Leader Serrano awarded victory

THE Tour of Britain has cancelled its final three stages as a mark of respect after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Spain’s Gonzalo Serrano, below, has been given the race victory after keeping his overall lead on Thursday’s fifth stage of the race into Mansfield.

The eight-stage race was due to travel to through Gloucestershire yesterday, starting in Tewkesbury before heading to Cirencester,

Tetbury, Yate, Dursley and Stroud before finishing in Gloucester.

Stage seven was set for Dorset before the race was due to end on the Isle of Wight on Sunday.

Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock, who was second in the general classification, won the points competition, while Dutch rider Mathijs Paasschens took the King of the Mountains prize, and Irish rider Matthew Teggart earned the sprints jersey.

A statement on the Tour of Britain website read: “The Tour of Britain organisation, alongside the teams, riders and officials involved in the event, are deeply saddened by the passing of

Queen Elizabeth II. We would like to send our deepest condolences to the whole of the Royal Family.”