Wout van Aert won a sprint finish in the opening stage of the Tour of Britain on Sunday to the take the lead in the general classification.
The Jumbo-Visma rider outsprinted Nils Eekhoff (DSM) in the final stretch of the 180km undulating stage from Penzance to Bodmin in Cornwall. Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar) finished third.
“It was a tough stage,” said Van Aert. “It was good for me to adapt to these kind of roads and to get used to them.
“Obviously, on the first day of a race everybody is still fresh so it was a big battle to be at the front for the sprint.”
Monday’s second stage sees the riders move into Devon for a 184km ride from Sherford to Exeter.
.@WoutvanAert ?? (@JumboVismaRoad) wins stage one of the @AJBell Tour of Britain ?? in Bodmin! #TourOfBritain ⚫⚪⚫ pic.twitter.com/QAt4WPhHR1
— AJ Bell Tour of Britain ?? (@TourofBritain) September 5, 2021
