Tour of Britain Start list

Art Vandelay

Provisional start list just out.

Highlights - Viviani, Dan Martin, Quintana, Dowsett, Rojas, Visconti, Wiggo, Cav, Petacchi, Yates brothers, Stannard, Battaglin, Modolo, Haussler, Elmiger, Ciolek, Deignan.

Cannondale
Italy | UCI WorldTour
Director: Alberto Volpi
Alan Marangoni (Ita)
Federico Canuti (Ita)
Nicolo Martinello (Ita)
Matthias Krizek (Aut)
Juraj Sagan (Slo)
Elia Vivani (Ita)

Garmin-Sharp
USA | UCI WorldTour
Director: Geert Van Bondt
Dan Martin (Irl)
Jack Bauer (NZl)
Nathan Haas (Aus)
Robbie Hunter (RSA)
Jacob Rathe (USA)
Steele Vonhoff (Aus)

Movistar
Spain | UCI WorldTour
Director: Alfonso Galilea
Nairo Quintana (Col)
Angel Madrazo (Spa)
Alex Dowsett (GBr)
Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa)
Enrique Sanz Unzue (Spa)
Giovanni Visconti (Ita)

Omega Pharma-Quick Step
Belgium | UCI WorldTour
Director: Brian Holm
Mark Cavendish (GBr)
Michal Golas (Pol)
Iljo Keisse (Bel)
Alessandro Petacchi (Ita)
Martin Velits (Svk)
Julien Vermote (Bel)

Sky
Great Britain | UCI WorldTour
Director: Servais Knaven
Sir Bradley Wiggins (GBr)
Joshua Edmondson (GBr)
Bernhard Eisel (Aut)
Mathew Hayman (Aus)
David Lopez (Spa)
Ian Stannard (GBr)

Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
Italy | UCI Professional Continental
Director: Roberto Reverberi
Sacha Modolo (Ita)
Enrico Battaglin (Ita)
Stefano Pirazzi (Ita)
Edoardo Zardini (Ita)
Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita)
Enrico Barbin (Ita)

IAM Cycling
Switzerland | UCI Professional Continental
Director: Kjell Carlstrom
Martin Elmiger (Sui)
Heinrich Haussler (Aus)
Reto Hollenstein (Sui)
Thomas Lofkvist (Swe)
Johann Tschopp (Sui)
Marcel Wyss (Sui)

MTN-Qhubeka
South Africa | UCI Professional Continental
Director: Jens Zemke
Gerald Ciolek (Ger)
Andreas Stauff (Ger)
Ferekalsi Debesay (Eri)
Meron Russom (Eri)
Sergio Pardilla (Spa)
Songezo Jim (RSA)

Sojasun
France | UCI Professional Continental
Director: Gilles Pauchard
Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra)
Jeremie Galland (Fra)
Christophe Laborie (Fra)
David Le Lay (Fra)
Rony Martias (Fra)
Jean Lou Paiani (Fra)

NetApp-Endura
Germany | UCI Professional Continental
Director: Christian Pomer
Jonathan McEvoy (GBr)
Erick Rowsell (GBr)
Scott Thwaites (GBr)
Michael Schwarzmann (Ger)
Ralf Matzka (Ger)
Andreas Schillinger (Ger)

UnitedHealthcare
USA | UCI Professional Continental
Director: Hendrik Redant
Philip Deignan (Irl)
Marc de Maar (Aho)
Chris Jones (USA)
Lucas Euser (USA)
Kiel Reijnen (USA)
Alessandro Bazzana (Ita)

AN Post Chain Reaction
Ireland | Continental
Director: Kurt Bogaerts
Sam Bennett (Irl)
Aaron Gate (NZl)
Shane Archbold (NZl)
Nicolas Verecken (Bel)
Alphonse Vermote (Bel)
Mark McNally (GBr)

IG-Sigma Sport
Great Britain | Continental
Director: Simon Howes
Peter Williams (GBr)
Peter Hawkins (Irl)
Wouter Sybrandy (Ned)
Ben Greenwood (GBr)
James Moss (GBr)
Matt Cronshaw (GBr)

Madison Genesis
Great Britain | Continental
Director: Roger Hammond
Andy Tennant (GBr)
Dominic Jelfs (Irl)
Ian Bibby (GBr)
Liam Holohan (GBr)
Alex Peters (GBr)
Dean Downing (GBr)

Node4-Giordana
Great Britain | Continental
Director: Malcolm Elliott
Mike Northey (NZl)
Roman Van Uden (NZl)
Shem Rodger (NZl)
Dan Barry (NZl)
Steve Lampier (GBr)
James Williamson (NZl)

Rapha Condor JLT
Great Britain | Continental
Director: John Herety
Kristian House (GBr)
Richard Handley (GBr)
Mike Cuming (GBr)
Luke Grivell-Mellor (GBr)
Felix English (Irl)
Hugh Carthy (GBr)

