It doesn’t get much better for a race when the World Champion crosses the line first and that is what happened on stage 4 into Caerphilly as Thor Hushovd got the better of Lars Boom.
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The day started and finished in a castle within Wales and the route for the race was expected to blow the field apart as it crossed the Brecon Beacons and then Caerphilly Mountain at the end. There was certainly a longer more sustain period of attacking at the start with teams such AN Post, Rapha, Endura Racing and Sky all giving it a good go to make the break.
Finally though, Jack Bauer of Endura Racing was the one who succeeded in igniting the race good and proper as he escaped with Pieter Ghyllebert who has been one of a few riders who have really made this race so far. The leader of the Sprints classification drove the break hard and Rapha’s Kristian House joined them to make three really strong riders out front.
The Photo Album – 200 plus pictures of all the action in today’s stage
The shutters went down in the bunch as Theo Bos of Rabobank, went to the front and rode tempo as the trio out front snaffled up points in the Sprint and KoM competition. There was a long period of not a lot happening as the bunch was happy to ride along prior to the first category climb in the Brecon mountains. This was where the race was expected to blow apart but the wind had lost its puff and the gradual wide open roads of this mountain failed to trouble the majority of the riders despite the attacking from teams such as Sky, Leopard Trek, Garmin and Sigma sport Specialized.
With that, Rabobank took over the pace making again and it was going to be down to the final mountain in Caerphilly to settle the stage. The break who had managed to hold off the bunch for longer than the chasers expected got to the mountain as the peloton did and it was a free for all up the steep but not hugely difficult climb.
It was of course packed with people and Rapha’s Jon Locke yet again showed what a great little climber he is as he topped the mountain from the main who had tamed Contador earlier in the year, Steve Cummings. Riders from Nett App were coming into their own and Thomas de Gent was also showing he had good legs. Endura Racing’s Iker Camano was in the top 10 and Lars Boom was also in touch with the leader as was Thor Hushovd.
One the steepish but fast descent on wide open roads, the World Champion made up any lost ground as did Boom and company and in the sprint for the line, Hushovd provided the sight of the race so far, the World Champion crossing the line arms aloft. It had been a different outcome to the race than was expected but was still the most exciting stage by far, very exciting indeed.
Afterwards in a whistle stop press conference, Lars Boom said “I’m a little bit disappointed that I got second behind Hushovd but he’s a good winner of course.â€
“The team was strong today and did their job. We let a breakaway of three guys go and gave them five or six minutes so Sky had to try to chase the win for Thomas, so that was the main goal and I think we succeeded in that. We controlled the race.”
Photo Report
Thanks to Graham Harper (Welsh NEG) for helping in getting these images)
Lars Boom, in Gold for another day after a strong performance in the mountains of Wales.
Cav, Lars and Russell roll out of Welshpool and the castle used for the stage start.
Great crowds in Welshpool welcome the riders in the 2011 Tour of Britain
First attacker of the day was Paul Voss of Endura Racing
Pieter Ghyllebert leads Jack Bauer (Endura Racing) in the key move of the day with Kristian House bridging the gap in the background.
On the Cat 1 climb of the day and Russell Hampton attacks the peloton to get some points in the KoM competition.
Despite Team Sky putting the hammer down on the climbs and across the moors, and attacks from other teams as well, the peloton crossed the area intact.
Jon Locke is first to the top of Caerphilly mountain chased by Steve Cummings.
Lars Boom and Geraint Thomas go head to head up Caerphilly mountain behind Jon Locke.
Thor Hushovd, world champion, battles the sprint up Caerphilly Mountain and goes on to win the stage.
Bernie Eisel injects some humour into the race, stopping, getting off his bike and clapping some riders through, this one being Mark Renshaw.
Mark Cavendish battles the gradient of Caerphilly Mountain.
The riders had a picturesque and relaxing area to sit down in before lining up for the race.
With Caerphilly Castle in the background, Lars Boom is presented to the crowd in the Gold jersey.
