Tour of Britain: Australian wins Scottish stage
- Published
Sprint finish at the end of the stage
Australian cyclist Caleb Ewan has won the first stage of the Tour of Britain.
The 23-year-old joined some of cycling's biggest names for the Scottish stage which ran from Edinburgh to Kelso.
Mark Cavendish, returning to cycling after breaking his shoulder blade in July. and 30-time Tour de France stage winner, was among those taking part.
Ewan just beat Edvald Boasson Hagen on the line, with Elia Viviani coming in third.
The riders passed Haddington, Gifford, Duns and Coldstream before making a loop through the Borders, starting and finishing in Kelso.
Last year's event also opened with a Scottish stage from Glasgow to Castle Douglas which was won by German sprinter Andre Greipel.
Mark Cavendish (front) was among the cyclists taking part
Cyclists at the start of the race
It is the sixth time that the opening stage of the Tour of Britain has taken place in Scotland since the race was revived in 2004.
It has only once before visited Edinburgh, in 2015, while the Borders has hosted the event on four occasions, most recently in 2015 when Elia Viviani won a stage finishing at Floors Castle outside Kelso.
Scottish Cycling described the event as a "great showcase for cycling in Scotland" while VisitScotland said it brought economic benefits and a "global profile".
The first stage of the 2017 Tour of Britain also coincides with the annual Tour O' The Borders closed-road cycle sportive in the Tweeddale area.
After the Scottish stage the race heads south to a finish in Cardiff next Sunday.
Winners of the Tour of Britain's stages in Scotland since relaunch
Andre Greipel won the Scottish stage into Castle Douglas last year
2005 - Nick Nuyens (Bel) Glasgow to Castle Douglas
2006 - Martin Pedersen (Den) Glasgow to Castle Douglas
2007 - Paul Manning (GB) Dumfries to Glasgow
2008 - Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Glasgow to Drumlanrig
2009 - Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Peebles to Gretna
2011 - Mark Cavendish (GB) Peebles to Dumfries
2012 - Mark Cavendish (GB) Jedburgh to Dumfries
2013 - Elia Viviani (Ita) Peebles to Drumlanrig
2015 - Elia Viviani (Ita) Cockermouth in Cumbria to Floors Castle, Kelso
2015 - Fernando Gaviria (Col) Edinburgh to Blyth in Northumberland
2016 - Andre Greipel (Ger) Glasgow to Castle Douglas
- Attribution
- Published3 September 2017
