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Olympic Games Time Trial Silver medallist Tom Dumoulin leads the latest top riders to be provisionally confirmed for this year's Tour of Britain, which begins in Glasgow on Sunday 4 September.
The Dutchman who rides for Team Giant Alpecin is one of a quartet of top time trialists to be added to the provisional rider line-up, including Movistar Team's British Time Trial Champion Alex Dowsett, Team Sky's Ian Stannard and former Under-23 World Time Trial Championship Silver medallist Ryan Mullen. The four join a provisional list of ace time trialists that already includes Sir Bradley Wiggins, Taylor Phinney and Rohan Dennis who will be targeting the Tour of Britain's 15-kilometre individual time trial in Bristol on Saturday 10 September. Dumoulin, who is the Dutch Time Trial Champion, will make his debut in the Tour of Britain leading Team Giant Alpecin. The 25-year-old won two stages of this Summer's Tour de France, winning a summit finish in the Pyrenees and an individual time trial, and the opening stage time trial at the Giro d'Italia in May. Movistar's Alex Dowsett will ride the Tour of Britain for a sixth time, having won an individual time trial in London in 2011 and worn the Yellow Jersey for a day in 2014 after a memorable breakaway through the Chilterns. The 27-year-old is a four-time British Time Trial Champion. Ryan Mullen is a former Irish Time Trial Champion who took second place in the 2014 Under-23 World Time Trial Championship. The Cannondale Drapac rider went to school in North Wales, close to where Stage Four will start from Denbigh on Wednesday 7 September. "It's one of the races I genuinely look forward to in the season,” said Mullen. "It was the first week long professional stage race I ever rode and I really hope to make a return every year.” "The crowds are always electric and the whole atmosphere of racing on effectively home roads is so cool. Sadly it's always an absolute slogging match but it's one I do enjoy. I think!” Team Sky's Ian Stannard, a two time winner of the Het Nieuwsblad classic, is a strong time trialist in his own right, having come second behind Sir Bradley Wiggins in the time trial at Knowsley Safari Park during the 2013 Tour of Britain. "The addition of riders of the calibre of Tom Dumoulin and Alex Dowsett to the provisional rider list will make the time trial on the Bristol Stage presented by OVO Energy a must-see event,” said Tour of Britain Race Director Mick Bennett. "It will be a rare treat for spectators to see the likes of Tom and Alex going head-to-head with Sir Bradley Wiggins, Rohan Dennis and others on British roads. We now look forward to seeing who will triumph on what is a tough time trial course.” Already confirmed for the Tour of Britain are the likes of Olympic medallists Owain Doull and Mark Cavendish, plus multiple Tour de France stage winners Andre Greipel, and Steve Cummings, and former Tour of Britain summit finish stage winners Wout Poels and Edoardo Zardini. Three-hours of live coverage will be broadcast from each stage of the Tour of Britain, with both ITV4 and the BIKE Channel UK showing the race live, while ITV4 will also air a one-hour highlights programme each day. The Tour of Britain is British Cycling's premier road cycling event giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world's best teams and riders competing on their door step. |
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