Nuyens rates Blaudzun as biggest threat

Although Tour of Britain leader Nick Nuyens (Quick.Step-Innergetic) lost his jersey for less than an hour after the finish of Stage 2 yesterday, successfully appealing his crash that occurred inside the final three kilometres, the 25 year-old Belgian still rates his closest adversary on the overall classification as his biggest threat to claiming overall honours.

"I think [Michael] Blaudzun will be my biggest rival for the overall," Nuyens said of the crafty rider from Team CSC. "He was very strong today, and although the time trial is just four kilometres long, I think he will be good there."

Today's stage [Stage 3] is a carbon copy of last year's stage to Sheffield won by Colombian Mauricio Ardila, who went on to win the race. It's certainly the hardest of this year's Tour of Britain, with four tough climbs lying between the start in Leeds and the finish in the hometown of Malcolm Elliot, former points winner in the Tour of Spain.