Bristol cyclist Tom Southam expects exciting challenge as Tour of Britain heads West

Bristol cyclist Tom Southam promised spectators to expect fireworks when the Tour of Britain enters his native South West after the stage-five results left the competition wide open.

Riding for Rapha Condor, Clifton-based Southam finished near the front of the peleton, in 24th, as Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen wrapped up his third consecutive stage win in Staffordshire.

The 28-year-old expects everyone to reveal their hands when the race gets under way in Frome today. He said: "It's been a very mentally tough week for us this week, with everyone still in the hunt for the general classification.

"No one really wanted to make a move, so hopefully now the race will get into its natural state. People will know whether they're going for the general classification or stage wins now and everyone can do what they set out to do."

Hagen's third stage win on the trot saw him take the yellow jersey off Holland's Kai Reus, with Australian Chris Sutton also not far behind.

And with Southam lying just 46 seconds off the pacesetters, Rapha Condor team-mate Simon Richardson, also from Clifton, believes the energy-sapping latter stages will start to separate the cream of the crop. He said: "The Stoke stage was a pretty difficult stage and after the fourth stage there were a few tired legs out there.

"It's been a mentally tiring week for everyone out there, with everything being so tight and a bit nervous. There were a lot of people within striking distance of the GC and that made a lot of people nervous.

The Tour of Britain is the UK's biggest free to attend sporting event, attracting over a million spectators per year to towns, cities and communities across the country - for further information visit www.tourofbritain.co.uk