STAGE IS SET IN GLASGOW FOR WIGGINS’ UK FAREWELL
IF Rio provided Sir Bradley Wiggins with a golden goodbye to the Olympics, then Glasgow will give the cycling legend a chance to bid a fond farewell to the British public.
When the Tour of Britain gets underway this morning, glory will be far from the 36-year-old’s mind. For this competition, which he won in 2008, is expected to be more a lap of honour as he embarks on the final British ride of his cycling career.
After adding yet another chapter to his glorious career last month by returning to the track to pick up an eighth Olympic medal and fifth gold as part of the team pursuit squad in Rio, Wiggins’ days as a professional cyclist will come to a close at the Ghent Six in November, meaning this Tour of Britain will be his final chance to compete on home soil.
He is not a serious contender to win it, but adds star power to a line-up which also includes seven other Rio medallists. Owain Doull — also a member of Britain’s team pursuit squad — will be part of Team Wiggins, while Mark Cavendish returns to Team Dimension Data colours after taking silver in the men’s omnium in Brazil. He’ll go up against the man who beat him to gold, Italian Elia Viviani of Team Sky.
Such a strong field should set up an intriguing battle over eight stages which take the riders from Glasgow to London, via Wales and Devon.
The best sprinters on the planet, preparing for October’s pan-flat world championships in Qatar, have favoured this race over the mountainous Vuelta a Espana, so British cycling fans are in for a treat.
Lotto-Soudal’s German Andre Greipel and Orica Bike Exchange’s Caleb Ewan will challenge Cavendish and Viviani in the sprints, while Team GB includes national champion Adam Blythe and Dan McLay, who impressed in the Tour de France.
The short time trial on stage seven in Bristol should also be hard-fought as Holland’s Olympic time-trial silver medallist Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) will face off against three-time world champion Tony Martin of Etixx-Quick-Step and Britain’s Alex Dowsett of Movistar.
Battle commences today from Glasgow to Castle Douglas, the opening 161.6 kilometres of a 1,281.6km route which finishes in London on September 11.