News – NFTO get place in Tour of Britain

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The race is on for NFTO to select the six most suited riders for the Tour of Britain after the team are selected among the 20 squads to ride the race

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News – NFTO get place in Tour of Britain

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The NFTO team in the Pearl Izumi Tour  Series step up now to tackle the biggest road race in Britain, the Tour of Britain with Steele Von Hoff (left) looking to get stuck in among the sprints

One of the country’s top pro teams and winners of major events such as the Chorley GP, the CiCLE Classic and the Ryedale GP, NFTO have been selected to ride the 2015 Aviva Tour of Britain.

“We will definitely be coming into the Tour of Britain with the best form possible, and we have riders that are able to mix it with the top tier riders, said NFTO Sports Director, Dave Povall.

“We always come into the UCI races with big goals and expectations as we displayed this year at Tour of Yorkshire and our aim will be to animate the race and hopefully get a guy standing on top step of the podium. We’re not coming just to make up numbers.”

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Tour of Yorkshire and Eddie Dunbar was not afraid to go flat stick up the big hills until a crash ended a great chance of a big result

The Tour of Britain will be spending a few days in Scotland, home to the team’s major sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management which provides extra incentive for the team to do well there. Martin Gilbert, chief executive of Aberdeen Asset Management, says of the team racing in Scotlamd, “The Tour of Britain is the UK’s best road race cycling event and NFTO’s selection is testament to their riders’ ability.”

“Cycling is hugely popular among our staff and clients so I’m sure plenty of them will be giving the team their support from the roadside when they pass through Edinburgh and London where we have offices.”

Speaking to Povall about the ambitions and potential line up for the NFTO Tour of Britain Team he explained, “It’s going to be hard to decide on the final line- up. We have some real talent in the team with the likes of former World Tour rider, Steele von Hoff and U/23 Irish Road Race and Time Trial Champion, Eddie Dunbar who both who have real chances at a stage win.

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In superb form is Ian Bibby, winner of the Ryedale GP and the Chorley GP as well as a stage in the RAS.

Steele’s a rider who has had some success and near misses at the Tour of Britain in the past and is eager to get a result this year. He’s already had a World Tour win under his belt at Tour Down Under this year, and he’s focused on training so he can take on the likes of Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel in the sprints.”

“Eddie has been riding phenomenally recently and his results at the Irish National Championships show it’s not going to be long before he’s winning some very big races. We’ll give him a chance to get in the breaks and see what he can do. Some of those lumpy stages up North will really suit his attacking style”.

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“Then with the depth of talent within the team with Ian Bibby, Johnny McEvoy, Rob Partridge, Hank Lowsley- Williams, Dale Appleby and Edmund Bradbury (silver in the British Men’s Time Trial Championships) within the roster it’s going to be a hard group to narrow down, explained Povall.”

“The Tour of Britain starts in North Wales this year, and with a number of Welsh riders on the team, we’ll be looking to animate the race from the gun, and put on a display there. We rode the stages over the last week and we know what to expect, said Povall.”

“The countdown is on, I’m really excited to be racing the Tour of Britain in the teams backyard”, said NFTO sprinter Steele von Hoff. “The crowds are always spectacular in Britain, and the World Tour teams attending will be sending a top field, which makes for exhilarating racing. I’m hoping that a few of the stages come down to bunch sprints so I can go up against some of the best sprinters in the world where I’ve had some good results before.”

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