Steven Kruijswijk moved up in the general classification of the Tour of Britain again. The seventh stage of the race finished with a bunch sprint, which Andre Greipel (Lotto – Soudal) won. Kruijswijk finished 15th.

“It was a long stage,” sports director, Nico Verhoeven said after the finish. “There was some wind and it was rainy in the beginning of the race. That made it a little hectic. It took a while before a breakaway group was formed. It ended up in a bunch sprint and Steven tried to save his position in the general classification. He finished 15th. Dylan Teuns (BMC Racing Team) had to abandon the race. Steven moves up to the seventh place because of that.”

Kruijswijk himself held on to the top 10 position just as he wished to before the stage:

“I wanted to hold my top-10 position,” Kruijswijk added. “That’s why I had to make sure that I would finish in the same time as the stage winner. You know that many riders are tired in this part of a stage race, which means that a gap is created quickly in a bunch kick. I was sharp to watch for that.”

There are no more possibilities for Steven Kruijswijk. Nico Verhoeven expects the final stage to end up in another bunch sprint.

“Protecting Steven’s position is the only thing we can do. We finish the Tour of Britain with a circuit in the centre of London. It’s going to be a fast and aggressive way to end this race.”