JUST days after smashing the World Hour Record, Alex Dowsett’s glorious May continued.

Last week he won the 26.1km fourth stage time-trial of Germany’s top stage race, the Bayern Rundfahrt, and in doing so took the race lead by a mere two seconds which he and his Movistar team-mates then defended in Sunday’s final stage.

And after taking his first ever overall stage race win, the rider, who was born in Maldon, said: “I’m really good at losing yellow jerseys, so keeping this one makes me really happy.

“Really all of the guys gave their best – it was so fantastic that even inside three kilometres to go, the Movistar Team was still sending guys to the front to make sure the bunch came all together.

“When I crossed the finish, it was phenomenal.”

Read more on this story in this week's Standard.