Julien Vermote (Etixx-QuickStep) claimed stage victory and the yellow jersey on day two of the Tour of Britain, while Steve Cummings (Dimension Data) signalled his intentions for final overall victory with a powerful display as he took second place on the tough leg to Kendal.
The 167-kilometre stage was run off in wet conditions, as it brought the peloton from Carlise through the rugged terrain of the Lake District, and it was always likely to prove a day for the strongmen.
Vermote was among the survivors of the 15-man break that went up the road early on and stayed out in front for the duration, while Cummings was impressive in forging across to the reduced front group over the top of the day’s principal difficulty, the Struggle.
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Cummings was able to shake loose men of the calibre of Dan Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) and Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) as he soloed across to the five leaders with 14 kilometres remaining, though the group swelled to eight shortly afterwards.
The Briton, however, seemed a man on a mission, and he attacked three times in quick succession on the rolling terrain near Kendal. Cummings' decisive acceleration came on a rise with 12 kilometre remaining, and only Vermote could hold his wheel. "I knew I couldn't give Cummings a metre, I had to follow him," Vermote said of the man who has enjoyed a remarkable four WorldTour wins this season.
With Martin now in the group behind and a punchy uphill finish to come, Vermote had reason not to collaborate, but he contributed enough to keep the move ticking over. The bulk of the heavy lifting, however, was performed by Cummings, whose prodigious efforts saw the duo open a lead of 40 seconds with 5 kilometres remaining.
Watch Tour of Britain stage 2 highlights video
Greipel on the offensive
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