COLOSSAL crowds on the Cote de Cow and Calf watched Magnus Cort Nielsen launch a stinging late attack to win the Tour de Yorkshire’s first-ever summit finish.
Ilkley’s most iconic climb was bathed in sunshine for the culmination of day two and the action proved equally colourful as some of the best riders in the business battled it out for an historic stage success.
Defending champion Serge Pauwels (Team Dimension Data) kicked things off on the infamous ascent but was passed by Olympic gold medallist Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) on one of the steepest sections.
All the while, Nielsen (Astana Pro Team) had been waiting in the wings though and the Dane timed his last-gasp attack to perfection and stole the headlines.
That triumph meant Nielsen took control of the blue leader’s jersey and opened up a four-second advantage over Van Avermaet at the top of the general classification.
Thursday’s stage winner Harry Tanfield (Canyon Eisberg) fought back from an early tumble and the Yorkshireman will wear the green jersey on Saturday as he remains top of the sprint classification.
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