Growing list of top cyclists set to race in Tour of Britain in Milton Keynes
The startlist is growing in stature ahead of the Tour
Some of the top stars in world cycling alongside stage winners in Britain’s biggest professional cycle race are among the first names to be officially confirmed to come through Milton Keynes for the Lloyds Tour of Britain.
Former Lloyds Tour of Britain Men race winner Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) returns to the race for a fourth time, alongside fellow stage winners Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Ben Swift (INEOS Grenadiers), Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility) and Matteo Trentin (also Tudor Pro Cycling).
Joining them on the startline in Milton Keynes, East Suffolk, on Thursday September 4 and returning to Britain for the second successive season is reigning Olympic Games road race and time trial champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step).
Evenepoel, who is also the reigning Belgian and World time trial champion, won stage five of the Tour de France this summer, as well as time trial stages of both the Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné.
Fan favourite and 2018 race winner Alaphilippe has never failed to entertain, winning a stage in Bristol on his way to the race overall on his debut in 2018, before returning in 2021 to finish third overall, a race which included a thrilling duel on the slopes of the Great Orme with Wout van Aert.
Alaphilippe’s Tudor Pro Cycling teammate Matteo Trentin won stages in the 2015 and 2019 editions in Nottingham and Kelso respectively, taking 11 top ten stage finishes from his two appearances, as well as the runner up spot six years ago.
Norwegian Rasmus Tiller claim his first stage win, and the first at the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men for Uno-X Mobility at the end of a thrilling stage through Gloucestershire in 2023, with the 29-year-old going on to finish 12th overall in his second appearance in the race.
The final two riders to be announced took their stage wins more than a decade ago, the most recent, Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) taking his memorable victory in Caerphilly in 2013, resulting in a camera in the team care capturing his then team manager Kurt Bogaerts in floods of tears.
Further rider announcements will follow ahead of the publication of the provisional rider list in the build-up to the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men.