Although this afternoon’s last stage will of course play a part, the final finishing order of this year’s Tour of Britain will most likely be shaped by the 8.8 kilometre time trial which is currently underway in London.
Double stage winner Lars Boom is a specialist against the clock, as shown by his prologue wins in the Critérium du Dauphiné (pictured) and Tour of Qatar, and could well add to his lead with a win in the fast, flat test. He heads into the TT a comfortable 28 seconds clear of Leopold Konig (Team Netapp) and 29 up on Daniel Lloyd (Garmin-Cervélo).
Linus Gerdemann (Leopard Trek), who is 31 seconds back, and Steve Cummings (Sky Procycling), Jan Barta (Team NetApp), Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator) and Jon Tiernan Locke (Rapha Condor Sharp), who are a further second behind, are all fighting for high finishes in the general classification.
In truth, it would take a disastrous performance, a crash or mechanical problems for Boom to lose his lead in the time trial. The battle for the stage win and the podium places in the race are more suspenseful, and will unfold between now and the end of the race against the clock.
Here’s the start order for the big showdown. Many riders have got their efforts underway, but the big GC riders are still warming up for the lung-busting effort ahead.
11:01 Jonathan Clarke (UnitedHealthcare)
11:02 Rik Flens (Rabobank)
11:03 Coen Vermeltfoort (Rabobank)
11:04 Mark Cassidy (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
11:05 Stijn Joseph (Topsport Vlaanderen)
11:06 Damien Gaudin (Team Europcar)
11:07 Tom Murray (Sigma Sport-Specialized)
11:08 Tobyn Horton (Motorpoint)
11:09 Mark McNally (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
11:10 Matt Brammeier (HTC HighRoad)
11:11 Jamie Sparling (Team Raleigh)
11:12 Peter Williams (Motorpoint)
11:13 Yohann Gene (Team Europcar)
11:14 Tom Last (Sigma Sport-Specialized)
11:15 James Sampson (Motorpoint)
11:16 Will Clarke (Leopard Trek)
11:17 Kenny De Ketele (Topsport Vlaanderen)
11:18 Andreas Dietziker (Team NetApp)
11:19 Mark Renshaw (HTC HighRoad)
11:20 Alex Wetterall (Endura Racing)
11:21 Steve Lampier (Sigma Sport-Specialized)
11:22 Ian Wilkinson (Endura Racing)
11:23 Pieter Ghyllebert (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
11:24 Mathieu Claude (Team Europcar)
11:25 Ronan McLaughlin (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
11:26 Ben Swift (Sky Pro Cycling)
11:27 Preben Van Hecke (Topsport Vlaanderen)
11:28 Cesare Benedetti (Team NetApp)
11:29 Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare)
11:30 Wouter Sybrandy (Sigma Sport-Specialized)
11:31 Richard Handley (Team Raleigh)
11:32 Andy Tennant (Rapha Condor Sharp)
11:33 Dan Fleeman (Team Raleigh)
11:34 Franck Bouyer (Team Europcar)
11:35 Robert Förster (UnitedHealthcare)
11:36 Giacomo Nizzolo (Leopard Trek)
11:37 Bernhard Eisel (HTC HighRoad)
11:38 Chris Jones (UnitedHealthcare)
11:39 Roger Hammond (Team Garmin - Cervelo)
11:40 Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil - DCM)
11:41 Marcin Bialoblocki (Motorpoint)
11:42 Gael Le Bellec (Team Raleigh)
11:43 Rene Mandri (Endura Racing)
11:44 Paul Voss (Endura Racing)
11:45 Zak Dempster (Rapha CondorSharp)
11:46 Liam Holohan (Team Raleigh)
11:47 Jonathan McEvoy (Motorpoint)
11:48 Kristian House (Rapha Condor Sharp)
11:49 Thor Hushovd (Team Garmin - Cervelo)
11:50 Gediminas Bagdonas (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
11:51 Gabriel Rasch (Team Garmin - Cervelo)
11:52 Simon Richardson (Sigma Sport-Specialized)
11:53 Alexandre Pichot (Team Europcar)
11:54 Jack Bauer (Endura Racing)
11:55 Bartosz Huzarski (Team NetApp)
11:56 Julian Dean (Team Garmin - Cervelo)
11:57 Alex Dowsett (Sky Pro Cycling)
11:58 Anthony Charteau (Team Europcar)
11:59 Mathew Hayman (Sky Pro Cycling)
12:00 Lars Bak (HTC HighRoad)
12:01 Russell Hampton (Sigma Sport-Specialized)
12:02 Stijn Neirynck (Topsport Vlaanderen)
12:03 Michael Matthews (Rabobank)
12:04 Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare)
12:05 Dan Craven (Rapha Condor Sharp)
12:06 Dominic Klemme (Leopard Trek)
12:07 Bram Tankink (Rabobank)
12:08 Andrew Fenn (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
12:09 Mark Cavendish (HTC HighRoad)
12:10 Jan-Bert Lindeman (Vacansoleil - DCM)
12:11 Geraint Thomas (Sky Pro Cycling)
12:12 Boy Van Poppel (UnitedHealthcare)
12:13 Michael Rogers (Sky Pro Cycling)
12:15 Joost Posthuma (Leopard Trek)
12:17 Iker Camano (Endura Racing)
12:19 Jonathan Tiernan Locke (Rapha Condor Sharp)
12:21 Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen)
12:23 Jan Barta (Team NetApp)
12:25 Stephen Cummings (Sky Pro Cycling)
12:27 Linus Gerdemann (Leopard Trek)
12:29 Daniel Lloyd (Team Garmin - Cervelo)
12:31 Leopold Koenig (Team NetApp)
12:33 Lars Boom (Rabobank)