Alessandro Petacchi may have got the stage win in Liverpool city centre on Sunday, however it was Geoffroy Lequatre who won the Tour of Britain.
The Agritubel rider held off the challenge of Merseysider Steve Cummings, who was looking to overcome the six-second deficit Lequatre possessed in Blackpool.
Cummings took one second off his rival but it wasn't enough for the Barloworld rider with compatriot Ian Stannard finishing third overall on home turf, 14 seconds behind the overjoyed Lequatre.
Agritubel won the team classification with Matthew Goss taking the points jersey, Edvald Boasson Hagen the sprint crown and Italian Danilo Di Luca the polka dot jersey from Brit Ben Swift.
It has been a fascinating eight days of racing across the country and boosted the profile of the sport, after Mark Cavendish's Tour de France heroics and the exploits of the Olympic team on the track in Beijing.
Ned Boulting and the ITV Sport team want to hear your thoughts and questions during the Tour of Britain
Get infor on the route, riders and the latest news on the official site of the Tour of Britain sponsored by Eon website
