Mid Wales set to welcome world cycling stars for Tour of Britain race

British sporting heroes, Tokyo 2020 medallists, world champions and former stage and jersey winners will all feature in this year’s famous Tour of  Britain cycling race which is heading to Mid Wales next week.

The coastal resort of Aberaeron hosts the start of the fourth stage of the race on September 8, with cyclists heading to Aberystwyth, Borth and Machynlleth before continuing to head north through Corris, Dolgellau, Barmouth, Harlech, Talsarnau, finishing at the Great Orme in Llandudno.

The race, which will see the world’s top cyclists compete in iconic locations across  the UK, is an opportunity to showcase the beautiful scenery of Mid Wales.

Although spectators will not be allowed at the start of the fourth stage in Aberaeron for safety reasons, they can support the event along the route whilst being mindful of social distancing and road safety.

Alternatively, fans can also watch the event from the comfort of their own home as it will be televised live and in full on ITV4, as well as in over 150 countries around the world.

Cyclists are expected to be travelling through the different places along the route at the following times: Aberaeron 10.30am, Aberystwyth 11.15am, Borth 11.30am, Machynlleth 12 noon, Dolgellau 12.30pm and Harlech 12.55pm.

Among the cyclists competing are:

• Sprinter Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck – Quick-Step), winner of the most stages in modern Tour of Britain history.
• Tokyo 2020 medallists Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo – Visma), Ethan Hayter and Rohan Dennis (INEOS Grenadiers).
• Reigning UCI road world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick-Step).
• Former Tour of Britain stage winners Michal Kwiatkowski (INEOS Grenadiers), André Greipel, Alex Dowsett, Matthias Brändle (Israel Start – Up Nation) and Tony Martin (Team Jumbo – Visma).
• Cycling stars Marc Soler (Movistar Team), Dan Martin, Michael Woods (Israel Start – Up Nation) and Richie Porte (INEOS Grenadiers).
• Four of the race’s former ŠKODA King of the Mountains winners: Xandro Meurisse (Alpecin – Fenix), Lukasz Owsian (Team Arkéa – Samsic), Nic Dlamini (Team Qhubeka NextHash) and Jacob Scott (Canyon dhb SunGod).
• Five reigning national road race champions, four reigning time trial champions and 20 different nationalities represented in the event.

Deceuninck-Quick-Step, the most successful team in modern Tour of Britain history, will be led by fan favourites Cavendish and Alaphilippe.

The Manxman won the last three of his 10 stage victories in the race riding for the Belgian team in the 2013 edition. He returns to Britain after a spectacular Tour de France in which he won four stages and the points jersey.

Frenchman Alaphilippe, who will be easily distinguishable to roadside spectators owing to his world champion’s rainbow jersey, has been tipped by many to repeat the overall victory he achieved in the 2018 race.

Van Aert, winner of three Tour de France stages in July and silver medallist in the Olympic road race, spearheads Jumbo-Visma’s team. Alongside Kiwi climber and Grand Tour top-10 finisher George Bennett, Norwegian road race champion Tobias Foss and Australian all-rounder Chris Harper, van Aert is one of four riders in their squad who will make their Tour of Britain debuts in 2021.

INEOS Grenadiers, the world’s number one team, have once again named a strong team for the Tour of Britain, led by Londoner, Tokyo 2020 silver medallist and recent Tour of Norway winner Ethan Hayter.

Polish rider Michal Kwiatkowski and Welshman Owain Doull are both former Tour of Britain podium finishers; Kwiatkowski and Australian Rohan Dennis have also previously won stages of the UK’s biggest bike race. Richie Porte, third overall at the 2020 Tour de France, returns to the event for the first time since his 2010 debut.

Three Tour of Britain stage winners – André Greipel, Matthias Brändle and Briton Alex Dowsett – feature in Israel Start-Up Nation’s powerful line-up. The tour will be one of the final races of Greipel’s prestigious 16-year career, during which time he has claimed over 150 victories.

The German sprinter has remarkably won at least one stage in each of his four visits to the Tour of Britain, amassing seven victories in total. He is also one of only five men in modern race history to have won stages in England, Scotland and Wales.

Other stars competing include trailblazer Nic Dlamini (Team Qhubeka NextHash), who became the first black South African to compete in the Tour de France in 2021, renowned stage race talent Marc Soler (Movistar Team) and 2018 British road race champion Connor Swift (Team Arkéa-Samsic).

In addition to INEOS Grenadiers, six other home squads will be in action at the 2021 Tour of Britain: Canyon dhb SunGod, Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling, Saint Piran, SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling, TRINITY Racing and a GB national team.

Cavendish said: “It is always an honour to race on the home roads of the Tour of Britain. It has already been a special year for me and riding the Tour of Britain will be a great way to see so many of the people who have supported me throughout.”