Groenewegen snags second in Britain final sprint
Dylan Groenewegen sprinted to second in the final stage of the Tour of Britain today in London behind Caleb Ewan (Orica - Bike Exchange). Steven Cummings (Dimension Data) took home the overall trophy ahead of Dennis Rohan (BMC) and Tom Dumoulin (Giant - Alpecin).
The final stage ran on the iconic roads and through the famous squares of London. The riders raced Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. Four men escaped early, but the teams – including LottoNL-Jumbo – had a sprint finish in mind.
Hectic
"It was a very hectic battle with all the sprinters’ teams, especially towards the last kilometre," said Sports Director Merijn Zeeman. "We were good. Dylan sat behind the wheel of Greipel. But when Greipel’s team-mate Jens Debusschere shot away, Greipel left a gap just before the last corner and Dylan jumped behind Van Poppel. He had to close down Debusschere. Caleb Ewan followed him and won in a fair duel."
As a small consolation, Groenewegen won the points jersey in the Tour of Britain.
Satisfied
"It was a hard to stay at the front," Groenewegen said. "A group got off and we controlled the race. Everything went quiet weel at the last corner but I started a little too late for the sprint. I must also confess that I was a little tired. Ewan was simply faster today. I have to be satisfied with this week and now on to the next races. "
Groenewegen closed the Tour of Britain with a victory, the points jersey and a handful of podium places. His next stop is the Eneco Tour, which starts in Bolsward on September 19.