Tag: Tour of Britain

Categories
News

Rowe Opens Strong for Team Sky

A fine start yesterday for Team Sky at the Tour of Britain, although possibly not the kind Mark Cavendish would have hoped for. The opening stage – 203km for Ipswich to Norfolk Showgrounds – was won by Sky’s Luke Rowe in a time of 4:51.05 but not before the biggest upset of the day that saw Cavendish and a host of other riders wiped from the field in a mass pile up less than one km from the finish. With Team Sky having worked hard through the day to set Cav up for his trademark sprint finish, it was relative novice Rowe who took the initiative and picked up the pace and the race, out-sprinting UnitedHealthcare’s Boy Van Poppel who he held off into third. Endura Racing’s Russell Downing took the third spot.

 

Speaking post-race Rowe said, ‘It was great to take the win today… obviously it was meant for Cav. We had the lead-out and it would have been perfect. I felt good and strong but it’s unfortunate for Cav. That’s our sport. It shows how unpredictable it is and anything can happen.’ Team Sky Sports Director, Servais Knaven, added: ‘Cav is okay. He has a few cuts and bruises but he will be okay. He has shown that he is going well and he was in a good position when the crash happened… a bit of mixed emotions but we are glad that Cav is okay. It’s great for Luke and for the team that we were able to win the stage.’

 

The ToB continues today with the 180.7km leg from Nottingham to Knowsley Safari Park.

 

Categories
News

Team Sky Unveils ToB Squad

Team Sky has announced that both Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish will be amongst the riders making up the squad at the upcoming Tour of Britain, which starts in Ipswich on September 9. The TdF and Gold-medal-winning Olympian will lead the team, flanked by World Champion Cav (who won two stages of the ToB last year) who in turn will be relying on the ever-excellent Bernhard Eisel to help launch the Manx Missile during the crucial sprints. Germany’s Christian Knees, Sweden’s Thomas Lofkvist and two-time British National Road Race Champion Jeremy Hunt complete the team.

 

Team Sky’s race director Mick Bennett said: ‘To have the reigning Tour de France and Olympic time trial champion, and the current world champion competing in The Tour of Britain is a dream for us… We are delighted that The Tour of Britain will be the first chance for many British fans to see Bradley Wiggins since his Tour de France and Olympic successes. We are also very pleased that Mark Cavendish will do the race again so he can show off the rainbow stripes in front of home fans.’

 

Categories
News

Tour of Britain Route Announced

The ninth edition of the modern Tour of Britain runs from Sunday 9 to Sunday 16 September 2012, and will cover 1,349 kilometres through England, Scotland and Wales.

 

The Grand Depart will take place in Ipswich, with Suffolk and Norfolk hosting the 199km opening stage of this year’s race on Sunday 9 September. From there The Tour will visit Nottingham, Knowsley and Merseyside, Scotland, the North West, Stoke-on-Trent, Wales and Devon before the challenging final stage in the Surrey Hills, finishing on Guildford’s uphill, cobbled High Street on Sunday September 16.

 

The organisers are expecting over 100 of the world’s best riders representing teams familiar from the Tour de France. From Spain, or more specifically the Basque Country, will be Euskaltel Euskadi, Garmin – Sharp from America, Liquigas – Cannondale from Italy and the Aussies from Orica GreenEDGE. Home interest will rest on Team Sky Pro Cycling who won the event in 2009, with Edvald Boasson Hagen, and grabbed a couple of stage wins in 2011 through Mark Cavendish. Other local interest might also be provided by Endura, Node4 Giordana and Team Raleigh GAC.

 

One interesting addition will be debutantes Team UK Youth. Owned by Nigel Mansell and ‘promoting the values of leading youth charity UK Youth’ the team seems to be a bit of a family affair with sons Greg riding and Leo acting as Managing Director. You can find out more at Team UK Youth.

 

The organisers hope the event will once again ‘…showcase Britain’s stunning scenery to a domestic and international audience with some of the world’s top cyclists competing on British roads for the right to win the Gold Jersey.’ This year the key sponsors include logistics firm Yodel and IG Markets.

 

You can keep up with the latest developments at the news section of the ToB website. You can find preview maps here. You’ll find descriptions on all of the stage routes available and highly detailed interactive stage maps. If you fancy sampling a Tour of Britain route first hand, then visit www.tourride.co.uk for more information on the official Tour of Britain sportives taking place in August and September.

 

Categories
News

The Brute of Britain

Yodel, the parcel delivery provider, has announced that it will renew this year as the official logistics partner and sprints sponsor of the Tour of Britain, which is set for the off on September 9 on the streets of Ipswich – the first time the city has played host to the event. The eight-stage race, the UK’s biggest pro cycle outing and largest free-to-watch sporting event of 2012, has been described by Race Director Mick Bennett as ‘certainly our toughest yet’ and despite the lack of London finish (due to the ‘strain’ on the Capital of the Olympics and Paralympics) looks certain to involve some truly challenging competition. Not only will teams battle the notorious British weather – which last year saw the curtailment of the Blackpool promenade stretch – but hilly brutes involving the Pennines, Cannock Chase, the Brecon Beacons and the Caerphilly mountain climb will test the toughest legs.

