A fortnight ahead of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire, an all-star cast has assembled for what promises to be much more than a ceremonial send-off for Bradley Wiggin.
Yorkshire – Wiggins, Swift & Kittel top the bill
Event Press Release | Click for the rider list
Fifteen years ago, when a callow 20-year-old named Bradley Wiggins prepared to embark on a career as a professional road cyclist, the idea that he would end that journey with a race in Yorkshire would have surprised no one.
Until that point, only a handful of British cyclists had possessed the talent and endeavour to outgrow the domestic goldfish bowl and make a splash in Europe’s biggest races, so why would Wiggins be any different?
If Yorkshire in 2015 was going to be his end of the line – and he would have done well to stick around that long – his final competitive outing would no doubt be in some local time trial, for years the bread and butter of the British racing scene.
How times have changed – and changed because of Wiggins. If the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire is to welcome some of the world’s top riders over three days this May, it is in large part thanks to Sir Brad’s Tour de France victory in 2012 – the big bang in a wider explosion for cycling in Great Britain.
The scale of that boom will be evident in Yorkshire, as Wiggins makes his debut for his very own, eponymous team, Team Wiggins. Seven other British squads will take their place on the starting grid, including, of course, Wiggins’s alma mater, Team Sky.
In Ben Swift, Sky also possess a Yorkshire native and one of the favourites for both stage victories and overall honours on an undulating, unpredictable route borrowing many of the roads and climbs showcased in last year’s Tour de France Grand Départ.
Wiggins, Swift and Sky’s other headline acts apart, the star attraction is a rider who revelled in the Tour’s visit to Yorkshire last year, German sprinter Marcel Kittel. The Giant-Alpecin powerhouse will be hotly tipped to win stages 1 and 2, but faces a stern test on the hillier terrain heading into Leeds on the final afternoon.
The course that day may be more suited to Beijing 2008 Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez (BMC Racing Team), to Steven Kruijswijk of Team Lotto NL-Jumbo, or to British rider Steve Cummings of MTN-Qhubeka and his team-mate Gerald Ciolek. A pair of Frenchmen with king of the mountains titles in major tours to their name, Nicolas Edet of Cofidis and Thomas Voeckler of Europcar, can also be expected to come alive as the race climbs up into the Moors.
What Wiggins, the returning, departing prodigal son definitely won’t get is an easy ride. Which, after an odyssey as long and testing as his, is no doubt just the way he would have wanted it.
TEAMS & RIDERS IN BREIF (FULL LIST HERE)
Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise: Capiot (Bel)
Cult Energy Pro Cycling: Downing (Gbr), Gerdemann (Ger)
Cofidis, Solutions Crédits: Edet, Simon, Hardy (Fra)
Team Europcar: Gautier, Voeckler (Fra), Craven (Nab)
Team Giant-Alpecin: Kittel (Ger), Sinkeldam (Ned)
Great Britain: Gibson (Gbr)
JLT Condor: House, Clancy (Gbr)
Madison Genesis: Rowsell (Gbr), Scully (Nz)
NFTO: Von Hoff, Bibby, Dunbar
ONE Pro Cycling: Barker, Williams (Gbr)
Team Raleigh GAC: Domagalski (Pol), Wilkinson (Gbr)
Team Sky: Swift, Fenn (Gbr), Sebastian Henao (Col)
Team Wiggins: Wiggins, Doull, Dibben (Gbr)
Roompot Oranje Peloton: Kreder, Duijn (Ned)
Team Lotto NL-Jumbo: Hofland, Kruijswijk, Tjallingii (Ned)
