Mark Cavendish made it two out of two when he won the Ninth Tour Of Britain Fourth Stage this afternoon.
The crowds were again out in force as the riders signed on in Carlisle ahead of this stage to a wet and very windy Blackpool.
When the flag dropped, six riders broke in Kristian House of Rapha Condor, Dan Craven of Sigma Sport, Niklas Gustavvson of Team UK Youth, David Lelay of Saur Sojasun, Ronan McLaughlin of AnPost and Matt Cronshaw of Node4.
In the rain, their lead over the peloton including race leader Lee Howard and second placed Mark Cavendish went out to 6.50, as the race went through Penrith and Hackthorpe.
Niklas Gustavsson of UK Youth, who was the "virtual race leader" having started the day in 17th place, 17 second behind the race leader, took the first sprint of the day.
Kristian House took the King Of The Mountains climb at Shap Fell and the six points before Cronshaw took the second sprint at Kendall after 66,7kms.
It was back to a third category King Of The Mountains climb at Old Hutton and House took that ahead of McLaughlin, Craven, Gustavsson, Le Lay and Cronshaw, increading his points lead to seventeen.
With 50kms to go, Jeremy Hunt was on the front of the Peloton for Team Sky who were three minutes down on the escapers.
The third Yodel sprint was at Caton after 106kms and it was Matt Cronshaw who won ahead of McLaughlin.
Then we came to the final Skoda King Of The Mountains climb at Quernmore. With a lead of 1.47 and the escapers riding through large puddles of water on the rain, Kristian House took the four points.
Matt Cronshaw attacked with Mclaughlin, Craven and Le Lay with 37kms to go, dropping House and Gustavsson, whilst the peloton fractured with Team Sky in a big group of 27 riders along with the race leader moving off the front.
With 15kms to go, the quartet in front had a lead of 26 seconds but with the riders not having radios, no chance was being taken and the chase to close them down was on.
Ronan McLaughlin went off the front with 12kms to go with Dan Craven trying to catch him. However, less than three kilometres later, they shook hands and were swept up by the front group.
There was sunshine as the race entered Blackpool. Cavendish was in the wheel of Luke Rowe. Garmin tried to come up but Wiggins blocked them and took his turn at the front with a kilometre to go.
There was a bunch sprint. Howard went but it was Mark Cavendish who won for his second win in this tour in a time of 3.51.33 ahead of Vanhoff, Howard and Van Poppel.
Cavendish is now the race leader, six seconds ahead of Howard.
Results in Brief
Stage Four, Carlisle to Blackpool, 156km
1) Mark Cavendish, GBR, Team Sky, 3:51:33
2) Steele Von Hoff, AUS, Garmin - Sharp, same time
3) Leigh Howard, AUS, Orica GreenEDGE, same time
4) Boy Van Poppel, NED, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, same time
5) Daniel Schorn, AUT, Team NetAPP, same time
6) Russell Downing, GBR, Endura Racing, same time
7) Magnus Backstedt, GBR, Team UK Youth, same time
8) Sep Vanmarcke, BEL, Garmin - Sharp, same time
9) Rony Martias, FRA, Saur Sojasun, same time
10) Luke Rowe, GBR, Team Sky, same time
11) Peter Williams, GBR, Node4 - Giordana Racing, same time
12) Damiano Caruso, ITA, Liquigas - Cannondale, same time
13) Nathan Haas, AUS, Garmin - Sharp, same time
14) Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, GBR, Endura Racing, same time
15) Yanto Barker, GBR, Team UK Youth, same time
16) Brett Lancaster, AUS, Orica GreenEDGE, same time
17) Christopher Jones, USA, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, same time
18) Christian Knees, GER, Team Sky, same time
19) Bartosz Huzarski, POL, Team NetApp, same time
20) Zak Dempster, AUS, Endura Racing, + 0.09
Rouleur Combativity Award: Ronan McLaughlin, AN Post Sean Kelly
IG Gold Jersey, General Classification, after Stage Four
1) Mark Cavendish, GBR, Team Sky, 17:07:51
2) Leigh Howard, AUS, Orica GreenEDGE, + 0.06
3) Boy Van Poppel, NED, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, + 0.14
4) Luke Rowe, GBR, Team Sky, same time
5) Rony Martias, FRA, Saur Sojasun, + 0.20
6) Steele Von Hoff, AUS, Garmin - Sharp, same time
7) Russ Downing, GBR, Endura Racing, + 0.22
8) Sep Vanmarcke, BEL, Garmin - Sharp, + 0.26
9) Nathan Haas, AUS, Garmin - Sharp, same time
10) Yanto Barker, GBR, Team UK Youth, + 0.27
11) Christian Knees, GER, Team Sky, same time
12) Jonathan Tiernan Locke, GBR, Endura Racing, same time
13) Christopher Jones, USA, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, same time
14) Damiano Caruso, ITA, Liquigas - Cannondale, same time
15) Brett Lancaster, AUS, Orica GreenEDGE, same time
16) Zak Dempster, AUS, Endura Racing, + 0.36
17) Bradley Wiggins, GBR, Team Sky, same time
18) Magnus Backstedt, SWE, Team UK Youth, + 0.43
19) Daniel Schorn, AUT, Team NetApp, + 1.00
20) David Lelay, FRA, Saur Sojasun, + 2:05
Chain Reaction Cycles Points Classification, after Stage Four
1) Boy Van Poppel, NED, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, 48pts
2) Mark Cavendish, GBR, Team Sky, 44pts
3) Russell Downing, GBR, Endura Racing, 44pts
4) Leigh Howard, AUS, Orica GreenEDGE, 42pts
5) Luke Rowe, GBR, Team Sky, 39pts
SKODA King of the Mountains Classification, after Stage Four
1) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor, 62pts
2) Pablo Urtasun, SPA, Euskaltel - Euskadi, 41pts
3) Richard Handley, GBR, Rapha Condor, 32pts
4) Peter Williams, GBR, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 32pts
5) Russell Hampton, GBR, Team Raleigh - GAC, 28pts
Yodel Sprints Classification, after Stage Four
1) Peter Williams, GBR, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 27pts
2) Matt Cronshaw, GBR, Node4 - Giordana Racing, 13pts
3) Rony Martias, FRA, Saur Sojasun, 12pts
4) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor, 10pts
5) Niklas Gustavsson, SWE, Team UK Youth, 8pts
Team General Classification, after Stage Four
1) Garmin - Sharp, USA, 51:24:12
2) Team Sky, GBR, + 0.02
3) Endura Racing, GBR, + 0.11
4) Team UK Youth, GBR, + 3.40
5) Saur Sojasun, FRA, + 3.49
Quotes - Mark Cavendish, Stage Four winner and IG Gold Jersey (Race Leader)
On Stage Four, and taking the IG Gold Jersey…
“I won’t win it, I’ll lose it tomorrow. But hopefully we’ll win it with the team – we’ve a really strong team.
“It’s difficult with only six riders so you have to rely on the other teams and try and collaborate. We’ve got options but we’re really having a good time and enjoying riding together.
"We didn’t try and split it to do anything on the GC, we were just having a bit of fun really. It makes the group a bit smaller for the sprint as well. It’s still early in the race and I still have fresh legs so it’s nice for the sprint and just makes it a little bit safer.”
On the weather…
“It’s good, I am used to it. Nobody enjoys it but I kind of adapt to it so it doesn’t bother me.”