Team Sky has announced the six-man squad that will line up at the start of the Tour of Britain in Peebles, Scotland on Sunday September 15. Team leader Sir Bradley Wiggins has said the Tour of Britain is one of his targets for the end of the season and will have a strong team in support.
Along with Sir Bradley, Sky will field Ian Stannard, Josh Edmondson, Bernhard Eisel, Mathew Hayman and David Lopez.
After dropping out of the Giro d’Italia and missing the Tour de France, Sir Bradley will be aiming to rescue his 2013 season with good rides as the Tour of Britain and the world championships time trial shortly after.
Sir Bradley Wiggins said: "I'm really looking forward to the Tour of Britain; it's a race I’m fond of and it’s nice to see it growing in stature each year.
"The crowds and the roads make it special and it’s always very humbling to see the fantastic support that we get from the public.
"I’m coming into the race feeling really good. It finishes in close proximity to the world time trial championships which is my main late-season goal.
"The Tour of Britain is always a tough event and I’m looking forward to getting started."
Ian Stannard is expected to be a vital support rider for Sir Bradley after his performance in the Tour de France assisting Chris Froome to his first Tour de France win.
"The Tour of Britain has become a massive event in the cycling calendar and I’m really excited to be racing at home,” said Stannard.
"There’s a real enthusiasm for cycling at the moment – especially following Brad and Froomey’s Tour wins and the Olympics – so I’m really looking forward to competing again on British roads.
"We race all over the world but it’s always nice to compete in front of your home fans. With such a high-level race in the UK naturally I want to be there."
Tour of Britain organisers are happy to have Sky and Sir Bradley line up once again.
"We are very pleased to welcome Sir Bradley Wiggins back to The Tour of Britain alongside what looks to be a very strong Sky line-up,” said race director Mick Bennett.
"Both Ian Stannard and Josh Edmondson have performed strongly in the race before, while I, like many others, look forward to seeing Sir Bradley in action in the 10-mile Knowsley individual time trial.”
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Yeah, I would like to see him fit to win the ToB, but I doubt he will. Last year it was just a Sky victory procession. I can see why Sky may have decided not to dominate the ToB (it's a pay day for some of the smaller British teams), but if he wins it and takes it seriously it makes the ToB a more high profile race - something worthy of bringing in bigger talent, and help grow the sport here.
Also, if he takes it seriously people will perhaps stop writing him off as a GC rider.
I appreciate this is totally parochial, but I'd rather see Sky put in an all-GBR team for the ToB. Not like they've a shortage of brits.
I thought he was too fat to race for GC now?
The point I want to make is that in previous Tours of Britain, Wiggo has just been putting in an appearance, not trying to win the overall. I'd love to see him race it, and this year I hope we will.
Yeah, it would be nice to see him look arsed this year, although his comment about it being a warm up for the World Champs make you wonder how much effort he will put in.
It's a shame JTL's health issues have ruled him out of most of this years racing and defending last year's TofB win.
Forget winning, just finishing the TOB this year would be a plus. Pulled out after the Stoke stage last year with a stomach upset....
Does he have to try to win?
Honestly, I thought no one could find any negativity in this article, but..
Who?
He doesn't actually say that he's really going to try to win it this time, does he?