Some of the Worlds Greatest Riders Announced for UK's Tour de Yorkshire
Some of the world’s best and most exciting riders will descend on Yorkshire for what promises to be an electric weekend of racing at the Tour de Yorkshire. 3 stages that start this Friday April 29th. Last year’s Tour was won by Lars Peter Nordhaug (Team Sky).
Some of the world’s best and most exciting riders will descend on Yorkshire for what promises to be an electric weekend of racing at the Tour de Yorkshire.
Among the top names released today for the men’s and women’s races are World and Olympic champions, world record holders, as well as Grand Tour and Monument winners. In total, 38 riders on the provisional rider list have ridden in the Tour de France and 25 have taken part in all three Grand Tours. We will also see the welcome return of many riders who competed in last year’s Tour de Yorkshire including the winners of both men’s and women’s races.
Sir Bradley Wiggins will celebrate his birthday in Yorkshire as he prepares for the race with his Team Wiggins teammates, and last year’s winner, Team Sky’s Lars Petter Nordhaug, will be joining us again, as well as Pete Kennaugh, current British road champion, and Luke Rowe. Australian team Orica GreenEDGE will bring British rider Adam Yates as well as Mathew Hayman, who cycling fans will instantly recognise as the winner of this year’s
BMC will bring Rohan Dennis (former hour record holder and Tour de France yellow jersey wearer), as well as Ben Hermans who won Stage 3 of the Tour de Yorkshire last year. Also returning to the race are Cofidis rider Nicolas Edet (winner of the overall King of the Mountain classification in 2015) and ever popular rider, Thomas Voeckler from Direct Energie. Dimension Data will bring Tour de France stage winner Steve Cummings, who will be joined by Bernie Eisel. Giant Alpecin are bringing Warren Barguil, Bert De Backer and Koen de Kort.
The men’s race will also see a very strong Yorkshire contingent, with ten riders. Racing for the Great Britain team will be Frazer Clacherty, Gabriel Cullaigh and Oliver Wood; JLT Condor bring Russ Downing, Graham Briggs and Tom Moses. Madison Genesis rider Tom Stewart will take part, as will NFTO’s Josh Edmondson, plus honorary Yorkshireman who lives in Skipton, One Pro Cycling’s Pete Williams. Joining Bradley Wiggins at Team Wiggins is Liam Holohan.
The Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire, with a new format and full stage exactly the same as the men’s race, marks a step change in the approach to women’s race organisation in the UK. World Champion and
Otley born Lizzie Armitstead will lead the women’s peloton out from her home town towards Doncaster on a 135km route which is fully televised and offers one of the biggest prize funds in the world. Also racing are some of the top female riders including British Olympian Danielle King riding for Wiggle High5, Kirsten Wild and the Hitec Products squad, as well as Shelley Olds racing with Cylance Pro Cycling. The race will also see the return of 2015 winner, Louise Mahé, racing with Les Filles Racing Team. Also making a welcome return to Yorkshire is Dame Sarah Storey OBE, racing with her Podium Ambition Pro Cycling Powered By Club La Santa team.
In 2015 the first edition of the Tour de Yorkshire attracted over 1.5million spectators and a £50m boost to the regional economy. Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said “In just our second edition we have attracted some incredible riders with great depth and experience, and I’m delighted with how many riders are making a return to Yorkshire from the 2014 Tour de France and 2015 Tour de Yorkshire.The Asda Women’s race marks a real turning point for women’s racing and with full tv coverage for both races, we can’t wait till the spotlight falls on Yorkshire once again on 29 April”.
Stage 1: Friday, April 29, 184km Beverly – Settle
Stage one begins in Beverley, home to one of England’s finest Minsters, before the peloton races to Tadcaster and on to Knaresborough which was the scene of some of the biggest crowds for the Tour de France in 2014. Taking in some of the Grand Départ 2014 route, a series of climbs takes the riders past Brimham Rocks before a finish in Settle.
Stage 1 could see a a bunch sprint or a breakaway.
Stage 2: Saturday, April 30, 135.5km Otley – Doncaster
Stage 3: Sunday, May 1, 196km Middlesbrough – Scarborough
Stage three will be familiar to those who raced in 2015, starting in Captain James Cook’s home town of Middlesbrough, then into Herriot Country before tackling the infamous Sutton Bank, the first of six King of the Mountain points in just one stage. Riders then head over the North York Moors and down towards Scarborough for what promises to be a thrilling finale and a race to the very end.
Stage 3 could be one for the climbers.
Men’s race:
25 riders ridden all three Grand Tours
38 riders have ridden in the Tour de France
49 riders have ridden in La Vuelta
35 riders have ridden in the Giro D’Italia
1 TdF winner (Wiggins)
6 TdF stage winners (Wiggins, Rohan Dennis, Thomas Voeckler, Stephen Cummings, Marcus Burghardt, Pieter Weening)
2 former World Champions (Wiggins and Dennis)
2 monuments winners (Matt Goss – Milan San Remo and Mathew Hayman – Paris Roubaix)
Men’s race Yorkshire Riders:
Great Britain: Frazer Clacherty, Gabriel Cullaigh, Oliver Wood JLT Condor: Russ Downing, Graham Briggs, Tom Moses Madison Genesis: Tom Stewart
NFTO: Josh Edmondson
One Pro Cycling: Pete Williams (not born in Yorkshire but lives in Skipton)
Team Wiggins: Liam Holohan
Men’s Key Riders:
BMC: Rohan Dennis (former hour record holder, TDF yellow jersey wearer), Ben Hermans (Stage 3 winner last year)
Cofidis: Nicolas Edet (TdY KoM last year) Direct Energie: Thomas Voeckler
Orica GreenEDGE: Adam Yates, Mathew Hayman (Paris Roubaix winner), Caleb Ewan (Australian National Criterium Champion) Team Dimension Data: Steve Cummings, Bernie Eisel
Giant Alpecin: Warren Barguil, Bert De Backer, Koen de Kort Team Sky:
Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Key Riders:
Lizzie Armitstead (GBR) -
Julien D’Hoore (BEL) – Wiggle High5
Leah Kirchmann (CAN) – Team Liv – Plantur Annalisa Cucinotta (ITA) – Ale‘ Cipollini Marta Bastianelli (ITA)
Louise Mahe (GBR) – Les Filles Racing Team: defending champion Dame Sarah Storey OBE – Podium Ambition Pro Cycling Powered By Club La Santa
Stage 1 to Fribourg 165km
