| The Swiss IAM Cycling team will return to the Friends Life Tour of Britain for the second time with a strong line-up containing a trio of Grand Tour stage winners. Multiple French Champion and treble Tour de France stage winner Sylvain Chavanel will make his debut in Britain's biggest professional cycle race, alongside compatriot and former Giro d'Italia stage winner Jérôme Pineau, who also makes his debut. Australian Heinrich Haussler, a Tour de France stage winner in 2009 and the man famously pipped to Milan San Remo victory by Mark Cavendish in the same year is the final member of the illustrious trio. Currently scheduled to return from injury is Mathias Frank, who broke his femur on Stage Seven of the Tour de France this Summer. Before that the Swiss rider has enjoyed a stellar season, winning stages of Criterium International and Bayern Rundfahrt, and finishing second overall in his home tour. Rounding out the provisional line-up are Austrian National Time Trial Champion Matthias Brändle and Norwegian Under-23 Champion Sondre Holst Enger. Reserves for the IAM Cycling team will be 2013 Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey winner and current Swiss National Champion Martin Elmiger, Kevyn Ista and eighth overall last year Sebastien Reichenbach. Further rider announcements will be made in due course, before the full provisional rider list is published on Monday 1st September. The full list of competing teams in the 2014 Friends Life Tour of Britain is as follows: An Post Chain Reaction; Bardiani CSF; Belkin Pro Cycling; BMC Racing; Garmin Sharp; Giordana Racing Team; Great Britain; IAM Cycing; Madison Genesis; Movistar Team; MTN Qhubeka; NFTO Pro Cycling; Omega Pharma Quick-Step; Rapha Condor JLT; Team Giant Shimano; Team NetApp Endura; Team Novo Nordisk; Team Raleigh; Team Sky; and Tinkoff Saxo. |
The Friends Life Tour of Britain Re-launched in 2004 after a five year absence from the calendar, the Friends Life Tour of Britain is now the UK's biggest professional cycle race and the country's largest free-to-watch sporting event. Upgraded to 2.HC level by the UCI, the sport's governing body, for 2014, the Friends Life Tour of Britain attracts the world's top cyclists, including Olympic and World Champions and Tour de France stage winners, to compete on British roads each September. The Friends Life Tour of Britain 2014 Stage One Sunday 7 September Liverpool Stage Two Monday 8 September Knowsley to Llandudno Stage Three Tuesday 9 September Newtown to the Tumble Stage Four Wednesday 10 September Worcester to Bristol Stage Five Thursday 11 September Exmouth to Exeter Stage Six Friday 12 September Bath to Hemel Hempstead Stage Seven Saturday 13 September Camberley to Brighton Stage Eight a Sunday 14 September London individual time trial, presented by TfL Stage Eight b Sunday 14 September London circuit race, presented by TfL |