Team qualification process for 2019 OVO Energy Tour of Britain revealed

Team qualification process for 2019 OVO Energy Tour of Britain revealed

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Britain’s leading domestic teams will once again battle it out during the 2019 road racing season in an attempt to earn a much-coveted invitation to compete in this year’s OVO Energy Tour of Britain.

In 2019 the six registered teams competing for four invites to the OVO Energy Tour of Britain (Saturday 7 – 14 September) are Canyon DHB p/b Bloor Homes, Madison Genesis, Ribble Pro Cycling, Swift Carbon Pro Cycling; Team WIGGINS Le Col and Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother.

The qualification process has been devised once again by SweetSpot Group, organisers of the Tour of Britain, and British Cycling, with full consultation of competing teams throughout.

First introduced in 2016, the process establishes a fair and transparent selection of eligible British teams into the race, as well as ensuring full support of the HSBC UK | National Road and Circuit Series, OVO Energy Tour Series, HSBC UK | National Road Championships and the country’s UCI-ranked events each year.

Fourteen events make up the qualification schedule, starting from the East Cleveland Klondike GP on Sunday 14 April and running through to the Isle of Man Three-Day event (2-4 August), ensuring that successful teams have a minimum of four weeks’ preparation for the Tour of Britain.

The qualification events are as follows:

HSBC UK | National Road Series, round 1(East Cleveland Klondike GP), 14 April
Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic, 
UCI 1.2 race, 28 April
Tour de Yorkshire, 
UCI 2.HC race, 2-5 May
HSBC UK | National Road Series, round 2 (Chestnut Homes Lincoln Grand Prix),
 12 May
OVO Energy Tour Series (overall team standing), 25 May
HSBC UK | National Road Series, round 3 (Lancaster Grand Prix), 
9 June
HSBC UK | National Road Series, round 4 (Bristol), 16 June
HSBC UK | National Road Series, round 5 (Tour of the Reservoir), 22-23 June
HSBC UK | National Road Championships road race, 30 June
HSBC UK | National Road Series, round 6 (Beaumont Trophy), 7 July
HSBC UK | National Road Series, round 7 (Stockton Grand Prix), 14 July
HSBC UK | National Circuit Series (overall individual standings), 24 July
HSBC UK | National Road Series, round 8 (South Coast Classic), 28 July
HSBC UK | National Road Series (Manx International Stage Race), 2-4 August

The six eligible teams will score points on a 10-8-6-4-2-1 scale based on either their highest overall finisher (best placed general classification rider for the multi-day events), overall individual standing (HSBC UK | National Circuit Series) or overall team standing (OVO Energy Tour Series). Teams will count their scores from all events, allowing for one dropped score of their worst result.

Mick Bennett, OVO Energy Tour of Britain race director, said: "The team qualification process will once again reward the best teams for their performances over the course of the 2019 domestic racing season with a much-coveted invitation to the OVO Energy Tour of Britain.

"The rules and regulations have been designed to ensure that the British racing calendar is supported to its fullest throughout the year, while also unequivocally acting as the fairest way of recognising our best-performing, UCI Continental-registered teams."

Jonathan Rigby, Commercial Director at British Cycling, added: "We’re delighted with the events we’ve lined up for this year’s HSBC UK | National Road Series and HSBC UK | National Circuit Series, which are both set to be fantastic showcases for the sport, taking place in great venues across the country. In finalising this qualification criteria for the OVO Energy Tour of Britain, and presenting teams, riders and spectators with the pathway to this country’s biggest annual event, we are setting up what should be a terrific season of racing."

Full rules and regulations for the team qualification process, as well as updated standings after each event, can be found here.