The Tour of Britain stage seven through Dorset has been cancelled as a mark of respect for the Royal Family.

The cancellation comes following the death of HM Queen Elizabeth ll earlier today (8th), aged 96.

Tour of Britain organisers first announced the cancellation of stage six in Gloucestershire due to take place on Friday (9th) before later confirming that stages seven (Dorset) and eight (Isle of Wight) would also be off.

A spokesperson for the Tour of Britain commented: "This decision has been taken in consultation with stakeholders and partners in light of operational circumstances, including the understandable reassignment of police resources at this time.

"Therefore, the final standings will be taken following the conclusion of stage five on Thursday 8 September. The winner of the AJ Bell Tour of Britain 2022 will be Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar Team).

"Additionally, the respective classification leaders – Tom Pidcock (Dodl by AJ Bell points), Mathijs Paasschens (ŠKODA King of the Mountains) and Matthew Teggart (Sportsbreaks.com sprints) – will also be declared the winners of those competitions.

"The Tour of Britain organisation, alongside the teams, riders and officials involved in the event, send their deepest condolences to the Royal Family at this sad time."

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