Tour of Britain Poised for Spectacular Start

 

Story posted September 6, 2008

By Larry Hickmott

World Class Field for Tour of Britain

The race staff attend the welcome to the race briefing at the races headquarters in Milton Keynes.

 

The Fifth edition of Britain’s biggest national cycling tour gets underway in London on Sunday and the 2008 Tour of Britain looks set to be the best yet, with a world-class field of 96 professional cyclists preparing to do battle over eight challenging stages.

 

Catching up with riders

In the hotel when we arrived was Isle of Man rider Jonny Bellis  resplendent in his new CSC Saxon kit and getting lots of attention from local cycling fans outside was winner recently of a race in Italy, Steve Cummings. There was also British based rider Dean Downing at the press conference.

 

Jonny Bellis -- Team CSC-Saxo Bank

Sitting down to lunch after his flight to England from Italy was a very hungry Jonny Bellis sitting in the lounge in his team kit, the first time he had worn it.

 

“I walked up to my room there was this box on my bed with all this new kit. It is pretty exciting time”. Jonny is riding for CSC-Saxon as a stagiere , apprentice if you like for the rest of the season and is talking to them about a contract for next year which looks being sorted out in the next few weeks after the Tour.

 

“I’m not thinking about the contract at the moment, I’m just going to focus on the race this week and do the best I can for the team. The form is good, really good actually. I had great preparation for the race in a hill stage race in the Alps and the weather was good as well. It was ideal preparation for the Tour of Britain and the World Championships. And to finish off the race with a second place was quite pleasing.”

Jonny Bellis wearing his new CSC-Saxon Bank race kit for the first time.

 

Going back to his ride in the Olympics when he made the break, Jonny explained “the conditions were horrendous. I really did suffer in them and a lot of people did, top guys who rode the Tour de France as preparation for it. One effort and that would be it . Some people were able to cope with it better than others but I was one who couldn’t. I got in the break which was my job so I finished happy and I benefited from the experience.” 

 

“Nothing about the Olympics surprised me because I did the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and that was a major experience for me as a 17 year old. Going to that helped me at the Olympics.”

 

After the Olympics was done, Jonny got back to Italy as quickly as he could to continue working on the end of season goals. “I had a mini taper before the Games because I didn’t want to lose too much because it wasn’t a massive objective.”

 

At the time we spoke, Jonny was the only rider in his team at the hotel and so his role in the race is yet to be decided. “I am in good condition and I am sure whatever they ask me to do, I’ll be able to do a good job. The riders like Stuart O’Grady are going to have so much experience and so I can learn from them. I can’t wait to get racing”

 

His next objective is the Road Worlds where last year he won a Bronze medal in the Under 23 Road Race. “It will be a different feeling going into the race. Last year I knew I had the capability to win a medal one day in that race, so getting it was a bit of a shock. This year I know I am capable so why not do it again. I am going into the race with the aim of getting a medal again.” 

Jonny Bellis arrived in Milton Keynes to two bikes prepared for him.

 

On his rivals, he says “I see all the good guys a lot in the races I do and you get to know their strengths and weaknesses and I know everyone will be going there in top form. Talking about his Isle of Man teammate Peter Kennaugh who has already won a  road race in Italy this year, Jonny says “sometimes its good into your first year because there is no expectation or pressure to get results  and that can be the time when you come with results, like me at the Worlds and Peter this year.”

 

“When I am a professional next year, I want look back at the Worlds, my last race as an amateur and hopefully I can go out on a high with another medal.” On the course, Jonny says “I spoke to Steve (Cummings) who ride a race on it and he said it was a good course for us lads. Not too hard with a couple of climbs, a typical road race course. I don’t think it is as hard as last year and although the field will get worn down, I imagine there will be a group kick at the end.”

The CSC mechanic prepares Jonny's bike.

 

Stephen Cummings -- Barloworld

A Tour of Britain virgin, this will be the Barloworld riders first race around the country. “It’s a new race for me and I am looking forward to it” he told us before going off on a two hour ride.”

 

Asked if he feels a good chance in the GC, he replied, “I don’t know what the team plans are yet but yes, I have a good chance. We have a good team here with lots of guys who can win. We have a few options.”

“The last win was fantastic. I have always wanted to win a race like that, in a long breakaway, and I have tried before. That day was something else where I just had super super legs and knew early on we had a good chance because the first k in an hour. It was a great day.”

