Olav Kooij seals eighth Lloyds Tour of Britain stage win after thrilling sprint in Beverley
The third stage of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men 2026 was decided on a frantic sprint for the line, with Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) coming out on top in a battle of the sprint kings, holding off stage two winner Tim Merlier (Fix All Quick-Step) to seal the eighth event stage win of his career and edge nearer to Sir Mark Cavendish’s record of 10.
For Kooij, it was his second race victory in Beverley as he replicated his performance from 2023, winning a scrappy sprint for the line as the whole field battled a powerful headwind on a rise to the line.
Riders made a fast start on a blustery day with early attacks and counter-attacks, with the first break of the day being made by six riders – Dylan Vandenstorme (Team Flanders-Baloise), Gianni Marchand, Arne Santy (Tarteletto – Isorex), Karl Hall (Bike Aid) and Victor Johannsen (BHS-PL Betom Bornholm), with King of the Mountains leader Michal Schuran (Team United Shipping) completing the lineup as he hunted for further points in the classification.
First on the menu however was the initial intermediate sprint of the day along the East Yorkshire coast at Skipsea, taken by Johannsen before the climbing could begin in earnest.
Three third category climbs in a row now awaited at Burton Road, Tire Ewe Hill and Keeper’s Hill respectively and Schuran made no mistake, taking the maximum points on every ascent, while on the approach to the final climb at Keeper’s Hill, the peloton finally reeled in the six riders as Netcompany INEOS attempted to claw back time in the general classification that their rider Filippo Ganna lost yesterday in the crosswinds.
This push in pace could not force a split however and from the momentary peace, Yorben Lauryssen (Tarteletto – Isorex) launched an attack of his own, where he would eventually establish an advantage of over two minutes. Conn McDunphy (APS Pro Cycling) attempted a chase with no luck on the final circuits around Beverley.
Lauryssen would take the full points and bonus seconds available at the second intermediate sprint of the day on the first crossing of the finish line, but his efforts would come to naught as the teams of Fix All Quick-Step and Decathlon continued to chase and catch the Belgian on the final lap, ensuring the stage would end in the anticipated sprint.
It was here that Kooij came around the field with a powerful sprint to edge out his key rival for the week, Merlier, with the Belgian seemingly suffering a crucial issue with his chain in the closing metres while the Dutchman had no such issues to convincingly raise his arms in triumph.
Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling Team) finished safely in the peloton to retain the lead of the race and his 12 second advantage over Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates – XRG), with the deciding general classification stages still to come over the weekend. Michal Schuran’s breakaway efforts see him grow his lead in the King of the Mountains classification with his lead now at 16 points, however his advantage is far from comfortable as stage four approaches, with many points available from its array of category one and two climbs.
Merlier can take consolation from his second place on the stage by moving into the lead of the points classification, as he was wearing the jersey in place of race leader Askey today who had previously led the category. The Belgian is equal on points with stage victor Kooij, but leads the Dutchman on virtue of his 14 second advantage on the general classification, while Lauryssen took home the combativity award for the stage following his final circuit heroics.
Following his victory, Kooij said: “It’s always nice to get a win, especially after yesterday to try and really do my sprint at the right moment. With the headwind I really had to wait for the moment that I could find my way through.
“I think also in the end, the way we controlled, the boys got me into the final in a really perfect way. I’m really happy to take the win.”
Leader of the general classification Askey said: “These two stages should have been relatively easy on paper for me to keep the jersey, but in the end they were anything but. With the wind we’ve had on both days, I’m pretty happy to have come out of that unscathed and ready to fight tomorrow.
“To be honest, for tomorrow, I’m in the best position at the moment, no one else is ahead of me, so all I have to do is follow. No one can beat me on time bonuses, I’ve just got to grit my teeth and not let the wheel go.”
The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men heads into the North Yorkshire and the North York Moors on Saturday as the race heads to Helmsley for the start before an afternoon finish in Leyburn. The race will conclude in the Scottish Borders on Sunday 6 September, with the village of Earlston hosting a stage for the first time. There the general classification will be decided, after two demanding and relentless final stages, and the winner of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will be awarded.
Find out more about the Lloyds Tour of Britain here.