Live Pictures (89 photos from the day with the riders in the race)
(If the slideshow is not visible in your browser, click here to view them on Flickr)
Results
Stage Four, Powis Castle, Welshpool to Caerphilly
1   Thor Hushovd   Team Garmin – Cervelo      4h 32′ 22”
2   Lars Boom   Rabobank      st
3   Cesare Benedetti   Team NetApp      st
4   Ian Bibby   Motorpoint      st
5   Boy Van Poppel   UnitedHealthcare      st
6   Jan Barta   Team NetApp      st
7   Stijn Neirynck   Topsport Vlaanderen      st
8   Leopold Koenig   Team NetApp      st
9   Iker Camano   Endura Racing      st
10   Linus Gerdemann   Leopard Trek      st
11   Geraint Thomas   Sky ProCycling      st
12   Daniel Lloyd   Team Garmin – Cervelo      st
13   Thomas De Gendt   Vacansoleil – DCM      st
14   Bartosz Huzarski   Team NetApp      st
15Â Â Â Jan-Bert Lindeman**Â Â Â Vacansoleil – DCMÂ Â Â Â Â Â st
16   Stephen Cummings   Sky ProCycling      st
17   Jonathan Tiernan Locke   Rapha Condor – Sharp      st
18   Franck Bouyer   Team Europcar      st
19   Jelle Wallays**   Topsport Vlaanderen      st
20   Bram Tankink   Rabobank      st
21   Dan Fleeman   Team Raleigh      st
22   Lars Bak   HTC Highroad      st
23   Julian Dean   Team Garmin – Cervelo   at   0′ 6”
24   Rory Sutherland   UnitedHealthcare      st
25   Kenny De Ketele   Topsport Vlaanderen   at   0′ 20”
26   Joost Posthuma   Leopard Trek      st
27   Preben Van Hecke   Topsport Vlaanderen      st
28   Jack Bauer   Endura Racing      st
29   Jonathan McEvoy**   Motorpoint      st
30   Dominic Klemme   Leopard Trek      st
31   Simon Richardson   Sigma Sport-Specialized      st
32   Paul Voss   Endura Racing      st
33   Alexandre Pichot   Team Europcar      st
34   Andrew Fenn**   An Post – Sean Kelly      st
35   Russell Hampton   Sigma Sport-Specialized      st
36   Liam Holohan   Team Raleigh      st
37   Rene Mandri   Endura Racing      st
38   Gabriel Rasch   Team Garmin – Cervelo      st
39   Gael Le Bellec   Team Raleigh      st
40   Anthony Charteau   Team Europcar      st
41   Michael Rogers   Sky ProCycling      st
42   Ronan McLaughlin   An Post – Sean Kelly      st
43   Dan Craven   Rapha Condor – Sharp      st
44   Mark Cavendish   HTC Highroad   at   0′ 31”
45   Marcin Bialoblocki   Motorpoint      st
46   Mark McNally**   An Post – Sean Kelly      st
47   Wouter Sybrandy   Sigma Sport-Specialized      st
48   Zak Dempster   Rapha Condor – Sharp      st
49   Lieuwe Westra   Vacansoleil – DCM      st
50   Chris Jones   UnitedHealthcare      st
51   Steve Lampier   Sigma Sport-Specialized      st
52   Richard Handley**   Team Raleigh   at   0′ 37”
53   Alex Wetterall   Endura Racing   at   1′ 17”
54Â Â Â Willem Wauters**Â Â Â Vacansoleil – DCMÂ Â Â Â Â Â st
55   Gediminas Bagdonas   An Post – Sean Kelly      st
56   James Sampson   Motorpoint      st
57   Tom Murray   Sigma Sport-Specialized      st
58   Mark Renshaw   HTC Highroad      st
59   Yohann Gene   Team Europcar      st
60   Michael Matthews**   Rabobank      st
61   Will Clarke   Leopard Trek      st
62   Giacomo Nizzolo**   Leopard Trek      st
63   Tom Last   Sigma Sport-Specialized      st
64   Roger Hammond   Team Garmin – Cervelo      st
65   Andreas Dietziker   Team NetApp      st
66   Ian Wilkinson   Endura Racing   at   2′ 11”
67   Mathieu Claude   Team Europcar      st
68   Tobyn Horton   Motorpoint      st
69   Jamie Sparling   Team Raleigh      st
70   Dominique Cornu   Topsport Vlaanderen      st
71   Daniel Schorn   Team NetApp      st
72   Peter Williams   Motorpoint      st
73   Stijn Joseph   Topsport Vlaanderen      st
74   Matt Brammeier   HTC Highroad      st
75   Andy Tennant   Rapha Condor – Sharp   at   3′ 2”
76   Karl Menzies   UnitedHealthcare   at   3′ 12”
