Tour of Britain races through Essex
How all the action unfolded
In a closely contested showdown today – Hansgrohe's Danny van Poppel clinched victory in stage six of the 2023 Tour of Britain in Harlow, effectively ending Jumbo – Visma's stage-winning streak.
Exactly one year after the German team's last UK victory, Danny van Poppel's well-timed sprint narrowly defeated British rider Ethan Vernon along Third Avenue. Uno-X Pro Cycling Team's Tord Gudmestad secured the third position, with Olav Kooij, a four-time stage winner, coming in fourth.
While Jumbo – Visma's impressive streak of stage wins was halted in Essex, their leader, Wout van Aert, crossed the finish line in 17th place, successfully retaining the overall lead.
Danny van Poppel shared his thoughts on the win, stating, "The team has given me a lot of trust, and I think that's really important for the sprint. I knew it was a hard finish, and you also need some luck, of course. There was space to go through, and I took the chance. I know my timings, and I know I can do it really well; I think I did the perfect jump to win the race today."
He added, "I always fight for the win, but I know it's hard to beat the big riders like those in Jumbo – Visma, but today I did it. It's really cool."
Stage Six Drama Unfolds in Essex
Stage six of the Tour of Britain, the second leg of the race's Eastern England doubleheader, commenced from Southend's Western Esplanade, with the historic pier casting its shadow over the start.
A mere two kilometers into the stage, three riders broke away to form the race's first breakaway. However, their time at the front was limited when Alex Coleman from Team Flanders-Baloise bridged across to them as they approached the cottages.com sprint at Burnham-on-Crouch, 50.4 kilometers into the race.
Saint Piran seized the initiative later in the race when newly-crowned track world champion Will Tidball launched an attack with 90 kilometers remaining. Though their momentum was disrupted by punctures affecting several riders, including van der Tuuk and Tidball, only the TDT – Unibet Cycling Team duo remained at the front before the peloton reeled them in after passing through North Weald Bassett, 14 kilometers from the finish.
A late attempt to break away by Belgian rider Dimitri Peyskens from Bingoal WB proved futile. INEOS Grenadiers and Jumbo – Visma then took turns leading the pack.
As the finish line approached, Danny van Poppel and British rider Ethan Vernon positioned themselves perfectly for their sprints, with Van Poppel eventually edging out Vernon by the narrowest of margins, denying the Briton the chance to become the first British stage winner since Ethan Haytor in Warrington two years ago, in one of the closest finishes in race history.
Local Schoolteacher and Students Enjoy the Spectacle
Liam Cheshire, a local schoolteacher from Westborough School, brought a group of enthusiastic students to witness the cycling spectacle. Cheshire explained, "We decided to bring Year 5 and Year 6 out to see this because it doesn't happen very often, so we thought we'd give them the opportunity to see something a bit different and just enjoy the nice weather as well."
The students had a fantastic time, cheering on the cyclists and indulging in ice cream, making the most of their day out. Cheshire also expressed his enjoyment, albeit admitting that the sunny weather had made him a bit warm.
In the midst of the excitement, Cheshire confessed he had little knowledge about the race itself, but he cherished the chance to engage in such memorable activities with his students.