Mark Cavendish, after a gutsy effort in the British Road Championship on Sunday, was 2nd to Peter Kennaugh as it came down to those two riders out of a four-rider breakaway in the finale. Ian Stannard finished 3rd. Cavendish bridged to Stannard and Kennaugh with Luke Rowe on the penultimate lap, and was able to contest the race on an up-and-down circuit that also featured a tough, cobbled Michaelgate climb.

"I'm super happy with my performance today," Cavendish said. "I felt really strong throughout the whole race. I feel I'm in good form now going into the Tour de France. I'm looking forward to it.

"I’ve trained hard this year, the team has given me a good programme to prepare for the Tour. I’m up for it. This was a good hit-out, I didn’t recover as well from [the Tour de] Suisse as I hoped. I had a bigger week so I didn’t know how it would go today, but I’m glad considering. I’m happy with how I felt today so a week’s recovery now and I should be fine for the first days of the Tour de France.

“I hurt my shoulder, I hit someone’s camera with three or four laps to go. I’m going to have to get that checked out before the Tour next week because it doesn’t feel great.

“I hit that one as well actually but not as bad. The first time on Michaelgate I hit the right one, the one I fell on, but that wasn’t too bad. Then nearer the end I hit my left shoulder, it’s grazed up.