Winn will compete at the Commonwealth Games

"To get a jersey in a major tour and in a home tour is a major achievement," said the 32-year-old Welshman.

Russia's Sergei Ivanov of T-Mobile beat Scotland's Evan Oliphant in a sprint to the line, to take the stage between Buxton and Nottingham.

Quick Step rider Nick Nuyens, of Belgium, retained the yellow jersey.

Winn was part of a four-rider breakaway which included his biggest threat Ryan Cox, Olympic silver-medallist Paul Manning of recycling.co.uk and Kazuo Inoue of the all-Japanese Bridgestone Anchor team.

Catch all the action: Grandstand, BBC Two, Sunday 11 September, 1335

"It was in my favour - we spoke about it last night in the team meeting and the ideal scenario was for a group to go up the road and take the points while I kept on the wheel of my nearest challenger," said Winn.

Meanwhile, Oliphant, 23, was in sight of a stage victory towards the climax, but could not shake off Ivanov.

Both were part of the peloton that caught the breakaway riders.

"I came here wanting a good result and when there was a breakaway I thought I had a chance," said Oliphant, who has needed treatment on a shoulder injury since falling on Blackpool Promenade at the end of stage two.

"I was suffering yesterday and had to get physio and I was suffering today to be honest."

Stage four leading positions:
1 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) T-Mobile 4hrs 24mins 17sec
2 Evan Oliphant (Gbr) Scotland
3 Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
4 Paul Manning (Gbr) Recycling.co.uk/Litespeed
5 Luca Paolini (Ita) QuickStep - Innergetic at 10.06
6 Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Great Britain
7 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
8 Nick Nuyens (Bel) QuickStep - Innergetic
9 Lars Michaelsen (Den) Team CSC
10 Javier Cherro Molina (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana