Tour of Britain Stage 5: Suffolk leg won by Wout van Aert

The Belgian former Tour winner took surprise stage victory after late attack

Stage 5 winner: Wout van Aert
Author: Josh BarnesPublished 7th Sep 2023

2021 Tour of Britain winner Wout van Aert, broke away from the peloton with less than a kilometre to go - winning the stage by 3 second and in turn taking the lead in the general classification.

The Belgian rider wasn't the favourite coming into the Suffolk stage, with his Jumbo-Visma team-mate Olav Kooij looking to win a record 5th straight stage victory.

But it was Van Aert who broke away in the final kilometre - leaving his fellow riders behind to take the longest stage of this year's tour.

Van Aert punched the air as he crossed the line with a clear gap to the other riders.

Great Britain's Ethan Vernon was next to cross the line at Felixstowe, three seconds back in second place, with Dutch rider Danny van Poppel third.

Vernon now sits at second in the GC race, with Ineos Grenadiers' Tom Pidcock sits at seventh overall.

Stage six tomorrow sees the riders travel 146.2km from Southend-on-Sea to Harlow.

Stage five results:

  1. Wout Van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) 4hrs 20mins 05secs
  1. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain) +3 secs
  1. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Bora-hansgrohe) Same time
  1. Alexander Salby (Den/Bingoal WB)
  1. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar)
  1. Davide Persico (Ita/Bingoal WB)
  1. Milan Fretin (Bel/Flanders-Baloise)
  1. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)
  1. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)
  1. Stian Fredheim (Nor/Uno-X Pro Cycling)

General classification after stage five:

  1. Wout Van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) 17hrs 45mins 36secs
  1. Ethan Vernon (GB/Great Britain) +3 secs
  1. Max Kanter (Ger/Movistar) Same time
  1. Olav Kooij (Ned/Jumbo-Visma)
  1. Davide Bomboi (Bel/TdT-Unibet)
  1. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Bora-hansgrohe)
  1. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers)
  1. Casper van Uden (Ned/DSM)
  1. Gonzalo Serrano (Spa/Movistar)
  1. Davide Persico (Ita/Bingoal WB)

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