Best Scottish result in 37 years not enough for Lewis Askey at Tour of Britain

Best Scottish result in 37 years not enough for Lewis Askey at Tour of Britain Askey's hopes of matching 1989 winner Robert Millar evaporated in Saturday's stage around the Yorkshire Dales, meaning he came into yesterday's concluding dash around the Scottish Borders with twin ambitions - protecting his narrow advantage in the sprints standings and hanging on to second in the general classification. View 2 Images Picture by Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com - 06/09/2026 - Cycling - UCI ProSeries - 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men - Stage 5: Earlston to Earlston (156.1km) - Tim Wellens of UAE Team Emirates XRG stands a top the podium after the final General Classification standings were confirmed with Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling Team) finishing second and Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) coming home in third. (Image: © SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)) Lewis Askey produced the best Scottish result in the Lloyds Tour of Britain in nearly four decades but admitted he wanted more. Askey's hopes of matching 1989 winner Robert Millar evaporated in Saturday's stage around the Yorkshire Dales, meaning he came into yesterday's concluding dash around the Scottish Borders with twin ambitions - protecting his narrow advantage in the sprints standings and hanging on to second in the general classification. ‌ He missed the first target but hit the second, coming home 42 seconds behind Belgian Tim Wellens, who took overall honours in Earlston. However, Askey still looked a little downbeat, admitting frustration that he and his team allowed the breakaway to form, which cost him the points jersey, won by ten-time Grand Tour stage winner Filippo Ganna. ‌ But with that jersey gone, he and fellow Brit Jake Stewart put in a shift to ensure the margin of the lead group didn't cost him his runner-up prize. "It doesn't mean loads to me until I stand on the top step," he admitted. "I'm here because I enjoy winning races. I always say a second, or a top five, top ten — they're all nice performances, and you're obviously proud of how you've ridden and happy with it. ‌ "We were going to prioritise the sprint and I would have enjoyed that, but one mistake, one lack of urgency, and that was gone. I need to say a big thanks to Jake. He kept our group moving and without him there is no way I'd have finished second." Czech Michal Schuran won the climbers' jersey after getting himself embedded in the early breakaway, while another Scot, Elliot Rowe, was the best young rider after an attention-grabbing week on his home Tour. View 2 Images Lewis Askey of NSN Cycling Team, wearing the points jersey, gives chase to Tim Wellens during the fifth stage of the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men in Earlston. (Image: © SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)) "I definitely didn't expect to win this. It's a great bonus at the end of a great week," said Rowe, who made his debut for Scotland at the recent Commonwealth Games. "It's been a really important few days for my development. Everyone wants to make the next step up to become pro, so getting a chance to race these guys and learn from them is so important. ‌ "I've had a nice week with zero pressure and I've just enjoyed racing. You don't get the chance to race in Scotland often, so this was a fun day." Elsewhere, Ben Wiggins underlined why a name from cycling's past has a big future. Wiggins, son of Tour de France winner and five-time Olympic champion Sir Bradley, mixed it with the best to earn a top-ten finish at the Lloyds Tour of Britain. The 21-year-old got himself in an eight-man breakaway on the final stage around the Scottish Borders, going pedal to pedal with a host of Grand Tour veterans and looking every bit the part. He was never bullied, but with the group bossed by five members of the same team, the odds were always against him winning a stage in a race won by his dad 13 years ago. "I was all-in to win the stage but maybe a bit of youth and inexperience came into it," said Wiggins, who came home sixth behind stage winner Nils Politt. Article continues below "It was great to be in the mix with all those big names. I had a moment when the group formed and I was like, 'This is wicked.' It was a mint day out. I didn't expect that to happen at all. 'I wouldn't say I learned loads about myself from it. I know I've got the engine to compete with the best — I genuinely feel that. But when those boys are going flat-out, especially on the climbs, it takes some doing. 'We actually had a completely different plan for me being in the breakaway. It unfolded very differently from what I expected, but I took my chance. I'm currently without a job for next year as well, so hopefully that helps my case."