LEOPOLD KONIG OF Team NetApp has won the Tour of Britain’s stage six ahead of Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, who took the overall lead.
Tiernan-Locke (Endura Racing) took the leader’s gold jersey from Orica-GreenEDGE’s Leigh Howard, having attacked with 14 kilometres remaining on Friday’s stage.
As the peloton reached Caerphilly Mountain for the first time, Tiernan-Locke took off and was joined by Konig on the second ascent, the pair holding off the peloton through to the finish line.
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Konig sat on Tiernan-Locke’s wheel in the closing stages as the 27-year-old Briton powered home in an effort to take the overall lead.
That meant Tiernan-Locke had little energy left for the final sprint of the 180.6km stage from Welshpool to Caerphilly, and Konig won comfortably.
Tiernan-Locke should be unfazed, however, as he has taken a 13-second lead in the general classification.
Howard remains in second position.
In the opening kilometres of stage six, a group of six riders broke away from the peloton to build up a maximum lead of eight minutes, with Orica-GreenEDGE and Endura Racing leading the chase.
The margin was less than a minute as the peloton reached the foot of Caerphilly Mountain and Tiernan-Locke overhauled Graham Briggs, the last remaining breakaway rider, just before the summit of the Welsh peak.
With two stages remaining in the 2012 Tour of Britain, Tiernan-Locke has a great opportunity to claim his fourth overall victory of the year after triumphs in Tour Alsace, Tour Mediterraneen and Tour du Haut Var.
Tour of Britain: Tiernan-Locke takes overall lead.
LEOPOLD KONIG OF Team NetApp has won the Tour of Britain’s stage six ahead of Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, who took the overall lead.
Tiernan-Locke (Endura Racing) took the leader’s gold jersey from Orica-GreenEDGE’s Leigh Howard, having attacked with 14 kilometres remaining on Friday’s stage.
As the peloton reached Caerphilly Mountain for the first time, Tiernan-Locke took off and was joined by Konig on the second ascent, the pair holding off the peloton through to the finish line.
Konig sat on Tiernan-Locke’s wheel in the closing stages as the 27-year-old Briton powered home in an effort to take the overall lead.
That meant Tiernan-Locke had little energy left for the final sprint of the 180.6km stage from Welshpool to Caerphilly, and Konig won comfortably.
Tiernan-Locke should be unfazed, however, as he has taken a 13-second lead in the general classification.
Howard remains in second position.
In the opening kilometres of stage six, a group of six riders broke away from the peloton to build up a maximum lead of eight minutes, with Orica-GreenEDGE and Endura Racing leading the chase.
The margin was less than a minute as the peloton reached the foot of Caerphilly Mountain and Tiernan-Locke overhauled Graham Briggs, the last remaining breakaway rider, just before the summit of the Welsh peak.
With two stages remaining in the 2012 Tour of Britain, Tiernan-Locke has a great opportunity to claim his fourth overall victory of the year after triumphs in Tour Alsace, Tour Mediterraneen and Tour du Haut Var.
Illness puts Wiggins out of Tour of Britain
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Cycling gold jersey Jonathan Tiernan-Locke Leopold Konig Tour of Britain