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British road champion Mark Cavendish has been named on the provisional start list for the 2013 Tour of Britain.
The 2011 road world champion, who has won points jerseys at each of cycling’s three Grand Tours, will lead the Omega Pharma Quick-Step team when the race begins on the 15 September in Peebles, Scotland.
For the Great Britain team, made up of under 23 riders, Simon Yates, Adam Yates, Ali Slater, Owain Doull, George Atkins and Sam Lowe have been named.
British time trial champion and Giro d'Italia stage winner Alex Dowsett is included in the Movistar squad which makes its Tour of Britain debut and also features Tour de France King of the Mountains and Best Young Rider Nairo Quintana, and double 2013 Giro d'Italia stage winner Giovanni Visconti.
Britain's first Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins was confirmed in Team Sky's squad on Thursday.
Between them the field have won over 100 Grand Tour stages, while in Cavendish and Petacchi the field has two of only five riders in history to have won the points jerseys in Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana.
"Every year the rider list for The Tour of Britain has grown more and more impressive, with this year being no exception to that,” said Mick Bennett, race director for The Tour of Britain.
"Every year the rider list for The Tour of Britain has grown more and more impressive, with this year being no exception to that.”
Mick Bennett, race director for The Tour of Britain
"We have world-class sprinters like Mark Cavendish and Gerald Ciolek, the very best time trialists in Sir Bradley Wiggins and Alex Dowsett, and exceptional climbing talents in Nairo Quintana and Dan Martin, plus many others who I could mention.
"I, like all cycling fans in Britain, look forward to seeing how this year's race develops over the eight stages and who can succeed Jonathan Tiernan Locke in the IG Gold Jersey.”
In total the field can claim eight stage wins at the 2013 Giro d'Italia and four from July's Tour de France, plus the winners of this season's Milan San Remo (Gerald Ciolek) and Liege-Bastogne-Liege (Dan Martin).
Four of the field have won Tour of Britain stages in the past (Mark Cavendish, seven victories; Alessandro Petacchi, three; Alex Dowsett, one; Marc de Maar, one) while two former winners of the Yodel Sprints Jersey (Peter Williams, 2012, and Michal Golas, 2010) and last year's SKODA King of the Mountains winner (Kristian House) will also be on the start line in the Scottish Borders.
The final official start list due to published at approximately 6pm on Saturday 14 September.
The Tour of Britain gets underway in Peebles in Scotland on Sunday 15 September, finishing in the centre of London eight days later on Sunday 22 September, with stages in the Lake District, Snowdonia and the race's first ever summit finish on Dartmoor on Stage Six.
ITV4 and British Eurosport will provide daily live coverage and highlights, with a full list of international broadcasters around the world to be announced next week.
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