The Tour of Britain gets underway on Sunday 4 September in Aberdeen, Scotland and the dynamic route on offer this year should provide a thrilling spectacle.
From stage one’s summit finish at Glenshee Ski Centre with a challenging three kilometre climb, to the climb at the Needles on the Isle of Wight, which is designed to provide a dramatic general classification showdown, there isn’t much room for rest for the entire peloton.
A puncheur has won the race for the last three years including Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in 2021.
We’ve already picked our five British stars to watch out for at the week long race.
Here are five riders who could challenge for the overall honours and find themselves on the top step of the final podium at The Needles, Isle of Wight on 11 September.
TOM PIDCOCK (INEOS GRENADIERS)
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The moment Pidcock was confirmed to ride this year’s Tour of Britain he was instantly widely considered a strong favourite.
There appears to be nothing that the young star can’t do and this coming week could see him add stage-race success to his already remarkable palmares. Pidcock took an impressive stage victory at the Tour de France on Alpe d’Huez proving that he can mix it with the best climbers in the business as well as mountain bike stars.
Recently he was also crowned European Mountain Bike champion in Munich and winning the Tour of Britain would feel like a mammoth step forward in his road career.
DYLAN TEUNS (ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH)
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Having joined Israel-Premier Tech from Bahrain-Victorious mid-season, Teuns certainly has a point to prove to his new employers. Primarily a climber, the opening stage of the race could suit Teuns’ abilities as it features a finish up Glenshee Ski Centre. The Belgian proved on stage one of the Tour de Romandie earlier this year that he is capable of coming out of the blocks sharply, too, while his La Flèche Wallonne victory highlighted his ascending prowess.
Two previous appearances at the Tour of Britain have yielded a podium place and multiple top ten finishes, something the 30-year-old will look to add to this year.
NILS POLITT (BORA-HANSGROHE)
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Current German national road champion Politt could be a huge talisman for Bora-Hansgrohe at this year’s race.
The German rider is a natural born powerhouse and came fifth at Dwars door Vlaanderen earlier this year. Other impressive results that he’s picked up during his…