium, riding for the Wanty–Groupe Gobert team as a stagiaire, won the black jersey for the mountains classification, as well as finishing seventh overall in the general classification.[3] With two riders in the top ten overall – Nicolas Roche sixth and Ben Swift eighth – Team Sky won the teams classification,[10] while Germany's André Greipel (Lotto–Soudal), who won the opening stage into Castle Douglas, was named as the Tour's most combative rider.
For the first time since 2006, no rider won more than one stage. As well as the victories recorded by Greipel, Vermote, Groenewegen, Dennis and Ewan; Team Sky pair Ian Stannard and Wout Poels, Cannondale–Drapac's Jack Bauer and Etixx–Quick-Step rider Tony Martin took stage wins.
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