On 5 September some of the world’s top male cyclists – including Olympic and World Champions, and Tour de France winners – sped through Marton in glorious sunshine on the fourth stage of the Ovo Energy Tour.
On the way from Nuneaton to Leamington (on a north, south, north route via Chipping Camden) the cyclists were heading towards the end of a punishing 183.5km day, the second longest stage in the 8-day race. Residents put out bunting and flags to make the competitors feel welcome for the first time the male tour has included a Warwickshire section.
Large groups of residents and enthusiasts, who travelled here especially for the race, cheered encouragement as they raced on by at speeds of around 40km/h. Others may have been cursing their luck of being stuck behind the main road closure, which at least only lasted about 15 minutes. This was to accommodate the field of more than 100 cyclists, which included three of the top five-ranked riders in the world:
• Britain’s most successful Grand Tour rider Chris Froome (world number two and 2018 Giro d’Italia winner)
• Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (world number four)
• Welsh hero Geraint Thomas (world number five and winner of the 2018 Tour de France)
Marton was also treated to seeing Slovenian Primoz Roglic, Colombian Fernando Gaviria and Germany’s Max Schachmann and many others in a breath-taking blur of lycra.
This video captures some of the action.
See all the results on www.tourofbritain.co.uk