Tour of Britain: Sir Bradley Wiggins struggles on stage two in Lake District

Olympic champion Wiggins delighted fans with his dash up The Struggle

Sir Bradley Wiggins ran up a hill and Mark Cavendish stopped to remonstrate with a fan during stage two of the Tour of Britain, won by Julien Vermote.

In scenes reminiscent of Tour de France champion Chris Froome running up Mont Ventoux, Wiggins pushed his way up The Struggle in the Lake District.

"Taking things very seriously, took my mind off being in a world of pain," said Wiggins, who finished fifth last.

Froome was forced to run up Mont Ventoux after crashing during this year's Tour de France

Cavendish was seen chatting with a fan, who appeared to have a selfie stick.

Incidents of fans trying to take 'selfies' of themselves as the riders rode past were a concern during the Tour de France's Grand Depart from Yorkshire in 2014.

Television pictures did not pick up what led to Cavendish stopping, also on The Struggle - a 4.5km long climb, with an 8% average gradient which has a maximum of 20% - but it did show him gesticulating and pointing back down the hill before continuing, while the spectator looked unfazed by the incident.

Julien Vermote out-sprinted Britain's Steve Cummings in an uphill finish in Kendal to win stage two and take the leader's yellow jersey.

Cummings, 35, looked well set for the stage win but could not match Etixx Quick Step rider Vermote's sprint with 150 metres to go.

Vermote takes the leader's jersey from Germany's Andre Greipel who won stage one on Sunday.

Team Dimension Data's Cummings sits second in general classification, six seconds behind Vermote.

The stage win was Julien Vermote's second in the Tour of Britain

Irishman Dan Martin was third while Cavendish and Wiggins were 13 and 22 minutes behind respectively.

Wiggins, in his Instagram post used "#onetoomanyginandtonics" as a potential reason for his struggles.

Stage two result:

1. Julien Vermote (Bel/Etixx Quick-Step) 4hrs 40mins 50secs

2. Stephen Cummings (GB/Dimension Data) +02secs

3. Daniel Martin (Ire/Etixx Quick-Step) +58secs

4. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) same time

5. Tony Gallopin (Fra/Lotto Soudal)

6. Ben Swift (GB/Team Sky)

7. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) +1min 02secs

8. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Giant-Alpecin) same time

9. Dylan van Baarle (Ned/Cannondale Drapac)

10. Jacopo Mosca (Ita/Trek Segafredo) +1min 06secs

General classification after stage two:

1. Julien Vermote (Bel/Etixx Quick-Step) 8hrs 33mins 20secs

2. Stephen Cummings (GB/Dimension Data) +06secs

3. Daniel Martin (Ire/Etixx Quick-Step) +1min 04secs

4. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) +1min 08secs

5. Ben Swift (GB/Team Sky) same time

6. Tony Gallopin (Fra/Lotto Soudal) same time

7. Dylan van Baarle (Ned/Cannondale Drapac) +1min 12secs

8. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) same time

9. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Giant-Alpecin)

10. Nicholas Roche (Ire/Team Sky) +1min 16secs