Tour de Yorkshire: Jesper Asselman reigns on first day as weather provides dramatic backdrop

Fittingly for a finish outside the town’s famous Abbey, the finale was played out in a biblical downpour and it was Dutchman Jesper Asselman who emerged as the unlikely victor.

Asselman thwarted the sprinters by winning from a breakaway that had been at the front for most of the 182.5km slog from Doncaster, scene of Yorkshireman Harry Tanfield’s stage-one success in similar circumstances a year earlier.

It was a close run thing, Asselman almost being passed on the line by a charging peloton who had cut the break’s lead from almost two minutes inside the final 30km.

Yorkshire’s Gabriel Cullaigh, from Holmfirth, was the first British rider across the line in fifth, three places ahead of Tour de France legend Mark Cavendish.

Team Ineos, in their first ride since switching from the Sky brand, were the centre of attention throughout the stage, not for entirely positive reasons.

Manager Sir Dave Brailsford was dismissive of environmental protesters upset at new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s connection with the fracking industry.

“I had to hunt them down first because I couldn’t find them,” he said after the stage finish.

“There was hardly anybody there, let’s be honest.”

Brailsford insisted: “If we’d had any concerns [about launching in Yorkshire] we wouldn’t have done it.

“We were right not to have any concerns because people are here and they are enjoying it.”