Stevie Williams powered to a second consecutive stage victory in the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain on Thursday, taking the win in Barnsley after a challenging day in the saddle. The Welsh rider’s win extends his overall lead to 16 seconds, as he held off strong competition from Paul Magnier and Edoardo Zambanini in a wet and tough final sprint.
Williams’ team, Israel-Premier Tech, faced early pressure as attacks began just 5km into the 166km stage across South Yorkshire. Local rider Ben Swift launched the first move, joined by Julian Alaphilippe and Jake Stewart. Their breakaway was quickly pulled back, but Alaphilippe remained a threat, sitting third on the general classification at the start of the day.
Speaking about the relentless action, Williams said, “It was a really hard day, really demanding. The team were unbelievable, exceptional. I did the last kilometre, but they did the four hours before it. Everyone had to attack us, and a group did get away, but we got it back under control.”
With less than 120km to go, another group of eight riders, including Britain’s Louis Sutton, formed and started to pose a real danger to Williams’ GC lead. Sutton, who crashed earlier in the stage, showed impressive determination as the group gained nearly a minute on the peloton, putting him in the virtual leader’s jersey. Israel – Premier Tech responded, and with a big effort from Ethan Vernon, the gap was reduced, and the group reeled back in.
Remco Evenepoel and Alaphilippe were both dropped as the day’s pace began to take its toll, while Tobias Foss and Jonas Abrahamsen tried their luck from a late break, only to be caught inside the final 6km. Tom Pidcock made a move on the last climb with less than 5km to go, but Williams was ready, positioning himself perfectly for the final sprint.
The decisive moment came in the last 700m as the road kicked up. Williams surged to the front, securing his second win in as many days. Reflecting on the team’s performance, Williams said, “The boys did an exceptional job all day. We knew it would be aggressive, and it was hectic. But we got the breakaway back, and they set it up perfectly for me.”
Oscar Onley also featured prominently, finishing fifth after following an attack from Pidcock. “The race was full on from the start today, which suited me well,” Onley commented after the stage. “I struggled with positioning a bit on the run-in, which cost me a shot at the podium.”
As the race heads into the East Midlands for stage four on 6th September, Williams now leads both the general classification and points standings, while Onley holds the best young rider jersey. Callum Thornley retains the King of the Mountains jersey after another day of aggressive riding.
2024 Tour of Britain Stage 3 result
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Main photo credit: Pete Goding/SprintCyclingAgency
