After two days of intense climbing, a flat finish to the 156.4km 16th stage from Alcaniz to Peniscola on Monday offers the overall contenders some potential relief ahead of Tuesday s second rest day.
Advertisement
There was no change at the top in the general classification, with Nairo Quintana maintaining his 3min 37sec lead over the Tour de France champion Chris Froome by finishing with the Briton.
Esteban Chaves of Colombia remains third overall, 20 seconds adrift of Froome.
The 161.5-kilometre stage from the south of Glasgow to Castle Douglas saw a tactical sprint finish won by Greipel, who powered to his fifth Tour of Britain victory in of 3:52.40 ahead of Australia’s Caleb Ewan and the Netherlands’ Ramon Sinkeldam.
German pair Rudiger Selig and Nikias Arndt finished second and third respectively, recording the same time as Drucker, who claimed his first ever win in a Grand Tour.
Daniele Bennati made a dash for the line two kilometers from the finish, and some hesitation in the chasing pack almost allowed the Italian to take the stage before he was swept up in the final few hundred meters.
“I suffered a lot but I was confident today and took my chance”, said Drucker. “It’s nice. It’s cool to have a victory in a Grand Tour”. “The main goal was to win a stage so I have done that and have no stress”.
Quintana had increased his 54-second lead after leading the charge up the last of three ascents on Sunday while Froome and Team Sky struggled to pursue.
Movistar’s Quintana and Tinkoff’s Alberto Contador were among a large group that broke away from the peloton early in the 118.5-kilometre stage.
Advertisement
Wednesday’s 17th stage is back in the mountains for a 177.5-kilometer (110-mile) route that goes inland from Castellon to Llucena.
