New European Champion set to return to one-week race
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The final Tour of Britain stage finish(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data) won the Tour of Britain 2016(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Julien Vermote (Etixx-QuickStep) stays in the overall lead at Tour of Britain after stage 4(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Steve Cummings in yellow at the Tour of Britain after stage 6
The bunch sprint at the Tour of Britain stage 1(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Quick-Step Floors, Team Sky, BMC Racing, Movistar Team, Dimension Data and Orica-Scott are among the 20 teams that have been confirmed for next month's Tour of Britain. Katusha-Alpecin will also ride the event for the first time since 2009, bring with them newly-crowned European champion Alexander Kristoff and teammate Tony Martin.
Kristoff beat Elia Viviani, who is also expected to ride the one-week race, in a photo finish in Herning on Sunday to take the European title. He also won the recent RideLondon-Surrey Classic, which has the same organisation structure as the Tour of Britain. Like his team, Kristoff's last appearance was also in 2009, at the age of 22, where he raced with Norwegian continental outfit Joker-Bianchi. He scored two top 10 finishes, including a second place on stage 2 into Gateshead.
"The Tour of Britain is not only a perfect race in my build-up to the World Championships, I will also try to win some stages," Kristoff said. "For me it is a return to this race after eight years. I still have good memories of my participation in 2009. Moreover, I always perform well on British soil. I took my Olympic medal in London as well as the victory in last week's RideLondon-Surrey Classic WorldTour race. I really look forward participating in the OVO Energy Tour of Britain."
There are a number of riders who are not yet confirmed by the organisers but who have indicated their intentions to ride the Tour of Britain, including home favourites Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas. Cavendish has told Cyclingnews that he hopes he can recover from the shoulder injury he picked up at the Tour de France in time for the Tour of Britain, as he did in 2014. Thomas, who is also recovering from injury following a crash in the opening week of the Tour de France, has said that a return to his home race could be on the cards this autumn.
A total of 10 WorldTour teams will compete in the race with Cannondale-Drapac, Lotto-Soudal, and LottoNl-Jumbo set to take to the start line in Edinburgh on September 3. Bardiani CSF, CCC Sprandi Polkowice and Wanty Groupe Gobert are the three Pro Continental squads invited while An Post Chain Reaction, Bike Channel Canyon, Cylance Pro Cycling, JLT Condor, Madison Genesis and One Pro Cycling make it six continental teams. Great Britain will also send a national team to the race.
Stephen Cummings won last year's edition of the race, beating Rohan Dennis to the title. The 2017 Tour of Britain will take place from September 3 to September 10.
Teams for the 2017 Ovo Energy Tour of Britain:
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An Post Chain Reaction (Ireland) Bardiani CSF (Italy) BIKE Channel Canyon (Great Britain) BMC Racing Team (USA) Cannondale Drapac Pro Cycling (USA) CCC Sprandi Polkowice (Poland) Cylance Pro Cycling (USA) Great Britain national team (Great Britain) JLT Condor (Great Britain) Lotto Soudal (Belgium) Madison Genesis (Great Britain) Movistar Team (Spain) ONE Pro Cycling (Great Britain) Orica Scott (Australia) Quick-Step Floors (Belgium) Team Dimension Data (South Africa) Team Katusha Alpecin (Germany) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo (Netherlands) Team Sky (Great Britain) Wanty Groupe Gobert (Belgium)
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