The West Dorset Magazine, July 15, 2022
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Sport By Stuart Wickham stuart@westdorsetmag.co.uk
A Great Britain national squad are among the first teams announced to compete in cycling’s Tour of Britain, which comes to West Dorset for the penultimate leg of the competition on Saturday, September 10. The event will also welcome all four of Britain’s male UCI Continental Teams, with Wiv SunGod competing in the national tour for the fifth edition running, while Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling, Saint Piran and Trinity Racing return having all made their race debuts in 2021. The involvement of a Great Britain national team allows future stars to gain invaluable experience in one of the world’s leading races. Among those who have lined up in the race in home colours are 2021 Giro d’Italia champion Tao Geoghegan Hart, 2018 Vuelta a Espana victor Simon Yates and Grand Tour stage winner Hugh Carthy. Prepararations for the Dorset stage are well underway, with the region set to welcome over 100 of the world’s best cyclists for the first stage in the county in the Tour’s 18 year history. The key seventh stage of the prestigious race willl feature a gruelling 180km course across the county, starting in West Bay, before taking in the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site and passing through many West Dorset towns and villages en route to the
PEDAL POWER: The 2022 Tour promises to be well-supported in West Dorset Pictures: SW PIX
First Teams are announced for cycling’s Tour of Britain
finishing line in Ferndown. Cycling fans are set to arrive in their droves to enjoy the spectacle and the beautiful Dorset countryside will be showcased to a massive global TV audience with live broadcasts via ITV4 in the UK and to over 170 countries worldwide. Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: “We’re delighted to unveil the first teams who will be competing in this year’s Tour of Britain. As we
look forward to one of the hardest editions of the modern Tour of Britain to date, we feel proud and honoured that the strength of cycling in Britain means that we can field four home UCI-registered teams in the race. We feel that giving them confirmation of their selection at this point in the season will allow them time to prepare fully for the event and therefore show off their prowess to a worldwide audience. “The eyes of the cycling
world will be on Dorset come Saturday, September 10, and I know that both the world-class riders competing and the huge TV audience the Tour of Britain attracts will be blown away by the sheer beauty of the county.” n We would love to hear from any businesses or families who are planning a cycling-themed event or party to coincide with the Tour. Please get in touch via sport@ westdorsetmag.co.uk
