This year’s Tour of Britain breaks a few rules. It has an uphill finish, arguably the Queen Stage, on day one, with the drag up to the Glenshee Ski Centre, finishing with a steep-enough 3km climb.
That might kill the race stone dead on day one, or provoke the need to attack thereafter; it could go either way. And it finishes with another short sharp effort to the Needles on the Isle of Wight.
Along the way between the two points (and making a refreshing foray into Yorkshire), the race serves up its usual mix of nailed-on sprints, and finishes for puncheurs.
The start-list has been stronger in recent years. The upcoming Road World Championships in Australia might have forced a bit of a re-think for some. But those teams and riders who will be pinning a number on and starting the race will see a massive opportunity to pick up a victory on what has grown over recent years to become a race only the very best in the world win.
Here’s my pick of the favourites in the field this year.
★★★★★
One name towers above the rest, in terms of how eagerly we anticipate his ride. For Tom Pidcock, this coming week could be another significant milestone in a career which is plotting so many courses, it’s hard to keep track of where it’s heading. Is it X-Cross, MTB, the Classics, stage wins or GC? Has he ruled out BMX?
The course suits him, the team around him looks strong. He must surely go into the race as favourite, and yet, at senior level he is fully unproven in terms of his GC potential. U-23 victories at Tour Alsace and the Baby Giro suggest that Pidcock can willingly apply himself to the sometimes sterile seeming disciplines of riding GC.
But to win the Tour of Britain, following on from Mathieu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe and Wout van Aert would seem like the next logical step.
The prolific Belgian is very suited to the Tour of Britain, its wild and wet conditions, its punchy climbs and unrelenting nature.
No longer in the red of Bahrain Victorious, Teuns has joined the Israel-Premier Tech team on a mid-season two and a half year contract. This is his race debut for his new team. His form is good, if not stellar. He was a little muted at the Tour de…
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