Tour of Britain: Steve Cummings wins race as Caleb Ewan takes stage eight

Cummings (centre) was part of the Great Britain road team at the Rio Olympics this summer

Steve Cummings won the Tour of Britain as he safely negotiated the final stage in London.

It is only the second time a Briton has won the event since its 2004 rebrand, after Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2013.

Dimension Data rider Cummings finished in the main bunch as Australian Caleb Ewan won the sprint at Piccadilly Circus to end the 16-lap 100km course.

Australia's Rohan Dennis was second overall, 26 seconds behind, with Dutchman Tom Dumoulin third.

Cummings, 35, was runner-up in 2008 and 2011. He took the overall lead in this year's race by finishing eighth on stage six of the eight-day race and held on to it despite losing time on the penultimate day.

Victory builds on an impressive year in which he claimed stage wins in Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour of the Basque Country, the Criterium du Dauphine and the Tour de France.

"I'm delighted. Finally I can smile and enjoy it. It's been a tough week. It was so close that it wasn't done until I crossed the line," he said.

"I'd to thank all my team-mates for keeping me out of trouble, and the British public for supporting every day like they have. It's been a great week."

The Netherlands' Jasper Bovenhuis won the sprint classification, Xandro Meurisse of Belgium was the best climber and Bovenhuis' compatriot Dylan Groenewegen - second behind Ewan on Sunday - won the points classification.

Team Sky, for whom British rider Ben Swift was eighth overall, won the prize for best team.

General classification:

1. Steve Cummings (GB/Dimension Data) 29hrs 21mins 21secs

2. Rohan Dennis (Aus/BMC) +26secs

3. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Giant-Alpecin) +38secs

4. Tony Gallopin (Fra/Lotto Soudal) +1min 02secs

5. Dylan van Baarle (Ned/Cannondale Drapac Team) +1min 21secs

6. Nicolas Roche (Ire/Sky) +1min 26secs

7. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) 1min 48secs

8. Ben Swift (GB/Sky) +1min 52secs

9. Julien Vermote (Bel/Etixx Quick-Step) +2mins 12secs

10. Jacopo Mosca (Ita/Trek-Segafredo) +2mins 32secs

Stage eight result:

1 Caleb Ewan (Aus/Orica-BikeExchange) 2hrs 09mins 24secs

2. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/Team LottoNl-Jumbo) same time

3. Jens Debusschere (Bel/Lotto Soudal)

4. Boy Van Poppel (Ned/Trek-Segafredo)

5 Elia Viviani (Ita/Sky)

6. Andre Greipel (Ger/Lotto Soudal)

7. Daniel McLay (GB/Fortuneo - Vital Concept)

8. Steele von Hoff (Aus/ONE Pro Cycling)

9. Nicola Ruffoni (Ita/Bardiani CSF)

10. Paolo Simion (Ita/Bardiani CSF)