Cavendish – the 2011 world champion, who has expressed his desire to leave the British team two years before his contract ends – looked ready to have a crack at a sprint finish after the peloton had been caught heading towards the stage end. However, the 27-year-old suffered a fall along the narrow, winding lanes, as riders collided.
Team Sky went on to claim the stage win as Luke Rowe, a late substitute racer, kept clear of the carnage to first cross the line in sweltering temperatures.
Tour de France winner and Olympic time trial gold medallist Bradley Wiggins had started off the race at the Ipswich Waterfront on Neptune Quay yesterday morning – and will forego the Team GB victory parade in London today when the riders head to Nottingham.
A group of four – including British rider Kristian House of Rapha Condor, Rony Martias of Saur Sojasun, United Healthcare's Jonny Clarke and AN Post's Niels Wytinck – made an early break from the peloton.
As the riders moved up along the East Anglia coast and on past the halfway stage of the 200-kilometre course they had opened up a lead of around three-and-a-half minutes over the chasing pack, which was being controlled by Team Sky and Garmin.
After passing through Great Yarmouth, along South Beach Parade for the second of the three sprints, the route eventually wound back around north Norwich.
And the peloton, following good work from Team Sky's Jeremy Hunt, closed in to under two minutes behind the breakaway ahead of the final King of the Mountains category-three climbs at Swanton Morley. It was then on towards a bunch finish in the Norfolk Showground, which looked to have played right into Manxman Cavendish's hands.
He had managed to stay clear of some collisions after the peloton was finally reeled in inside the closing 15km as Endura Racing cranked up the pace.
However, as the group headed for home, Cavendish was caught up in another crash to see his hopes of glory disappear. He got back on his bike and rode to the finish, able to offer a half-hearted wave to the crowd.