Raleigh
Great Britain | Continental
Director: Cherie Pridham
Lachlan Norris (Aus)
Tom Scully (NZl)
Mark Christian (GBr)
Evan Oliphant (GBr)
Eric Berthou (Fra)
Tom Moses (GBr)

UK Youth
Great Britain | Continental
Director: David Povall
Yanto Barker (GBr)
Marcin Bialoblocki (Pol)
Niklas Gustavsson (Swe)
Jon Mould (GBr)
Chris Opie (GBr)
Rob Partridge (GBr)

Great Britain
Great Britain | National team
Director: Keith Lambert
Simon Yates (GBr)
Adam Yates (GBr)
Alistair Slater (GBr)
Owain Doull (GBr)
George Atkins (GBr)
Samuel Lowe (GBr)

Art Vandelay

Pirazzi too, always good value!

RideOnTime

You wrote all this out yourself... good work...

Art Vandelay

Thanks. Loving your comedic flair.

morstar

Wiggo is team leader...

Do you think he'll ride for GC? I'm 50:50, last year he didn't which was understandable but this year I think he'd benefit from giving it a proper go. Latter stages of his road career, home Tour, morale boost etc. etc.

Or will it just be training miles prior to WC?

Pross

Nice to see Dan Martin riding. Possible winner? Should be good watching him up Caerphilly Mountain

Pross

The route information on the website is really good this year. There's a 3.2km 5% climb early on the Caerphilly stage and it doesn't even get categorised!

Art Vandelay

morstar wrote:

Wiggo is team leader...

Do you think he'll ride for GC? I'm 50:50, last year he didn't which was understandable but this year I think he'd benefit from giving it a proper go. Latter stages of his road career, home Tour, morale boost etc. etc.

Or will it just be training miles prior to WC?

I think only Wiggo can answer this. If he's motivated and willing to put it on the line he should be favourite for GC. There's that niggling doubt though that he just might not be arsed.

Art Vandelay

Pross wrote:

The route information on the website is really good this year. There's a 3.2km 5% climb early on the Caerphilly stage and it doesn't even get categorised!

That stage and the Devon stage the next day (along with the TT) look like they'll be the deciders - unless a random break gets away.

Richmond Racer

I'm not bothered whether he's riding GC or not. I'd actually rather see him smacking the TT, Stannard monstering a stage or two, and Josh Edmonson left off the leash up Haytor

LeicesterLad

Said to myself I wouldnt bother going to see any of it this year, then I saw this name on the start-list: Stefano Pirazzi. So now I'm going.

Art Vandelay

Yes - looking forward to Pirazzi terrorizing the peloton.

Art Vandelay

Yates x 2 as well. I think they be keen to show themselves.

thomthom

Despite the lack of interest on the roads, it was cracking racing last year with crosswinds and Wiggo's riding in the wrong direction.

Pross

ThomThom wrote:

Despite the lack of interest on the roads, it was cracking racing last year with crosswinds and Wiggo's riding in the wrong direction.

Not sure what you mean by the bit in bold but if you are talking about a lack of interest roadside by spectators you couldn't be more wrong as the crowds were absolutely enormous.

mike6

Pross wrote:

ThomThom wrote:

Despite the lack of interest on the roads, it was cracking racing last year with crosswinds and Wiggo's riding in the wrong direction.

Not sure what you mean by the bit in bold but if you are talking about a lack of interest roadside by spectators you couldn't be more wrong as the crowds were absolutely enormous.

Agreed. Biggest crowds for the ToB yet seen. Probably bigger this year with all the cycling interest in the media.

gsk82

i think thomthom means the lack of interest among the riders. the winner will probably be the best rider who can be bothered for more than one stage unfortunately.

has a decision been made on who will organise it going forward?

morstar

gsk82 wrote:

i think thomthom means the lack of interest among the riders. the winner will probably be the best rider who can be bothered for more than one stage unfortunately.

has a decision been made on who will organise it going forward?

Pretty sure Sweetspot won the rights again but can't remember where I read it.

Richmond Racer

morstar wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

i think thomthom means the lack of interest among the riders. the winner will probably be the best rider who can be bothered for more than one stage unfortunately.

has a decision been made on who will organise it going forward?

Pretty sure Sweetspot won the rights again but can't remember where I read it.

They did. New contract through to 2018

Anonymous

That GB team is good, looking for a good showing from them and UK Youth.

lyn1

sjmclean wrote:

That GB team is good, looking for a good showing from them and UK Youth.

They could target one of those "uncontested" subsidiary jerseys. It was harder to win a sprints and mountains jersey at the Tour Doon Hame Premier Cal. last year than at the Tour of Britain.

mroli

Bit harsh on Kristian House who won the mountains last year and is a classy rider. On the RCJLT front, I'm interested to see if Handley/Cuming can bring over their tour of Taiwan form....