Jonathan Tiernan Locke has become the first home winner of The Tour of Britain, since it’s revival in
2004, clinching the race leader’s IG Gold Jersey following the final stage in Surrey. Mark Cavendish rounded out a fantastic week for The Tour of Britain, taking the stage win in Guildford, his third of the 2012 Tour, sprinting to victory atop the cobbled High Street ahead of Boy Van Poppel and Fabio Sabatini, in what will be his last race appearance in the World Champion’s rainbow stripes.
Tiernan Locke finished safely within the main field to maintain his eighteen second advantage and
become the first British winner of The Tour of Britain since Robert Millar took the 1989 Kellogg’s Tour. The Endura Racing rider finished eighteen seconds ahead of Garmin – Sharp’s Nathan Haas, with
Liquigas – Cannondale’s Damiano Caruso a further five seconds in arrears to complete the podium.
“It’s well clear of the other wins, right at the top for sure,” said Jonathan Tiernan Locke, reflecting on
his victory. “Not just because it’s The Tour of Britain but because of all the crowds and support it’s
just been on another level.”
Reflecting on the final stage of the race, as The Tour of Britain visited Surrey for the first time, Tiernan
Locke said. “It was a pretty straight forward stage. It was just rolling, we had that one steep climb when the race blew apart but then it came back together. It was a really fast run in, Sky just going flat out and a couple of my team mates were doing it as well. Being close to London, the final stage it being a
weekend, the crowds were just unreal. Coming through Guilford with 100km to go it was like the finish
of a race, crowds ten deep or whatever they were, it was just amazing.”
British domestic teams took home three of the race’s four leader’s jerseys, in addition to Endura
Racing claiming the IG Gold Jersey, Rapha Condor took the SKODA King of the Mountains Jersey,
presented to Kristian House by its designer, 14-year-old Surrey schoolchild George Barton-Wood,
while Node4 – Giordana Racing’s Peter Williams claimed the Yodel Sprints Jersey, sponsored by
parcel delivery company Yodel.
UnitedHealthcare’s Boy Van Poppel took the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey, while the Saur
Sojasun squad took the Team General Classification, with both David Lelay and Jerome Coppel
finishing in the top ten.
The Tour’s first ever Surrey stage saw packed crowds across the 147-kilometre route heading into the
Surrey Hills from Reigate. A four rider break containing Williams, Wesley Kreder, Jack Bobridge and
Team IG – Sigma Sport’s Simon Richardson, who claimed the final day’s Rouleur Combativity Award,
moved clear for the first half of the race, but was pulled back before the final SKODA King of the
Mountains climb of Barhatch Lane.
Team NetApp and Caerphilly winner Leopold Koenig upped the pace and the race briefly split up, with
two distinct groups forming in front of the peloton, the second of which included race leader Tiernan
Locke.
Samuel Sanchez, Liam Holohan and Bobridge then went away, with the Australian persevering for the
longest, holding off the chasing peloton as The Tour sped back towards Guildford. The Orica GreenEDGE rider was reeled in though, with Team Sky hitting the front to set up Cavendish, with the Manxman jumping clear with around 100 meters to go on the cobbled uphill run
to the line, in which he was never bettered.
“I really wanted to win here in Guildford,” said Mark Cavendish. “I haven’t obviously got great
memories of the results here from the Olympics but I’ve got great memories of the crowds here from
the Olympics so I wanted to win here on the last stage in Guildford.
“It wasn’t an easy finish. It wasn’t just the last stage in The Tour of Britain; it was the last race for me
in the rainbow jersey. The team were incredible, they supported me the whole day; the guys stayed in
control and they gave it everything they had – so proud of them.”
Victory means Cavendish has now drawn level with teammate Edvald Boasson Hagen as the most
successful rider in the modern Tour, with seven stage wins a piece.
RESULTS
Stage Eight, Reigate to Guildford, 147.8km
1) Mark Cavendish, GBR, Team Sky, 3:33:05
2) Boy Van Poppel, NED, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, same time
3) Fabio Sabatini, ITA, Liquigas - Cannondale, same time
4) Russ Downing, GBR, Endura Racing, same time
5) Cesare Benedetti, ITA, Team NetApp, + 0.03
Rouleur Combativity Award:
Simon Richardson, GBR, Team IG - Sigma Sport
IG Gold Jersey, General Classification, Final Standings
1) Jonathan Tiernan Locke, GBR, Endura Racing, 33:11:22
2) Nathan Haas, AUS, Garmin - Sharp, + 0.18
3) Damiano Caruso, ITA, Liquigas Cannondale, + 0.23
4) Leigh Howard, AUS, Orica GreenEDGE, + 1.02
5) Christopher Jones, USA, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, + 1.12
6) Bartosz Huzarski, POL, Team NetApp, + 2.01
7) David Lelay, FRA, Saur Sojasun, same time
8) Boy Van Poppel, NED, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, + 2.14
9) Christian Knees, GER, Team Sky, + 2.35
10) Jerome Coppel, FRA, Saur Sojasun, + 4.30
Chain Reaction Cycles Points Classification, Final Standings
1) Boy Van Poppel, NED, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, 76pts
2) Mark Cavendish, GBR, Team Sky, 59pts
3) Nathan Haas, AUS, Garmin - Sharp, 56pts
4) Russ Downing, GBR, Endura Racing, 56pts
5) Leigh Howard, AUS, Orica GreenEDGE, 53pts
SKODA King of the Mountains Classification, Final Standings
1) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor, 86pts
2) Pablo Urtasun, SPA, Euskaltel - Euskadi, 67pts
3) Bernard Sulzberger, AUS, Team Raleigh - GAC, 49pts
4) Jonathan Tiernan Locke, GBR, Endura Racing, 44pts
5) Jack Bobridge, AUS, Orica GreenEDGE, 44pts
Yodel Sprints Classification, Final Standings
1) Peter Williams, GBR, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 45pts
2) Marcin Bialoblocki, POL, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 23pts
3) Matt Cronshaw, GBR, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 13pts
4) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor, 11pts
5) Leigh Howard, AUS, Orica GreenEDGE, 11pts
Team General Classification, Final Standings
1) Saur Sojasun, FRA, 99:41:34
2) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, USA, + 2.51
3) Team NetApp, GER, + 5.50
4) Garmin - Sharp, USA, + 12.36
5) Endura Racing, GBR, + 14.33