Tour of Britain 2013: Stage 7

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January 1 - September 22, Epsom, Britain, Road - 2.1

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Hello and welcome to live coverage from the Tour of Britain.

Today is stage 7 from Epsom To Guildford, 155km of racing with Bradley Wiggins still leading the race.

Here's where we stand in the GC with two stages remaining:

 

1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 24:10:56
2 Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:00:32
3 Simon Yates (GBr) Great Britain 0:01:06
4 David Lopez Garcia (Spa) Sky Procycling 0:01:08
5 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) MTN-Qhubeka 0:01:16
6 Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin-Sharp 0:01:19
7 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:01:34
8 Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:01:36
9 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:01:42
10 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team 0:01:56

We currently have four riders up the road and they've been away for most of the stage:

House of course was on the attack yesterday, and on stage 2 in fact. This is the first time we've seen Euser in a move though, and the break have roughly three minutes on the bunch.

Mark Cavendish won in Guildford last year and will be looking for his second stage in the race.

Madrazo, he's not in the break today. He's wrapped up the KOM jersey already.

In the peloton Sky and Omega are both on the front setting the pace. They've already lined the peloton out.

Williams has picked up another 5 points in the sprints competition. He could still  challenge for that jersey, but Madrazo still holds the lead and could well go on the attack tomorrow. House, he's moved up to second in the KOM.

Liquigas, they've also moved up towards the front of the peloton. They'll be looking to help Viviani in today's sprint. He's perhaps Cavendish's biggest rival in the race but don't rule out Ciolek, who has already picked up a stage win in the race.

74km remaining from 150km

74km to go and the four leaders are working nicely together. Euser drops back to the team car to pick some information. The American, 29, turned pro with Garmin back in 09. It never quite worked out for him there, he had huge crash during his second year on the team but he seems to have settled with Mike Tamayo's team. He was recently fourth in the Tour of Utah and with Deignan off to Sky, Euser will be handed more responsibility next season.

The lead to the break has dropped, it's down to 2'20 now with 73km to go until the finish.

Cannondale and QuickStep trains share a few words on the front. They'll be aware of the time gaps and they'll be keeping the break pegged at 2 minutes from here on in. As Dan Martin and Heinrich Haussler, two former teammates,  chat at the back of the field.

A couple of the Great Britain team have moved  up towards the front too. Possibly to set up Yates for the finish in Guildford, as out ahead the lead to the four leaders is at 2'15.

Shane Archbold (An Post-Chainreaction) is currently at the back of the pack. The track specialist who represents New Zealand is talking to Sam Bennett, already a stage winner in this year's race. The gap to the leaders as dipped under the two minute mark, it's at 1'55.

Cavendish is riding at the back of the Sky train at the moment as Peter Sagan's younger brother sets the pace for the Cannondale team.

Madrazo has turned to bottle duty today and hands Alex Dowsett a fresh bidon.

45km remaining from 150km

The four leaders, not even on a categorised climb but the fans are out in force to cheer them on. 45km to go and the gap is at 1'57.

Cannondale, Omega and GB all on the front on the same climb the leaders just crested.

Daniel Martin, having attacked earlier in the stage, is just at the back of the bunch. He's of course here after crashing out the Vuelta. He needed miles in his legs ahead of the Worlds, where he'll aim to be just the second Irishman to claim the elite men's rainbow jersey.

Back up to two minutes. The twisting roads have given the break a chance to extend their lead, even buy just a handful of seconds.

Euser spots that there's a wedding by the side of the road and attempts to photobomb the bride and groom as they have their photo taken. Unfortunately for the American there's no points available for such a move.

Back in the bunch and Omega gather their troops right at the front. It's Velits who is at the front , having been in the break during yesterday's stage 6.

Wiggins sits on Eisel's wheel. A day in which Wiggins really just needs to keep out of trouble. He has a decent enough buffer in the overall with two days remaining and looks on course to pick up his first win the Tour of Britain.

Earlier today, we uploaded a report on Ian Stannard's Pinarello, you can read it, see the pictures, right here.

The Worlds start tomorrow with the team TT. We've spoken to Garmin ahead of their outing. A swansong for some of the riders in the team perhaps...

30km remaining from 150km

30km to go now and Euser on the front of the four man move with House coming through to take his turn.  The pace is hotting up but and the gap is down to 1'34.

25km remaining from 150km

1;25 is the advantage for the field as the sprinters' teams begin to flex their muscles on the front of the peloton., They'll leave the four riders dangling out there for a few more kms before swooping in for the catch inside the final 10km.

22km remaining from 150km

The four leaders are still working hard, they had a lead of over three minutes at one point but in truth the peloton have been in control throughout the stage. 22km to and the gap is at 1'20.

Euser again back with the team car, this time picking up a bottle. The gap is down to 1 minute now.

Cavendish is sitting in around 10th wheel, sitting at the back of the Omega train. But it's Cannondale on the front at the moment.

IAM Cycling are moving up as well. It's going to be another hotly contested sprint.

Wiggins sits on Cavendish's wheel as the peloton reach the 16km to go point, just 47 seconds between them and the leaders.

Long, exposed dual carriageways so it's advantage  peloton as we approach the run into Guildford.

Part of The Omen (the original) was filmed in Guildford by the way, as the break have now started attacking each other.

14km remaining from 150km

He's up against it, perhaps not attacking at the best moment and the peloton should bring him back in the next few hundred meters.

Euser has now attacked from the break but he's been brought back as we have just 10km to go.

Rodger has been caught and the leaders have 20 seconds as Euser tries to go again.

Atkins from the GB team tries his luck but he's not allowed more than a few meters and he's brought back almost instantly.

Cavendish as Viviani on his wheel.

It's a tough sprint this but Omega have taken over at the front.

Petacchi is up there for Cavendish, Modolo is also there.

The peloton have the four leaders in their sights.

Willlams attacks but Euser chases him down.

The four leaders have sat up.

6km remaining from 150km

6km to go and it's all together.

Haussler is up there as well, but he'll have his hands full with Cavendish, Viviani and Modolo. No sign of Ciolek yet.

Dowsett comes to the front and puts in a little dig. It's not worked and they're all  together again.

Cavendish is in 6th wheel as the pace increases once again.

There's Ciolek but he's isolated and without any teammates at the moment.

Less than 2km to go.

Omega move up but Cavendish has just two men left, one of them Petacchi.

1km to go.

Petacchi has to go from 850.

He's caused a split.

Cavendish has to go

Cavendish takes it. Viviani was closing on him quickly but he ran out of gas. Will there be a protest from Cannodale? Cavendish seemed to move off his line in the closing few meters. Viviani did have room though.

Cavendish celebrates with his teammates. It looked like he was isolated at the finish but Petacchi took a huge turn on the front before they reached the final few hundred.

Viviani had to come back from a long way. Then Cavendish sees him and starts to move over on the road. Viviana has plenty of room in the end but he simply doesn't have the legs in the end.

Ciolek takes third and Blaz fourth.

1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 3:46:57
2 Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:00:00
3 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN-Qhubeka 0:00:00
4 Blaz Jarc (Slo) Team NetApp-Endura 0:00:00
5 Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin-Sharp 0:00:00
6 Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) IAM Cycling 0:00:00
7 Chris Opie (GBr) Team UK Youth 0:00:00
8 Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:00:00
9 Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:00:00
10 Sam Bennett (Irl) An Post-Chainreaction 0:00:00

Thanks for joining us today. You can find our report, images and results, right here.

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