TEAM Sky have confirmed that Geraint Thomas and Owain Doull are set to be part of their line-up for the OVO Energy Tour of Britain, which finishes in their home city of Cardiff on Sunday 10 September.
Thomas, who won the opening stage of the Tour de France in Dusseldorf this July, will make his return from injury at the race, which gets underway in Edinburgh on Sunday 3 September, making his first appearance in Britain’s national Tour since 2011, when he won the Points Classification.
Commenting on the news, Geraint Thomas said: “It’s always great to be able to race in front of home fans, so I’m really looking forward to the Tour of Britain. I haven’t had the chance to race at home much in recent years, but the atmosphere at London 2012, then at the home stages of the Tour de France and Commonwealth Games in 2014, has always stayed with me.
“The support from British fans is always fantastic when we race abroad – especially from the Welsh fans!
“There aren’t many races now where I don’t see the flag at the side of the road, and it just gives you such a boost.
“Obviously, it was the first thing the Welsh guys spoke about when we saw that the finish was going to be in Cardiff. I’m sure the fans will do us proud – that’s going to be a great day.”
Owain Doull finished third overall and won the Points Classification in the 2015 Tour of Britain, and, like Thomas, is excited by the prospect of racing into his home city in Britain’s biggest professional race.
“I can’t wait to be back racing in the UK, especially with the race finishing in my hometown of Cardiff.
“This will be my fifth time racing the Tour of Britain and my first time racing with Team Sky so it will be an even bigger event for me. The crowds just seem to get bigger every year, so it’s a race I really look forward to.”
Former World champion, Michal Kwiatkowski, has already been confirmed by Team Sky for the OVO Energy Tour of Britain, with their full six-rider Team Sky line-up for the race to be confirmed ahead of the race.
This year’s OVO Energy Tour of Britain will finish in Cardif, as the first Welsh venue to host the overall finish of the race. Stage Eight on Sunday 10 September will begin in the city of Worcester, and pass through Pershore in Worcestershire, Ledbury in Herefordshire and Newport in south Wales before riders tackle three laps of a city centre circuit in Cardiff, with the finish on King Edward VII Avenue by City Hall.
OVO Energy, one of the UK’s top-rated independent energy suppliers, was announced as the title sponsor of the Tour of Britain at the end of April.
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.
ENDS
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 recognised as 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
Media contacts for stage one – Edinburgh
Katy Allison, media and social media officer, Communications, the City of Edinburgh Council | T: 0131 529 4452 | M: + 44 (0)7885 976 519 | E: katy.allison@edinburgh.gov.uk
Paddy Cuthbert | Littlehouse Media | M: +44 (0)7913 951717 |
E: paddy@littlehousemedia.co.uk
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