Britain may still be awaiting its first stage winner at the Tour de Yorkshire after the two editions of the race, but there was little doubt that lots of the fans watching the final day into Scarborough got the winner they wanted in the shape of France's Thomas Voeckler.
Having received the acclaim of the crowds packed onto the natural amphitheatre formed by the grassy banks alongside the finishing straight in Scarborough, Voeckler reflected on his popularity and how he boosted it still further by finishing on the top step of the podium.
He revealed he had first become aware of his popularity among British fans during last year's race in Yorkshire. "It almost made me feel a little uneasy because sometimes I was getting more encouragement than the British riders. I was really keen to get back here for that reason," he confessed.
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"I'm quite a popular rider in lots of places, but I was absolutely amazed with the support I had here. It was like being on a Tour de France stage in my home region of the Vendée. I'm not saying that for effect. It's the honest truth. To be in another country and hear children shouting my name and seeing banners encouraging me along the road was really touching, and it's the first time I've really experienced that in 16 years as a pro."
Voeckler wasn't revealing any trade secrets when he said that his initial look at the road book suggested the race would be decided on the final day. More interesting, though, was the 36-year-old Direct Énergie rider's approach to this key stage.
"Add in the weather, with the wind and rain, and the element of risk that added, as well as the way those elements increase the tension, and it was certainly a difficult stage to control," said Voeckler. "If I'd been on the Sky team today I'm fairly sure that I wouldn't have won. Their team was very strong, but it's very difficult to control things on a course like that.
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