Friday’s Stage 6 of the Tour of Britain saw a fast start with many teams fighting to make the day’s main break. Team Novo Nordisk’s David Lozano was off the front with approximately 25 riders when former World Champion Mark Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep) crashed. The location of the Brit’s crash held up Lozano and several other riders. The riders who were in front of the crash went on to form the day’s race while the remaining riders formed a large grupetto.

From the front group, an eight-man break formed. Team Sky, who had managed to get most of their team into the front group, kept the break in check because the overall race leader, Edvald Boasson Hagen (MTN-Qhubeka), was without any teammates. With Sky setting the pace and set to reel in the break, the escapees started to attack one another. Eventually they were reeled in and the race came down to Boasson Hagen fighting to retain his jersey. The Norwegian launched a late race attack that only Matteo Trentin (Etixx-Quick Step) was able to match. All of Team Novo Nordisk finished safely in the grupetto.

“I’m upset. I was having a strong race and I lost it today,” Lozano said. “It would be one thing if I lost it because of my legs, but I lost it because I couldn’t get around a crash. I was happy with my GC place going into today and I made the front group, so I was excited to see what I could do. Now my GC race is finished. It’s tough for my head but I know there are still a few more days left.”

Team Novo Nordisk continues racing on Saturday with the penultimate stage. Stage 7 of the Aviva Tour of Britain is a 141.2-km run from Fakenham to Ipswich. It is a relatively flat day with only three Category 3 climbs and three intermediate sprints before a flat finish.