'King' Ben praises crowd for support

The 19-year-old - who was wearing the cherished polka dot jersey as the leading climber - was cheered on by huge crowds as the stage snaked from the Rother Valley through Wickersley and Bramley on its way to Bradford.

The Barloworld apprentice was clearly buoyed by the support and went on to pick up another crucial point in the king of the mountains competition at Limestone Hill.

The 102 mile stage was neutralised in North Yorkshire for 20 after a row over road closures but Swift insisted the local support had given his weary legs a boost.

“After the efforts of the previous stage I needed the lift that the crowd gave me,” Swift said.

“It was fantastic to start a big race in one of the places I began cycling in the polka dot jersey.

“I saw a lot of my mates, who I still train with, in the crowd and that was a great feeling.

“The point I got at the first king of the mountains stage was a nice bonus and now I've just got to keep going.”

Swift now has two stages to defend his lead and he's convinced he has enough left in the tank to take the honour when the Tour finishes in Glasgow on Saturday.

He must first negotiate the Lake District climbs in today's 105 mile stage from Liverpool to Kendal.

Fellow Brit Paul Manning - a former Olympic medallist - leads the charge to overhaul Swift and new yellow jersey holder Adrian Palomares is also in the hunt.