 

If all that wasn’t enough the final day’s racing (September 16) will involve an uphill sprint along the cobbled high street of Guildford in Surrey; no wonder Bennett has described this as ‘…a race of two halves.’ Thus far Liquigas-Cannondale, Vacansoleil-DCM, Team Sky, Garmin-Barracuda and GreenEdge have all confirmed their attendance.

 

Categories
News

Boom Time

Tour of BritainYesterday (Sunday, September 18) saw a thrilling, if rain-soaked, conclusion to the Tour of Britain, which had begun on the Scottish Borders the previous Sunday. As rain lashed the capital, HTC’s Mark Cavendish  sprinted to victory in 1:59:13 with his team-mate Mark Renshaw in second to mark their third 1-2 result of the week; with Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift, both Team Sky, in forth and fifth it was a patriotic day for British cycling.

 

Despite the final day’s victories it was Dutchman Lars Boom of Rabobank who finished the week crowned king of the ToB with an overall time of 26:57:35, with Team Sky’s Steven Cummings second on +36 and of NetApp Jan Bárta with +55 in third. Earlier yesterday Boom had  scored a second place finish in the Time Trial Stage, 5 seconds behind stage 8A winner Alex Dowsett, to consolidate his week’s points and all but guarantee overall success.

 

Full ToB results available at: www.tourofbritain.com 

 

Categories
News

Wind Stops Play

In an almost unprecedented move Stage Two of the Tour of Britain was cancelled today (Monday, September 12) due to the high winds sweeping in from the tail end of Hurricane Erin. With many of the team support vehicles and motorcycle outriders voicing their concern about safety after making their way to the start in Kendal and after lengthy discussions, including consultation with organisers already at the planned stage end in Blackpool, the decision to cancel was made – the first time that a major UK race has been pulled since a stage of the Mile Race twenty-five years ago.

 

Rapha Condor Sharp’s Andy Tennant commented: “It feels very strange, it’s like getting a day off school when you aren’t sick. It’s a real shame for the race and all the fans who would have come down to Blackpool to see us, but it’s just not safe to race in these conditions. I would think twice about training today, but even then you can choose your routes, but here we are a hundred riders, with motorcycle outriders, and team cars. It’s certainly the right decision for the riders”.

 

Assuming conditions improve the ToB will recommence tomorrow with Stage Three’s 140km Stoke-on-Trent leg.

 

Categories
News

Cavendish Takes ToB Stage 1

Tour of BritainThe Tour of Britain got off to a blistering start yesterday (Sunday, September 11) for Mark Cavendish who sprinted to Stage 1 victory in Whitesands, Dumfries in a time of 4:41:06. Cav’s participation had been in doubt until early last week as he had quit the Vuelta a España on Stage 4 and UCI rules normally dictate that riders who withdraw from a race are ineligible to compete in another whilst the first is still running. However, having been granted special dispensation by the governing nosy to compete in the ToB, Cavendish grabbed the bulls by the horn and stormed his way to success with an early four second lead on overall classification thanks to both the win and the stage’s time bonus. His HTC Highroad team mate Mark Renshaw took second place on the 170km stage with Theo Bos of Rabobank in third.

 

Quoted on the ToB’s official website (www.tourofbritain.com), Cavendish said, “It’s incredible to win the first stage and get the leaders jersey…We had wicked support today. The amount of cheers and banners along the stage was brilliant. Super encouraging. You wouldn’t expect this is Britain and it’s very different to when I last raced here in 2007. It’s very nice. This event is certainly growing.”

 

Categories
News

Cav to Race ToB

It has been announced that Mark Cavendish will, after all, be taking part in the Tour of Britain. His involvement was in doubt after his withdrawal from the Vuelta a Espana on Stage 4, the 170.2km route from Baza to the Sierra Nevada (the Vuelta continues until Sunday September 11, the date that the ToB starts). Citing exhaustion after the Tour de France – at which he took the prestigious green jersey – Cavendish’s inclusion in the team for the Tour of Britain looked unlikely as UCI rules usually state that riders who withdraw from one race may not enter another whilst the first is still running – however the Manx rider has been granted special dispensation to take to the saddle when things get underway in Peebles, Scotland.

 

Tweeting yesterday, Cavendish said: “So happy to announce on this lovely Monday morning that I will be racing in this year’s #TourOfBritain with my @HTCHighroad team.” Race Director Mick Bennett commented: Mark’s addition will ensure that the sprints are hotly contested… As a team we have worked hard over the past fortnight to ensure that Mark rides the Tour of Britain.”

 

Cavendish hasn’t participated in the ToB since 2007, when he won the two opening stages.