Dylan Groenewegen sprints ahead of Dan McLay to win Tour of Britain stage four
British rider Dan McLay goes close to victory in Builth Wells as LottoNL-Jumbo's Dylan Groenewegen takes the honours - Julien Vermote retains race lead - Photos by Andy Jones


Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) won stage four of the 2016 Tour of Britain in Builth Wells on Wednesday, pipping Dan McLay (Great Britain) to the line.
Ben Swift (Team Sky) placed third on the race's longest stage behind Dutch champion Groenewegen and McLay. It's Groenewegen's second victory on British soil this year, after he won stage one of the Tour de Yorkshire in April.
Julien Vermote (Etixx-QuickStep) finished fifth to safely retain the overall race lead ahead of Steve Cummings (Dimension Data) at six seconds. Swift's bonus seconds for third see him move up to third overall at 1-03.
>>> Tour of Britain 2016: Latest news, reports and info
After a fast start from Denbigh, a break of four riders eventually formed: Miguel Ángel Benito (Caja Rural), Matt Holmes (Madison-Genesis), Rob Partridge (NFTO) and Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani).
Cannondale-Drapac and Sky led the pace of the peloton in pursuit, chipping away at the break's gap. With 56km to go, Tonelli attacked the escape group in one last effort, but was caught 10km later.
After the peloton came back together, several unsuccessful attempts were made by various riders to form a new escape. All were chased down.
Several sprinters got into trouble on an unclassified climb with 30km to go, with Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and Caleb Ewan (Orica-BikeExchange) both distanced from the back of the bunch.
Lotto-Soudal hit the front of the peloton in the final 15km to try and set up stage one winner André Greipel. The Belgian team maintained the high pace making it harder for the dropped riders to regain contact.
Despite their work, Greipel seemed to get caught out by the tight bends leading into the finish straight as LottoNL-Jumbo hit the front, and came home outside the top 10.
LottoNL-Jumbo, however, put their rider in the perfect position for the victory, and as Groenewegen opened up his sprint early with McLay on his wheel, the Brit could simply not come past him.
The 2016 Tour of Britain continues on Thursday with stage five, from Aberdare to Bath over 205km in a day that is billed as one for the sprinters. The race concludes in London on Sunday, September 11.
Results
Tour of Britain 2016, stage four: Denbigh to Builth Wells, 217km
1. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo in 5-28-49
2. Daniel McLay (GBr) Great Britain
3. Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky
4. Carlos Barbero (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
5. Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx-QuickStep
6. Boy van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
7. Luke Mezgec (Slo) Orica-BikeExchange
8. Nicolas Vreecken (Bel) An Post-Chain Reaction
9. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin
10. Diego Rubio (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA all at same time
General classification after stage four
1. Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx-QuickStep in 18-22-04
2. Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data at 6 secs
3. Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky at 1-03
4. Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto-Soudal at 1-03
5. Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx-QuickStep at 1-04
6. Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert at 1-08
7. Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac at 1-12
8. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin at 1-12
9. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert at 1-12
10. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky at 1-16
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
-
Inside the first Global Bike Festival: Road, gravel and mountain biking come together in the Austrian Alps
Cycling Weekly was there to find out why hundreds of people travelled to Austria with their bikes for a weekend
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Should cyclists be worried about skin damage? All you need to know about protecting yourself from harmful rays
As high summer approaches, promising long hours of sun-drenched cycling, here’s what you need to know about the dangers posed by the sun and how to reduce the risk
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard to lead Jumbo-Visma at Tour de France
Full squad announced, with no spot for Rohan Dennis in eight-man team
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Adam Yates out of Tour de Suisse with covid
Brit returns a positive test for coronavirus but the rest of Ineos Grenadiers will race on in Switzerland.
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Van der Poel not targeting green jersey at Tour de France
Jasper Philipsen will be the main sprinter at Alpecin-Fenix
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Jumbo-Visma forced out of the Tour de Suisse due to Covid-19 case
Team says fresh positive will not effect Tour de France selection
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Can anyone stop the Jumbo juggernaut? Five talking points from the Critérium du Dauphiné
Wout van Aert and Primož Roglič are the best at the French race, but the Tour de France is another level up
By Adam Becket • Published
-
From the nadir to glory: Reliving Jumbo-Visma's 2021 Tour de France
Documentary shows how Dutch team lost leader Primož Roglič early on before going on to win four stages and finish on the podium in Paris
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'If even your GC guys who weigh 60 kilos are pulling, you have to finish it off' - No more disappointment for Wout van Aert at Dauphiné
Jumbo-Visma rider took his second stage win in five days in France on Thursday, and stays in race lead
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Wout van Aert sprints to stage five victory at the Critérium du Dauphiné as break caught in final 100 metres
Belgian wins his second stage of race to maintain general classification lead
By Adam Becket • Published