Steve Williams tightened his grip on the Tour of Britain on the uphill finish in Barnsley, extending his lead with a 10sec time bonus by winning stage three. It was a second stage win in two days for Williams at the end of a pulsating four hours of racing across Yorkshire. It was far from plain sailing, however, with first Julian Alaphilippe and then Louis Sutton giving the Welshman and his Israel-Premier Tech team a torrid time.
On a murky day, with the cloud hanging low over the hills on the edge of the Peak District, Alaphilippe was on the offensive immediately, spending the first 70km out front in a four-rider group. The Frenchman had started the stage in third, just 16sec behind Williams, so the Welshman’s team were forced to chase hard to keep him within reach.
