Results Tour of Britain 2026 Stage 3 - Olav Kooij beats Tim Merlier in Beverley as sprint powerhouses trade wins
Cycling
Olav Kooij claimed victory on Stage 3 of the 2026 Tour of Britain, getting the better of Stage 2 winner Tim Merlier in the bunch sprint at Beverley Racecourse as Axel Kallberg completed a surprise podium.
After almost 200 kilometres from Hull and a succession of attacks during the closing circuits, the race ultimately came back together for the expected showdown between the fast men.
Soudal - Quick-Step positioned Merlier behind Jasper Stuyven approaching the final kilometre, but it was Kooij who launched his sprint in the closing 100 metres and powered to the victory.
Merlier had to settle for second one day after winning in Skegness, while Lucky Sport Cycling Team's Kallberg produced the biggest surprise of the finale by taking third. Timothy Dupont finished fourth and Matteo Moschetti completed the top five.
Late attacks fail to prevent sprint showdown
The bunch finish had briefly looked far from certain. Yorben Lauryssen attacked after the day's original six-man breakaway had been brought back and built an advantage of more than two minutes over the peloton. The Tarteletto - Isorex rider still led by 1:08 entering the final 15 kilometres, with Conn McDunphy chasing between him and the bunch.
Lauryssen's advantage then collapsed rapidly. McDunphy was caught before the Belgian was finally reeled in with 6.9 kilometres remaining.
UAE Team Emirates – XRG immediately attempted to keep the race open. Nils Politt drove the pace before Tim Wellens attacked with 7.6 kilometres to go, while the team continued to feature prominently at the front into the closing kilometres.
That move was also neutralised, however, leaving the sprinters to decide the stage on the exposed finishing straight.
Earlier in the day, mountains leader Michal Schuran had swept maximum points on all three categorised climbs at Burton Road, Tire Ewe Hill and Keepers Hill after joining the original six-man escape.
Kooij ultimately emerged from the changing race with the stage win, reversing the order from Skegness where Merlier had beaten him into second 24 hours earlier.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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