The Lotto Soudal team set up the German national champion ideal, leading Greipel safely through the final corner at the head of the peloton, with Jens Debusschere providing the flawless leadout at the end of the 161-kilometre stage from Glasgow.
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Stage one victor Greipel said: “Really nice to start off with a victory in the Tour of Britain – we reached our goal in the first day and everything else is on top”. We have reached our goal already from the first day.
He will ride in Britain’s biggest professional cycle race – which passes through Powys and has has a stage ending at the Royal Welsh Showground near Builth Wells, for his own Team WIGGINS.
However, Team Dimension Data’s Cavendish was involved in a crash which also included Team Sky’s Olympic omnium champion Elia Viviani in the last kilometre on a tight corner as teams tried to assemble their riders into a position to challenge.
Vermote takes the leader’s jersey from Germany’s Andre Greipel who won stage one on Sunday.
The An Post Chain Reaction rider took the Yodel Sprints jersey from a five-rider breakaway that former early on while the race lapped Glasgow in front of packed crowds throughout the city centre.
A breakaway, containing three British riders, One Pro Cycling’s Williams, JLT Condor’s Moses and NFTO’s Jonathan McEvoy, left the peloton behind at the very start of the day’s riding and soon developed a gap of over three minutes.
Owain Doull, who was also in Britain’s team pursuit squad, will line up alongside him in the Team Wiggins squad.
Highlights of Stage One will be on ITV4 at 8pm with a repeat at 12-noon on Monday 5 September.
Britain’s Chris Latham (Team Wiggins) and Dan McLay finished ninth and 10th respectively while Sir Bradley Wiggins was a distant 111th.
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Stage two begins in Carlisle before finishing in Kendal.
