- Jumbo-Visma leader sees off Julian Alaphilippe in uphill sprint
- Nils Eekhoff of Team DSM takes second place in Cornwall
Bodmin, Paris and Tokyo have shared at least one experience this summer: the Wout van Aert juggernaut has rolled into town and made a lasting impression. Six weeks after taking the Olympic silver medal in the Olympic road race in Tokyo, and seven after taking the final stage of the Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées, the Belgian national champion made straightforward work of winning stage one of the Tour of Britain to take the initial race lead. His post-Olympic break has clearly not affected his appetite or dulled his finishing speed.
Van Aert’s last five races have produced three wins – he also took the Tour’s penultimate stage, a time trial – that Olympic medal, and sixth place in the Olympic time trial. He currently sits on nine victories for the year, but few would bet against him adding at least one or two more before the British Tour hits Aberdeen next Sunday. And with a fair wind, he will start as favourite to win the world championship in his native Belgium towards the end of the month.