The Lotto Soudal team set up the German national champion perfect, leading Greipel safely through the final corner at the head of the peloton, with Jens Debusschere providing the perfect leadout at the end of the 161-kilometre stage from Glasgow.

Greipel is now celebrating his fifth Tour of Britain stage win having also won stages in the 2010 and 2015 editions of Britain’s biggest professional cycle race.

Greipel avoided a final crash further back in the peloton on the final corner, removing the likes of Mark Cavendish, Elia Viviani and Dylan Groenewegen from contention.

The stage win and time bonus gives Greipel a 1-second lead over Jasper Bovenhuis, who picked up the time bonuses at all three of the day’s intermediate Yodel Sprints from a breakaway to sit second overall, with Ewan third.

The An Post Chain Reaction rider took the Yodel Sprints jersey from a five-rider breakaway that former early on while the race lapped Glasgow in front of packed crowds throughout the city centre.

Alongside teammate Emiel Wastyn, ONE Pro Cycling’s Peter Williams, NFTO’s Johnny McEvoy and JLT Condor’s Tom Moses the quintet spent the majority of Stage One out front, but a watchful peloton never let them gain more than 4-minutes.

With the Stage One victory Greipel also takes the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey while Williams is the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey and Adnams Best British Rider overall.
Highlights of Stage One will be on ITV4 at 8pm with a repeat at 12-noon on Monday 5 September.

The Tour of Britain resumes with Stage Two on Monday 5 September from Carlisle to Kendal, through the heart of the Lake District including the Category One climb of The Struggle with 30-kilometres to go.  The stage finishes in Kendal atop the 700-metre climb of Beast Banks, as used in the 2013 Tour of Britain when Gerald Ciolek took the victory.

All race results are available by clicking here.