The Tour of Britain is the UK's biggest professional bicycle race and a centrepiece of the British sporting calendar as the country’s largest free-to-watch live sporting event, with many hundreds of thousands more following via television and online.
The Tour returned after a five-year absence in 2004, quickly re-establishing itself as the main event in the British cycling calendar. Ranked at the 2.1 category by the UCI and initially held over five days, by 2008 The Tour of Britain had grown to become an eight-day event, allowing it to visit more parts of the UK than ever before.
Each year some of the world's top cyclists compete on British roads, vying to win The Tour of Britain. In recent years home favourites like Tour de France Green Jersey Mark Cavendish and Olympic Gold medallists Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy and Bradley Wiggins have been regular fixtures, while the likes of Thor Hushovd, Tom Boonen, Andre Greipel, Nick Nuyens and Edvald Boasson Hagen have all been stage winners in The Tour.
Each year some of the world's top cyclists compete on British roads, vying to win The Tour of Britain. In recent years home favourites like Tour de France Green Jersey Mark Cavendish and Olympic Gold medallists Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy and Bradley Wiggins have been regular fixtures, while the likes of Thor Hushovd, Tom Boonen, Andre Greipel, Nick Nuyens and Edvald Boasson Hagen have all been stage winners in The Tour.
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TOURNAMENT INFO:
Date: September 14,2012
Venue: Great Britain
The Tour of Britain has also seen the development of many household British names, with the likes of Mark Cavendish, Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift all riding early editions of The Tour, exposing them to high quality professional cycling on home roads.
Cavendish is just one of a number of young riders, like Swift, Boasson Hagen and Andy Schleck who have been successful in The Tour of Britain before going on to have even greater success in some of the world’s biggest races, showing the importance of The Tour in the world cycling calendar.
TOURNAMENT INFO:
Date: September 14,2012
Venue: Great Britain
The Tour of Britain has also seen the development of many household British names, with the likes of Mark Cavendish, Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift all riding early editions of The Tour, exposing them to high quality professional cycling on home roads.
Cavendish is just one of a number of young riders, like Swift, Boasson Hagen and Andy Schleck who have been successful in The Tour of Britain before going on to have even greater success in some of the world’s biggest races, showing the importance of The Tour in the world cycling calendar.
