A record-equalling 10 Brits heading for the Grand Départ in Utrecht
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Mark Cavendish is victorious again on the Champs Elysées in 2012(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Froome (Team Sky) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Geraint Thomas on the front at the 2013 Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Wiggins wraps up overall victory in the 2012 Tour on penultimate day's time trial(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Wiggins in a patriotic moment of celebration in 2012(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Bradley Wiggins on the podium in Paris in 2012(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Kennaugh working at the 2013 Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Froome, Stannard, Kennaugh, and Thomas team trialling in the 2013 Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Froome on his way to victory on Mont Ventoux in 2013(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Froome crosses the line in Paris to seal his 2013 Tour win(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Froome on the podium in Paris in 2013(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Froome and Thomas celebrate(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Simon Yates on the attack in his debut Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
World champion Cavendish notches another stage victory in 2012(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
David Millar wins a stage from a breakaway in 2012(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Boardman pulls on the yellow jersey in 1997(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Boardman surrounded by media at the 1997 Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Boardman riding for Crédit Agricole in the 1999 Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
David Millar wearing the yellow jersey in his first Tour in 2000(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cavendish takes a third of four stages at the 2008 Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
David Millar riding for Garmin-Slipstream in the 2009 Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cavendish winning on the Champs Elysees in the green jersey(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cummings riding for BMC at the 2012 Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Steve Cummings time trialling for BMC in the 2012 Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Ian Stannard (Team Sky) goes on the attack(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Luke Rowe (Team Sky)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) takes the British nationals for the second time(Image credit: SWpixcyclingphotos.com)
Luke Rowe (Sky) in the escape(Image credit: Photopress.be)
Stephen Cummings (MTN-Qhubeka)(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Alex Dowsett (Movistar) en route to his fourth national title(Image credit: Simon Wilkinson / SWpix.com)
Alex Dowsett celebrates his first GC victory(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alex Dowsett (Movistar) is on his way to setting the new Hour Record
Stephen Cummings celebrates his first win for MTN-Qhubeka.(Image credit: Sabine Jacob/CV/BettiniPhoto)
Peter Kennaugh holds off the charging field to take stage 1 of the Criterium du Dauphine.
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) in yellow(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Orica-GreenEdge's Adam Yates takes the overall lead at the Tour of Turkey(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Simon Yates (Orica-GreenEdge)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Orica-GreenEdge's Simon Yates finishes fifth(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Orica-GreenEdge's Adam Yates wins Stage 6 at the Tour of Turkey(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Despite the rip-roaring success of the Yorkshire Grand Départ of last year’s Tour de France, only four British riders were at the start, and only one made it to Paris.
12 months on and the picture looks decidedly different. No fewer than 10 Brits will take to start as the 102nd edition of the Tour de France kicks off in Utrecht on Saturday. That’s a record-equalling figure – the most since 1955.
Five of them – Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Ian Stannard, Peter Kennaugh, and debutant Luke Rowe – are from Team Sky, whose sole ambition is to put a second yellow jersey on the back of Froome. Stannard and Rowe will shepherd Froome through a Classics-flavoured opening week, while Thomas and Kennaugh will provide support across all terrain, including the mountains later in the race.
Elsewhere, Simon Yates gets another start with OricaGreenEdge and will be joined by his brother Adam, who is making his Tour debut. The two are still only 22 and the Australian team has stressed that the ambition will be to gain experience and go for a breakaway stage win rather than launch a concerted GC bid.
Alex Dowsett (Movistar) is another rider making his Tour de France debut after illness prevented him from taking to the start line last year. He’ll be riding in support of Nairo Quintana and will be of particular help in the team time trial on stage 9.
Mark Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep) is no stranger to the Tour and has racked up 25 career stage wins in the race. After being denied the opportunity to add to that tally last year, he’ll be as eager as ever across the relatively few sprint stages on this year's route.
Steve Cummings is the final British rider heading to France in July, riding for MTN-Qhubeka, the first African-registered team to ride the Tour. He has ridden Tours for Sky and BMC and will target the short opening time trial in Utrecht before showing his strength on the flat during the opening week and in the team trial.
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In our gallery above, you can see images of all these riders as well as other British Tour icons such as Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, and Chris Boardman.
British riders at the 2015 Tour de France: Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe, Peter Kennaugh (all Sky), Simon Yates, Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge), Mark Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep), Alex Dowsett (Movistar), Steve Cummings (MTN-Qhubeka)
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