MTN-Qhubeka: Cummings (Gbr), Ciolek (Ger), Kudus (Eri), Brammeier (Irl)
IAM Cycling: Pelucchi (Ita)
BMC Racing Team: Sanchez (Spa), Burghardt (Ger), Van Avermaet (Bel)
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- TT Result: Manchester & District TTA 10m TT
- TT Result: Northampton & District CA 10m TT
- TT Result: Knockhill Mountain Time Trial
- Youth Result: Lawford Youth Series
- TT Result: Bristol South CC Hardriders
- TT Result: Newmarket Cycling & Triathlon Club TT
- Paracycling Track Worlds Day 4
- Para CyclingWorlds Final Day
- Startlist: National Youth Circuit Series Rd 1
- TT Result: Orwell Velo 15m TT
- TT Result: Hull Thursday RC Hard Riders 2Up
- TT Result: VC Sevale 10m TT
- TT Result: Maldon & District CC Hilly 22m TT
- Youth Result: SCC Youth Races
- Youth Result: ERC Ben Forsyth CRY Youth Race Day
- Report/Result: Azets Spring Classic
- Track Result: Manchester Regional Track League
- Startlists: RCR Fat Creations Road Races
- Crit Result: Not the Portsmouth Easter Circuits
- Crit Result: March Hare Classic
- Crit Result: Haus RT – Darley Moor #3
- Crit Results: Spring MK Bowl Series #3
- Crit Result: No Nonsense Circuit Races 1
- Crit Result: Salt Ayre Spring Series #3
- RR Result: NCRA Handicap RR #3
- RR Result: Halesowen Academy Road Race
- RR Result: Primavera Pursuit Road Race
- Startlist: Capernwray Road Race (March 31)
- TT Result: VTTA Kent 8 mile TT
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team TT
- TT Result: Banbury Star CC 21m TT
- TT Result: Velo Club St Raphael 16.5 TT
- TT Result: Port Talbot Whs 13m TT
- TT Result: Cleveland Whs Sporting 21.7m TT
- TT Result: Velotik RT 15m TT
- TT Result: Border City Whs Hilly 20.2m TT
- TT Result: Hemel Hempstead CC 16m TT
- Result/Report: Nick Corkill RR
- Team Report: Shibden Apex RT Junior Men
- Crit Result: Schils Spring Circuit Races 2
Other News on VeloUK
- Paracycling Track Worlds Day 4
- Para CyclingWorlds Final Day
- Startlist: National Youth Circuit Series Rd 1
- Report/Result: Azets Spring Classic
- Startlists: RCR Fat Creations Road Races
- Startlist: Capernwray Road Race (March 31)
- Team Report: Fensham Howes MAS Design Junior Team
- Team Report: CiCLE Classic Junior Men
- RIDER REPORTS – Zoe Parker (Solihull CC)
- GB News: Two World Titles for GB at Para Worlds
- Team News: Alba Development Road Team
- News: British Road Champs Return to NE
- THIS WEEKEND: Peaks Two Day is Back!
- News: Laura Kenny Retires
- Team News: Lee Valley Youth Cycling Team
- 2024/25 CYCLO-CROSS CALENDAR
- Startlist: Cardiff Ajax CC 10 Mile TT
- Startlists: 16th Gifford Road Races (Scotland)
- News: Ellingworth is new Tour of Britain Director
- Startlist: Circuit of Ingleborough TT
- STARTLIST: Evesham Vale Road Race 2024
- Mammoth fields for Women’s/Junior Men’s CiCLE Classics
- Saturday: Fusion Media Women’s Series Rd 1
- Saint Piran’s Global Women’s Project
- Ribble Rebellion: The Riders
- Team News: Ribble Rebellion Team Launch
- British Classics – 64th Wally Gimber Trophy
- Startlist: 62nd Eddie Soens
- Startlist: 10th Junior Men’s CiCLE Classic (March 17)
- Startlist: 8th Women’s CiCLE Classic (March 17)
- Startlist: 40th Jock Wadley Memorial RR
- Riders: Azets Spring Classic (March 24)
- Bike News: DJ Spoony’s Special & unique Ribble Ultra SL R
- GB Team News: Helen Scott now Men’s Sprint Podium Potential Coach
- Startlist: Royal Navy Cup 2024
- News: Halesowen Academy 2024
- Report: Day 3 British Track Championships
- New Women’s Series in the Midlands
- News: RideLondon Classique
- Event News: CiCLE Classic (Women & Junior Men)