Team Dimension Data’s Mark Cavendish, Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas and Elia Viviani and Team Katusha Alpecin’s Alexander Kristoff and Tony Martin are amongst the big names of world cycle road racing hoping to be in Edinburgh for the start of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain on Sunday 3 September.
The 20 teams for the 2017 OVO Energy Tour of Britain have been announced, in a line-up that will feature ten UCI WorldTour teams, plus a further three squads that have competed in one of the two Grand Tours so far in 2017.
All of the top five teams in the current UCI WorldTour rankings – Quick-Step Floors; Team Sky; BMC Racing; Movistar Team and Orica Scott – will be at the OVO Energy Tour of Britain.
The OVO Energy Tour of Britain gets underway in Edinburgh on Sunday 3 September, beginning from the city’s iconic Royal Mile outside St Giles’ Cathedral. Following the depart of the world’s top teams and riders in Stage One, amateur cyclists will have the chance to ride around Edinburgh on traffic-free roads in the HSBC UK City Ride. Spectators are encouraged to register in advance for their free place, by clicking here.
Edinburgh’s Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Donald Wilson, said: “From Cavendish to Kristoff, cycling’s finest will set off from the Royal Mile before winding through our Old Town and towards East Lothian.
“Not only will spectators will be able to enjoy the sight of the Tour of Britain Grand Depart, they will also have the chance to pedal after the professionals at Edinburgh’s HSBC City Ride. We’re delighted to be hosting the first leg of the competition in Edinburgh and this mass participation cycle for the very first time. Come out and see these teams compete through our city streets.”
Returning to the OVO Energy Tour of Britain will be Team Katusha Alpecin, who have confirmed Alexander Kristoff, winner of the European Championship Road Race and Prudential RideLondon – Surrey Classic on consecutive weekends, and his teammate World Time Trial Champion Tony Martin, who won the Bristol stage last year, as part of their provisional line-up.
“The Tour of Britain is not only a perfect race in my build-up to the World Championships, I will also try to win some stages”, said Alexander Kristoff. “For me it is a return to this race after eight-years. I still have good memories of my participation in 2009. Moreover, I always perform well on British soil. I took my Olympic medal in London as well as the victory in last week’s RideLondon-Surrey Classic WorldTour race. I really look forward participating in the OVO Energy Tour of Britain.”
Alongside Kristoff the OVO Energy Tour of Britain looks set to attract the world’s top sprinters, with Team Dimension Data’s Mark Cavendish targeting the Tour to return from his Tour de France injury, and Sky’s Elia Viviani publically aiming to add to his four stage wins in the race.
Viviani’s Team Sky teammate Geraint Thomas has already vowed in interviews to race the OVO Energy Tour of Britain for the first time since 2011, with the overall finish of the Tour in his home city of Cardiff for the first time on Sunday 10 September.
Commenting on the line-up, OVO Energy Tour of Britain Race Director Mick Bennett said; “We re delighted with this year’s line-up of teams for the OVO Energy Tour of Britain and with riders of the calibre of Geraint Thomas, Mark Cavendish and Alexander Kristoff coming out to say they will be targeting the OVO Energy Tour of Britain, this bodes for a fantastic spectacle for fans at the roadside and watching at home on television.
“The combination of teams from all three levels of the sport, plus the presence of a Great Britain national team and the continuation of six-man teams will continue to make for open and aggressive racing. While our four domestic UCI Continental squads have worked hard to qualify for their national Tour and to have the opportunity to race against the world’s best in front of their home support.”
Chris Houghton, Managing Director, OVO Energy, said: “As title sponsor, OVO Energy is helping to bring fans and spectators across the country unparalleled access to watch the world’s best teams and riders competing on their doorsteps. We believe in powering a sustainable future that is better for everyone through the use of smart technology. Cycling is the ultimate sustainable mode of transport and an innovation-led sport – with cyclists themselves generating millions of watts of energy each day across Britain and adopting the very best technology to manage and measure their performance.”
A trio of teams will make their OVO Energy Tour of Britain debuts in CCC Sprandi Polkowice from Poland, America’s Cylance Pro Cycling and BIKE Channel Canyon.