77   Robert Förster   UnitedHealthcare      st
78   Mathew Hayman   Sky ProCycling   at   3′ 32”
79   Alex Dowsett   Sky ProCycling      st
80   Alex Rasmussen   HTC Highroad      st
81   Bernhard Eisel   HTC Highroad   at   3′ 35”
82   Ben Swift   Sky ProCycling      st
83   Damien Gaudin   Team Europcar      st
84   Kristian House   Rapha Condor – Sharp      st
85   Mark Cassidy   An Post – Sean Kelly      st
86   Jeroen Janssen   Team Raleigh   at   4′ 25”
87   Pieter Ghyllebert   An Post – Sean Kelly   at   4′ 27”
88   Rik Flens   Rabobank      st
89   Coen Vermeltfoort   Rabobank      st
90   Jonathan Clarke   UnitedHealthcare      st
91   Graham Briggs   Rapha Condor – Sharp   at   4′ 58”
Combativity Award: Kristian House (GB, Rapha Condor Sharp)
Overall General Classification, after Stage Four
1 Lars Boom   Rabobank      12h 36′ 51”
2   Geraint Thomas   Sky ProCycling   at   0′ 12”
3   Boy Van Poppel   UnitedHealthcare   at   0′ 14”
4   Ian Bibby   Motorpoint   at   0′ 19”
5   Linus Gerdemann   Leopard Trek      st
6   Daniel Lloyd   Team Garmin – Cervelo      st
7   Stephen Cummings   Sky ProCycling      st
8Â Â Â Jan-Bert Lindeman**Â Â Â Vacansoleil – DCMÂ Â Â Â Â Â st
9   Jan Barta   Team NetApp      st
10   Jelle Wallays**   Topsport Vlaanderen      st
11   Bram Tankink   Rabobank      st
12   Leopold Koenig   Team NetApp      st
13   Jonathan Tiernan Locke   Rapha Condor – Sharp      st
14   Andrew Fenn**   An Post – Sean Kelly   at   0′ 34”
15   Rory Sutherland   UnitedHealthcare   at   0′ 37”
16   Iker Camano   Endura Racing      st
17   Joost Posthuma   Leopard Trek   at   0′ 39”
18   Dominic Klemme   Leopard Trek      st
19   Mark Cavendish   HTC Highroad   at   0′ 40”
20   Michael Rogers   Sky ProCycling   at   0′ 46”
21   Dan Craven   Rapha Condor – Sharp   at   0′ 48”
22   Russell Hampton   Sigma Sport-Specialized   at   1′ 5”
23   Michael Matthews**   Rabobank   at   1′ 30”
24   Lars Bak   HTC Highroad   at   2′ 46”
25   Ben Swift   Sky ProCycling   at   4′ 6”
26   Stijn Neirynck   Topsport Vlaanderen   at   4′ 16”
27   Mathew Hayman   Sky ProCycling      st
28   Thomas De Gendt   Vacansoleil – DCM   at   4′ 18”
29   Alex Dowsett   Sky ProCycling   at   4′ 45”
30   Willem Wauters**   Vacansoleil – DCM   at   6′ 0”
31   Bernhard Eisel   HTC Highroad   at   6′ 10”
32   Anthony Charteau   Team Europcar   at   6′ 20”
33   Kristian House   Rapha Condor – Sharp   at   7′ 50”
34   Thor Hushovd   Team Garmin – Cervelo   at   7′ 54”
35   Bartosz Huzarski   Team NetApp   at   8′ 4”
36   Dan Fleeman   Team Raleigh      st
37   Julian Dean   Team Garmin – Cervelo   at   8′ 10”
38   Jack Bauer   Endura Racing   at   8′ 18”
39   Jonathan McEvoy**   Motorpoint   at   8′ 24”
40   Simon Richardson   Sigma Sport-Specialized      st
41   Alexandre Pichot   Team Europcar      st
42   Liam Holohan   Team Raleigh      st
43   Paul Voss   Endura Racing      st
44   Gabriel Rasch   Team Garmin – Cervelo      st
45   Rene Mandri   Endura Racing      st
46   Mark McNally**   An Post – Sean Kelly   at   8′ 35”
47   Chris Jones   UnitedHealthcare      st
48   Zak Dempster   Rapha Condor – Sharp      st
49   Lieuwe Westra   Vacansoleil – DCM      st
50   Gael Le Bellec   Team Raleigh   at   8′ 57”
51   Marcin Bialoblocki   Motorpoint   at   9′ 0”
52   Roger Hammond   Team Garmin – Cervelo   at   9′ 21”
53   Gediminas Bagdonas   An Post – Sean Kelly      st
54   Tobyn Horton   Motorpoint   at   10′ 15”
55   Giacomo Nizzolo**   Leopard Trek   at   10′ 23”
56   Tom Murray   Sigma Sport-Specialized   at   10′ 25”
57   Andy Tennant   Rapha Condor – Sharp   at   11′ 6”
58   Robert Förster   UnitedHealthcare   at   11′ 16”
59   Dominique Cornu   Topsport Vlaanderen   at   11′ 19”
