Gregoire Leads Tour Of Britain After Fourth Stage Win

2 days ago

Romain Gregoire celebrates arsenic he crosses nan statement successful first place

Timothy Abraham

BBC Sport Journalist

France's Romain Gregoire won nan 4th shape of nan Tour of Britain to move apical of nan wide classification.

The 22-year-old Groupama-Fdj rider edged retired compatriot Julian Alaphilippe, who he overtook connected nan 100m uphill decorativeness successful nan 186.9km shape past managed to support his chemoreceptor successful front.

Gregoire crossed nan statement successful 4 hours six minutes and 18 seconds, up of second-placed Alaphilippe pinch Italy's Edoardo Zambanini successful third.

Britain's Sam Watson had been successful nan lead pinch half a kilometre to spell successful nan longest shape of nan tour, from Atherstone to Burton Dassett Hills Country Park, but was outpaced by Alaphilippe and Gregoire and yet vanished 15th.

Gregoire is now 2 seconds clear astatine nan apical of nan wide standings, pinch Britain's Matthew Brennan successful second, and does not scheme to springiness nan greenish jersey up easy pinch 2 stages of nan title left.

"When you person a jersey for illustration this you person nan information to conflict for it and that's what I'm going to do," Gregoire said.

"The ambiance successful nan last climb was really good, really happy to triumph successful beforehand of nan British crowd. It was a really large accomplishment for me."

Saturday's fifth, and penultimate, takes spot successful Wales pinch a 138.73km way from Pontypool to The Tumble.