The latter are one of four domestic UCI Continental teams to have qualified for the Tour following their performances in British events during the course of 2017. The qualification process saw teams score points in British Cycling’s Spring Cup and Grand Prix Series, plus UCI events held in the UK, with JLT Condor heading the table ahead of ONE Pro Cycling, BIKE Channel Canyon and Madison Genesis.
A provisional rider list featuring all 120-riders for the OVO Energy Tour of Britain will be published towards the end of August.
Jonny Clay, British Cycling’s director of cycling, said: “This stellar line-up of riders again reinforces the regard in which the OVO Energy Tour of Britain is held among the world’s best riders and teams. We are extremely proud that, yet again, some of the most recognisable faces in our sport will be racing on British roads, inspiring the next generation of cyclists.
“This year, that inspiration to participation message is taken a step further with the staging of the HSBC UK City Ride in Edinburgh on the same day that the Tour departs the city. Giving people the opportunity to ride on traffic-free streets and also watch the best in the world compete perfectly encapsulates our major event strategy, and we’re looking forward to seeing thousands of people line the streets of Edinburgh and the other locations on the Tour route.”
The full list of teams for the OVO Energy Tour of Britain is as follows:
- An Post Chain Reaction (Ireland)
- Bardiani CSF (Italy)
- BIKE Channel Canyon (Great Britain)
- BMC Racing Team (USA)
- Cannondale Drapac Pro Cycling (USA)
- CCC Sprandi Polkowice (Poland)
- Cylance Pro Cycling (USA)
- Great Britain national team (Great Britain)
- JLT Condor (Great Britain)
- Lotto Soudal (Belgium)
- Madison Genesis (Great Britain)
- Movistar Team (Spain)
- ONE Pro Cycling (Great Britain)
- Orica Scott (Australia)
- Quick-Step Floors (Belgium)
- Team Dimension Data (South Africa)
- Team Katusha Alpecin (Germany)
- Team Lotto NL – Jumbo (Netherlands)
- Team Sky (Great Britain)
- Wanty Groupe Gobert (Belgium)
OVO Energy, the UK’s top rated independent energy supplier was announced as the title sponsor of the Tour of Britain at the end of April.
Live coverage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain will be shown on ITV4 and Eurosport in the UK, with both channels also screening daily highlights of the action.
The OVO Energy Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their door step, taking place between Sunday 3 and Sunday 10 September 2017.
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Katy Allison, Media and Social Media Officer, Communications, the City of Edinburgh Council | T: 0131 529 4452 | M: + 44 (0)7885 976 519 | E: [email protected]
Paddy Cuthbert | Littlehouse Media | M: +44 (0)7913 951717 |
Notes to Editors
| Stage One | Sunday 3 September | Edinburgh to Kelso | 190km |
| Stage Two | Monday 4 September | Kielder Water & Forest Park to Blyth | 211km |
| Stage Three | Tuesday 5 September | Normanby Hall Country Park to Scunthorpe | 178km |
| Stage Four | Wednesday 6 September | Mansfield to Newark-on-Trent | 165km |
| Stage Five | Thursday 7 September | The Tendring Stage Individual Time Trial | 16km |
| Stage Six | Friday 8 September | Newmarket to Aldeburgh | 187km |
| Stage Seven | Saturday 9 September | Hemel Hempstead to Cheltenham | 185km |
| Stage Eight | Sunday 10 September | Worcester to Cardiff | 180km |
About the OVO Energy Tour of Britain
Re-launched in 2004 after a five year absence from the calendar, the OVO Energy Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their doorstep. The OVO Energy Tour of Britain is the UK’s highest ranked professional stage race and the country’s largest free-to-watch sporting event, organised annually by SweetSpot Group.
Ranked at the 2.HC level by the UCI, the OVO Energy Tour of Britain attracts the world’s top cyclists, including Olympic and World Champions and Tour de France stage winners, to compete on British roads each September, with three-hours of live coverage a day on ITV4.
For further media information please visit www.thetour.co.uk/press