60   Karl Menzies   UnitedHealthcare   at   11′ 49”
61   Cesare Benedetti   Team NetApp   at   12′ 27”
62   Franck Bouyer   Team Europcar   at   12′ 31”
63   Coen Vermeltfoort   Rabobank      st
64   Pieter Ghyllebert   An Post – Sean Kelly   at   12′ 38”
65   Ronan McLaughlin   An Post – Sean Kelly   at   12′ 51”
66   Rik Flens   Rabobank   at   12′ 56”
67   Wouter Sybrandy   Sigma Sport-Specialized   at   13′ 2”
68   Richard Handley**   Team Raleigh   at   13′ 8”
69   Steve Lampier   Sigma Sport-Specialized   at   13′ 29”
70   Mark Renshaw   HTC Highroad   at   13′ 42”
71   Alex Wetterall   Endura Racing   at   13′ 48”
72   Andreas Dietziker   Team NetApp      st
73   Kenny De Ketele   Topsport Vlaanderen   at   13′ 55”
74   Preben Van Hecke   Topsport Vlaanderen      st
75   Will Clarke   Leopard Trek   at   14′ 6”
76   Yohann Gene   Team Europcar   at   14′ 13”
77   James Sampson   Motorpoint   at   14′ 21”
78   Tom Last   Sigma Sport-Specialized      st
79   Peter Williams   Motorpoint   at   14′ 41”
80   Ian Wilkinson   Endura Racing   at   14′ 42”
81   Stijn Joseph   Topsport Vlaanderen      st
82   Daniel Schorn   Team NetApp      st
83   Mathieu Claude   Team Europcar      st
84   Matt Brammeier   HTC Highroad   at   15′ 3”
85   Jamie Sparling   Team Raleigh   at   15′ 7”
86   Alex Rasmussen   HTC Highroad   at   16′ 3”
87   Damien Gaudin   Team Europcar   at   16′ 6”
88   Mark Cassidy   An Post – Sean Kelly   at   16′ 27”
89   Graham Briggs   Rapha Condor – Sharp   at   17′ 29”
90   Jeroen Janssen   Team Raleigh      st
91   Jonathan Clarke   UnitedHealthcare   at   18′ 2”
The Prostate Cancer Charity Points Classification, after Stage Four
1. Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank. 37pts
2. Geraint Thomas (GB, Sky Procycling. 29pts
3. Mark Cavendish (GB, HTC Highroad. 26pts
4. Ian Bibby (GB, Motorpoint. 25pts
5. Thor Hushovd (Nor, Garmin Cervelo. 15pts
6. Michael Matthews (Aus, Rabobank. 14pts
7. Mark Renshaw (Aus, HTC Highroad. 14pts
8. Linus Gerdemann (Ger, Leopard Trek. 13pts
9. Cesare Benedetti (Ita, Team NetApp. 13pts
10. Steve Cummings (GB, Sky Procycling. 12pts
Skoda King of the Mountains Classification, after Stage Four
1. Russell Hampton (GB, Sigma Sport – Specialized. 39pts
2. Jonathan Tiernan Locke (GB, Rapha Condor Sharp. 32pts
3. Steve Cummings (GB, Sky Procycling. 21pts
4. Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel, AN Post. 19pts
5. Jack Bauer (NZ, Endura Racing. 14pts
Yodel Sprints Classification, after Stage Four
1. Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel, AN Post. 32pts
2. Russell Hampton (GB, Sigma Sport – Specialized. 13pts
3. Andrew Fenn (GB, AN Post. 10pts
4. Jack Bauer (NZ, Endura Racing. 9pts
5. Boy Van Poppel (Ned, UnitedHealthcare. 8pts
UNISON Best Young Rider Classification, after Stage Four
1. Jan-Bert Lindemann (Ned, Vacansoleil DCM. 12h 37m 10s
2. Jelle Wallays (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen. same time
3. Andrew Fenn (GB, AN Post. @ 0.15
4. Michael Matthews (Aus, Rabobank. @ 1.11
5. Willem Wauters (Bel, Vacansoleil DCM. @ 5.41
Live Updates
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2011 Tour of Britain – Stage by Stage
1. Peebles to Dumfries, 170km (Sunday September 11)
2. Kendal to Blackpool, 138km (Monday September 12)
3. Stoke-on-Trent to Trentham Gardens, 140km (Tuesday September 13)
4. Welshpool to Caerphilly, 180km (Wednesday September 14)
5. Exeter to Exmouth, 180km (Thursday September 15)
6. Taunton to Wells, 146km (Friday September 16)
7. Bury St Edmunds to Sandringham, 200km (Saturday September 17)
8a. London 9km individual time trial (Sunday September 18)
8b. London 90km criterium (Sunday September 18)
Rider List
Coming ….
