Team Sky announce strong Tour of Britain line-up
Olympic Gold Medalists Geraint Thomas and Ed Clancy head to The Tour
Olympic Gold medalist Geraint Thomas will lead Team Sky in this September's Tour of Britain, alongside former Tour stage winner and King of the Mountains Ben Swift.
Thomas (pictured above) will be joined in The Tour of Britain by fellow Olympic Gold Medalist Ed Clancy, who leads the Rapha Condor Sharp team, which was also revealed today.
The Team Sky provisional line-up includes a strong British focus for their home Tour, with Thomas and Swift (pictured below) joined by rising stars Peter Kennaugh and Alex Dowsett, the latter of whom last week took his first professional victory at the Tour du Poitou in France.
2011 will be Thomas' sixth Tour of Britain, with the Welsh rider having finished sixth and twelfth in the last two editions, while Swift secured his first professional win the last time he rode The Tour in 2009, winning the stage from Hatherleigh to Yeovil.
The quartet will be joined by double Tour of Britain top ten finisher Michael Rogers, and fellow Australian Mathew Hayman.
"The announcement of such a strong Team Sky line-up clearly sends a message that the team is serious about winning The Tour of Britain and pulling on the IG Markets Gold Jersey," said Race Director Mick Bennett.
"In Geraint, Ben, Alex and Peter they have four of the finest British cyclists currently racing, all of whom are more than capable of winning The Tour of Britain.
"Rapha Condor Sharp also look to have a strong line-up, with which they will be hoping to become the first domestic British trade team to win a stage of The Tour of Britain."
In addition to World and Olympic Champion Clancy, Great Britain teammate Andy Tennant, himself a 2012 Olympics hopeful, will also ride for Rapha Condor Sharp, alongside former British Champion Kristian House.
Australian Zak Dempster and Namibian Dan Craven add international flavour to the line-up, which is completed by Devon cyclist Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, who will be looking forward to Stage Five of The Tour of Britain, which takes in many of the Devonian's training roads.
Sky Procycling provisional Tour of Britain line-up:
Alex Dowsett (GBr); Mathew Hayman (Aus); Peter Kennaugh (GBr); Michael Rogers (Aus); Ben Swift (GBr); Geraint Thomas (GBr);
Reserves: Steve Cummings (GBr); Greg Henderson (NZl); Jeremy Hunt (GBr)
Rapha Condor Sharp provisional Tour of Britain line-up:
Ed Clancy (GBr); Dan Craven (Nam); Zak Dempster (Aus); Kristian House (GBr); Jonathan Tiernan-Locke (GBr); Andy Tennant (GBr)
Reserves: Graham Briggs (GBr); Dean Downing (GBr); Ben Greenwood (GBr); Casey Munro (Aus); Dean Windsor (Aus);
The Tour of Britain begins in Peebles in the Scottish Borders on Sunday 11th September, finishing in central London on Sunday 18th September.Daily highlights of The Tour will be screened every evening on ITV4.
The Tour of Britain is proud to be partnered with The Prostate Cancer Charity.Don’t forget on Sunday 4th September your chance to ride the route of Stage One of The Tour of Britain in The Prostate Cancer Charity Tour Ride Scotland.Visit www.tourride.co.uk to sign-up!
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