Tour of Britain: World’s best cyclists come through Borders

Starting initially from Cockermouth in Cumbria today, Stage 3 heads along the Cumbrian coast, through Carlisle and into Dumfries and Galloway. After entering the Borders, Newcastleton, Bonchester Bridge, Hawick, Selkirk, Tweedbank and Melrose all welcome the race before the finish at the stunning setting of Floors Castle outside Kelso.

Stage 4 begins the following day in Edinburgh for the first time, with the stage start in Holyrood Park. From there the route will pass some of the Scottish capital’s most famous sites before racing through East Lothian. Duns and Coldstream both welcome the elite riders, who will cross Coldstream Bridge to enter Northumberland. Wooler, Alnwick and Warkworth are all on the route before the stage finishes in Blyth.

Nine of the world’s best cycling teams will be taking part in what promises to be a spectacular event.

Headlining the 20-team list are Team Cannondale Garmin, who won the 2014 Tour of Britain with Dylan Van Baarle, and the Etixx Quick-Step team of Mark Cavendish and world champion Michal Kwiatkowski.

Top-level British interests are represented by Team Sky, who has just won the Tour de France for the third time in four years. The other six UCI World Teams that will race are BMC Racing, IAM Cycling, Lotto Soudal, Movistar Team, Team Lotto NI, Jumbo and Tinkoff-Saxo. Those nine, plus MTN Qhubeka, have been in action in the Tour de France, winning 13 of the 21 stages.

ONE Pro Cycling, Team WIGGINS, including cycling legend Sir Bradley Wiggins, and Cult Energy will make their Tour of Britain debut.

The teams will line up with six-rider squads in Beuamaris on Anglesey for Stage 1 on Sunday, September 6. The race finishes with Stage 8 in London on September 13.

Race director Mick Bennett said: “This is undoubtedly the strongest line-up of teams to have appeared in the Aviva Tour of Britain.”

ITV will screen three hours of live coverage of every stage, starting on ITV for the opening Wales stage before reverting to ITV4 for highlights.

THE JERSEYS TO LOOK OUT FOR

A total of 20 teams will be taking part in the Tour of Britain, offering local people the chance to see top riders competing in their home towns.

As well as the riders being in their team colours, there are also four jerseys spectators can look out for which represent the rider leading that competition’s classification. The Aviva Yellow Jersey is awarded to the rider leading the Tour of Britain overall.

The Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey is awarded to the most consistent finisher and is Britain’s equivalent of the Tour de France’s green jersey.

The first 15 riders across the finish line are awarded points on a 15 down to one basis, with the rider who has accumulated the most points thus far wearing the blue and white jersey.

The Skoda King of the Mountains Jersey is awarded to the best climber. Riders battle for points at designated Skoda King of the Mountains climbs on every stage of The Tour. The first riders across the summit win points with the rider who has accumulated the most points wearing the jersey.

The YodelDirect Sprints Jersey is awarded to the person who accumulates the most points from the three intermediate sprint segments.

2012 Tour de France Champion Sir Bradley Wiggins and Taylor Phinney of the BMC Racing Team are the star riders to look out for.

Wiggins, who won the 2013 Tour of Britain, will lead his own Team WIGGINS in their first appearance in the race.