 

“You could say I have stepped up a level but I look it as my job having changed. No matter how good my form was sometimes last year, and I’d say it was better than what I have had this year, there was always some one who was going a little bit better and that is the nature of being in the team. I have definitely gone forward though and coming to races fresher. In the past I have tended to over train.”

 

“Max is a great mentor for me because he is so experienced, 16 years as a pro and everything he did and I need some one like that.”

Steve Cummings on a special new Bianchi bike "only winners of races get one of these" new steed for the Tour of Britain.

 

The Worlds

Like the Olympics, I am hoping to do better in the road race than the time trial. It is where my heart is because I prefer it. I am not like some riders who put all their eggs in one basket and the last month of the year is a good month for me and I want to make the next step to being competitive in the really big races.”

 

“I would like to do a good Worlds, good Paris-Tours, Tour of Lombardy and then see where I am. I have race on the Worlds course twice because we did it in the Giro and then again recently a few days after I got back from Beijing. It is going to be good for me, a normal wearing down type course and if I was going to tip anyone to win it, it would be a rider like Bennati or Freire or some one like that.”

 

“I’ll be happy to be in there amongst it at the finish. To be there on the last lap and be part of the race, part of the attacks. It is fantastic we have six riders, probably the strongest team for a while.”

 

Finally, in Milton Keynes, the weather was okayish but the rain was about and came down hard late in the day. On this Steve says “If I was Italian and came here, I would be so depressed but I am not, I’m English and I like it here! It will be hard for them to come here from Italy where it is so good for riding a bike. And it finishes in Liverpool – lovely isn’t it” said the rider from Wirral!” A short trip home for once!”    

 

Dean Downing

The Tour of Ireland was an up and down race for Dean but the Rapha Condor rider is looking forward to the race. “I am told by my manager John Herety I am a bit of a sprinter and it is nice to get in the big races like the Tour of Ireland and Tour of Britain and go toes to toe with some big sprinters like Cavendish.”

 

“Cav is the best in the World at the moment and he is really impressive to see, even from behind! I was pleased with my first few days of sprinting. The first stage, was a really good sprint for me and it wasn’t too hectic but the next two stages did get a bit hectic and there was a big crash where Dale (Appleby) and Simon (Holt) hit the deck on stage 2.”

 

“Tomorrow is more than likely going to be a sprint on the first stage and then on the following stages, we’ll see how we go. In this races, you look down at your gears and you’re on the 11 and its still 5k to go. So it is all about positioning. You can see on TV how good Cav is at getting position and I saw it with my own eyes when I was trying to get on his wheel and other riders trying to get on his wheel as well.”

“It is all about positioning because for the last few ks you’re doing 60k an hour plus and if you can get yourself into a good position, you’re going to get a good result.”

 

“We have for the Tour of Britain quite a diverse team, Kristian will more than likely be going for the overall because he is a really good stage race rider, so is Chris Newton and its good to have him back after his fantastic bronze medal in the Olympics. We have prepared as good as we can and we’re all looking forward to it.”

 

“The first stage  will be good for us because two of our three sponsors, Rapha and Condor are from London and when we get to the North West, we’re into Charlie Jackson’s territory (Recycling.co.uk).”

 

Dean then emphasised how positioning, not just in the sprints is going to be vital. “A couple of years ago it set off from Glasgow and it was full cross wind off the sea and very fast. It split into about five echelons and some of them came together but we never saw the top 30 riders and if the bigger teams get to the front and put the hammer down, it is going to be harder to bring any split back. Positioning in every stage will be essential.”

 

These races like the Tour of Britain are a whole different  level to the Premiers so to go head to head with these guys is pretty special. It’s going to be exciting.”   

 

Matt White – Team Garmin Team Manager

“We have pretty much the same team we had for the Tour of Ireland last week and Juliann Dean finished third. We’ve come here to win the Tour for sure and it would be great for us to do that and this is an important race for many of our riders who are riding the World Championships. David (Millar), Julian Dean, Dan Martin and Trent Lowe and it is the perfect race for them.”

 

“Dan was part of our team for the last day at the Tour of Portugal, and all of them got food poising or sick from something they ate, that is for sure. We have given them a bit of rest and they’re fine. Both Dan and Chris Sutton are ready to roll here in Britain. Dan is very excited to be racing here and its his last race before the World Championships so it’s a key week for him”.

