Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas and Giro d’Italia winner Chris Froome will ride together in the Tour of Britain for the first time since 2009
![]() |
News: Thomas & Froome for Tour of Britain
Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas and Giro d’Italia winner Chris Froome will ride together in the Tour of Britain for the first time since 2009
Picture: Photosport International
The British pair, who placed first and third in July’s Tour de France, will both be on the start line of Britain’s biggest annual sporting event in Pembrey Country Park, Carmarthenshire, on Sunday 2 September. They will be joined by Dutchman Wout Poels, himself a three-time stage winner in the race, including the hill-top finishes at Hartside and Haytor. The rest of the Team Sky line-up will be announced in due course.
Thomas said: “As soon as I’d finished the Tour I knew I wanted to ride the Tour of Britain and race on home roads. It starts in Wales which will be special, and then I get to go and race across the whole of the UK. I can’t wait. I want to go to the race in the shape to compete and enjoy it. We’ll have to see how the next few weeks go but I’m looking forward to it and I know we will have a strong team there. Wout is looking really good at the moment too.”
Welshman Thomas is a regular at the Tour of Britain, having ridden it eight times since his debut with a Great British national team in 2005. He finished sixth overall in 2009 and wore the British Road Race Champion’s jersey during the race in 2010 (Team Sky’s debut in the event), while his seventh-placed finish in the 2017 edition also saw him crowned the Best British Rider.
… continued after advert
Froome’s two participations to date came in 2007 and 2009. He placed 31st overall in the former, while two years later (when he lined up alongside Thomas as part of the Barloworld-Bianchi team) he finished 50th. Since then he has established himself as the leading Grand Tour rider of his generation, having won four Tours de France, the 2017 Vuelta a Espana and the 2018 Giro d’Italia.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve raced the Tour of Britain,” said Froome. “The Vuelta a Espana has always been such a big goal and sadly coincided with the Tour of Britain, but not doing La Vuelta this year gives me the chance to come back to the UK and race on what looks like a great parcours. I’m really looking forward to riding. I always remember there being a great atmosphere at the Tour of Britain and the race has only got bigger over the years. I’m really looking forward to coming back.”
Poels needs little introduction to British cycling fans, having ridden alongside Froome in five of his seven Grand Tour victories, as well as Thomas at this year’s Tour de France. He won his first Tour of Britain stage aged just 23, when he soloed to victory in Teignmouth on Stage Four in 2010.
Already confirmed for the 2018 OVO Energy Tour of Britain are Team KATUSHA ALPECIN’s Marcel Kittel and Alex Dowsett.
Cycle Division’s Shop
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Q&A Feature: Finlay Tarling
- Feature: Prologue Junior Race Team
- Feature Q&A: Max Cushway (2nd U23 Chrono des Nations TT)
- Features, Reports, Results
- CX Result: National Trophy Cyclopark Day 2
- CX Results: National Trophy Cyclopark (Day 1)
- CX Result: South East Regional Cyclocross Champs
- Q&A Sam Watson (FDJ – World Tour)
- Q&A: Antony Wallis (veteran champion)
- THIS WEEKEND: National Trophy Round 5 (Cyclopark)
- Team News: Tim Elverson Signs for Israel – Premier Tech
- Team News: New Boss at Ineos Announced
- CX Result: Welsh Cyclocross Championships
- CX Result: North of England CX Championships
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series #9
- CX Result: West Midlands Regional Championships
- CX Result: Western & Wessex CX Championships
- CX Result: Central CX Regional Championships
- CX Result: South West Regional CX Championships
- CX Result: Leicestershire Cyclo-Cross League 5
- CX Result: Eastern Cyclo-Cross League
- Track Result: Premier/First Divisions of Manchester Track League
- News: Scottish Awards Evening
- CX Result: 2023 Scottish Cyclo-Cross Championship
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Circuit Series #8
- CX Result: NWCCA League Rd 7
- CX Result: London and South East CX League 9
- CX Result: Shimano Lazer WMCCL R11
- News: TLI Cycling AGM
- CX Result: CCXL Round 10
- CX Result: Western CX League Rd 7
- CX Result: Lincolnshire CX League 10
- CX Result: CXNE Round 8 (Ponteland)
- CX Result: Wessex Cyclocross League Rd 9
- CX Result: South West Cyclocross League 7
- CX Result: Yorkshire Cyclo-Cross League 6
- The Pedal Club with Fred Wright
- CX Result: Eastern Region Cyclocross League
- Track Result: Premier/First Division Manchester Track League
- Products: Santini Adapt Multi Jacket
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Circuit Series #7
- CX Result: Scottish Cyclo-Cross League 5
- Q&A: Thomas Portsmouth (Bingoal WB)
- CX Result: NWCCA League Round 6
Other News on VeloUK
- THIS WEEKEND: National Trophy Round 5 (Cyclopark)
- Team News: Tim Elverson Signs for Israel – Premier Tech
- Team News: New Boss at Ineos Announced
- News: Scottish Awards Evening
- News: TLI Cycling AGM
- The Pedal Club with Fred Wright
- Team News: Finn Mason joins U23 Saint Piran Team
- Team News: Wightlink-Wight Mountain CRT
- Team News: Saint Piran launches Women’s Elite MTB Team
- Team News: New for Saint Piran – Under 23 Team
- Team News: Harry Birchill stays with Saint Piran
- National Trophy CX – Round 4 Startlist
- Team News: Class of GB 2023/2024
- Feature: Q&A with Cormac Nisbet
- Team News: Wightlink-Wight Mountain CRT
- Team News: Tofauti Everyone Active & dsm-firmenich
- BIKES: The Ribble Cycles Edit
- Q&A Feature: Finlay Tarling
- BMCR News: 2023 Stallard Series
- Obituary: Barrie Mitchell
- Feature: Prologue Junior Race Team
- Team News: RFDA cycling team finishes
- Team News: Harry Tanfield signs for Saint Piran
- News: GB for CX Europeans
- Manchester Regional Track League News:
- News: cyclo-cross commission at Derby
- Startlist: National Trophy Cyclocross Round 3 (Derby)
- Team News: Two More Years at Ineos for Geraint Thomas
- News: The Pedal Club Lunch October
- Startlist: RTTC National Hill Climb Championship
- Perfs Pedal: A Difficult Decision
- Startlist: Day 2 Round 2 National Trophy Cyclocross
- Startlist: Day 1 Round 2 National Trophy Cyclocross
- Coming Soon: Hill Climb Championships
- 2023 UCI World Masters Track Cycling Championships Day 4
- 93rd VeloViewer Monsal Hill Climb Event Preview
- Dedication to the late Steve Knight
- Saint Piran’s Remarkable Journey
- GB Riders for European Road Championships
- News: Ribble Launches Stone into Gravel