 

“It is hard juggling GC and stage wins with six riders but it is the same for everyone and that will make it an interesting race for sure. The way a race like this is ridden with small teams is very different and much more aggressive from kilometre 1.”

 

“We such small teams, once a good combination goes down the road, its hard quite to bring back with six rider teams so we have to pay attention. Maybe not so much tomorrow where it will be more controlled and probably too fast for anyone to get away but from the first on the first road stage, we have to pay a lot of attention.”

Event director Mick Bennet presents Joscelin Ryan and Tim Harris gifts for their help in the race over the years. Inspectaor Bob Brayshaw was also given a special gift for his help in keeping the race safe as it winds its way round the country.

 

Event Press Release

The race looks to be wide open this year with any number of riders looking capable of taking the final yellow jersey in Liverpool. The Tour, which gets underway in central London on Sunday afternoon, is set to excite the general public along the length of it’s 715 mile journey across Britain.

 

Reigning champion Romain Feillu leads the start list at the head of a strong Agritubel line-up.  Feillu’s quest over the next eight days will be to win a stage, and to retain his crown, something no one has yet managed in The Tour of Britain.

 

Despite the absence of Mark Cavendish, the sprinters are still well represented with Julian Dean, Alessandro Petacchi and Fred Rodriguez just three of the names who will be going elbow-to-elbow along the Victoria Embankment on Sunday.

 

Climbers too aren’t in short supply, with South African David George promising to target the E.ON King of the Mountains competition after finishing second in the mountains classification at the Tour of Ireland last week, while Palmeiras Resort’s David Blanco showed his climbing legs as he took victory at the Tour of Portugal, plus of course the return of E.ON King of the Mountains from last year’s Tour of Britain, Ben Swift, who rides for the Great Britain squad.

The Columbia riders turn their legs over on the rollers as the rain pours down in Milton Keynes.

 

Young talents like Wolverhampton’s Andrew Tennant, Ian Stannard and Jonathan McEvoy join Swift in a GB team led by current British champion Rob Hayles, another rider who believes he can take victory in London on Sunday.

 

Over thirty British riders will take the start, with several of them riders who’ll be looking to impress as they compete for a place in the Great Britain team for the upcoming World Championships in Italy.  In effect, this will make The Tour of Britain a very public selection process for the likes of An Post’s Daniel Lloyd and Daniel Fleeman, who are vying with more experience stars like Garmin’s David Millar, for a spot on the plane to Varese.

 

A number of the sports Continental stars with also by fine-tuning their performance ahead of the World’s.  Italy’s Danilo Di Luca is looking to supplement his racing activities in Britain with extra training miles, while Luxembourg’s Kim Kirchen will be hoping to maintain the form that saw him finish 8th Overall in this summer’s Tour de France.

 

It’s not just established stars at The Tour of Britain either.  Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen and SouthAustralia.com’s Simon Clarke are just two of the youngsters looking to continue the bright start they have made to their careers.

 

Clarke will know that fellow Australian Matthew Goss used his performance in the 2006 Tour of Britain to secure a place with Team CSC.  Goss returns alongside a pair of Tour de France stage winners, Stuart O’Grady and Bradley McGee.

The car park of the Holiday Inn is now dominated by race vehicles.

 

Both O’Grady and McGee are Olympic medallists, just like another trio of names on the start line – Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas and Chris Newton.  Wiggins leads Team Columbia, who have double Tour of Britain stage winner Roger Hammond in their ranks, while Thomas is joined by fellow Brit Steve Cummings in the Barloworld line up.

 

Points Race Bronze Medallist Chris Newton leads a Rapha – Condor – Recycling.co.uk squad, with a good mixture of youth and experience.  Fellow British team Plowman Craven are led by last year’s top Briton in The Tour, Evan Oliphant and ex-mountain biker Simon Richardson.

 

Another off roader is Kevin Evans, part of the MTN Energade that has travelled over from South Africa to ride The Tour of Britain.

 

The final British team in the race, Pinarello RT – Candi TV, will be looking to build upon the performance that saw them lead last week’s Tour of Ireland.  The Yorkshire duo of Russell Downing and Malcolm Elliott lead the team, the latter making his comeback to the British national tour at 47-year’s of age.  Whether Elliott can repeat his stage winning performances from the Kellogg’s Tour and Milk Race in the late 1980s and early 1990s is just one of the intriguing stories that will pan out through this week’s Tour of Britain.

 

RELATED LINKS

Website: www.tourofbritain.co.uk