With a little more than a month to go before the 2016 Tour de Yorkshire, organisers have unveiled the 18 men’s teams and 14 women’s teams which will compete in the race.
The teams were unveiled by Welcome to Yorkshire’s Sir Gary Verity and A.S.O’s Christian Prudhomme at the UK’s largest tourism conference, Y16, in York today.
Full details of the Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire Race were also unveiled at Y16, where it was announced that World Champion Lizzie Armitstead will compete. The race, which begins in her home town of Otley on Saturday 30 April, will be the first time she will have raced on British roads in her World Champions jersey.
In total the Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire race will see 14 teams, including eight UCI registered, compete over 135km on exactly the same course as the men, who tackle the route later the same day.
Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said, “The inaugural edition of the Tour de Yorkshire was a phenomenal success with riders, teams and over one and a half million spectators enjoying three fantastic days of racing. This year we have attracted some of the world’s top men’s and women’s teams as well as a very strong British selection, and combined these will no doubt provide an inspirational and enthralling weekend of racing”.
In total, there are eight British women’s teams:
Wiggle High5
Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa
Drops Cycling Team
Great Britain national team (for whom Lizzie Armitstead will ride)
Breeze (British Cycling development squad)
Team WNT
Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Team
Fusion RT Fierlan
And six international teams, who are:
Hitec Products
Cyclance Pro Cycling
Ale’Cippolin
Team Liv-Plantur
Lares Waowdeals
Team Footon Velosport
Many of the men’s teams are returning to Yorkshire after the hugely successful first edition of the race in 2015, which was won by Team Sky’s Lars Petter Nordhaug. Team Sky are among those returning, along with BMC, Giant Alpecin and Lotto NL-Jumbo.
In full, the men’s teams are:
Seven World Teams:
BMC Racing Team (USA)
Dimension Data (RSA)
Orica GreenEdge (AUS)
Team Giant – Alpecin (GER)
Team Katusha (RUS)
Team Lotto NL Jumbo (NED)
Team Sky (GBR)
Five UCI Pro Continental teams:
One Pro Cycling (GBR)
Cofidis, Solutions Credits (FRA)
Roompot – Oranje Peloton (NED)
Direct Energie (FRA)
Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise (BEL)
Five UCI Continental teams:
Team Raleigh GAC (GBR)
NFTO (GBR)
Team WIGGINS (GBR)
JLT Condor (GBR)
Madison Genesis (GBR)
Great Britain National Team (GBR)
A provisional rider list will be issued in April with riders confirmed closer to the race.
Asda unveiled as the title sponsor of the hugely expanded event
There will be full TV coverage of the race
Organisers have secured a prize fund of over £50,000 (€63,623), making this the most lucrative race in the world
UCI ranking means a mix of international and domestic teams will compete
Yorkshire’s own World Champion Lizzie Armitstead is the first rider to announce she will compete in the Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire on Saturday 30 April.
The race has secured title sponsorship with Asda supermarkets and will take place on exactly the same course as the men’s race being held later that day, on a 135km route from Otley to Doncaster.
Race organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and A.S.O have also announced that the prize fund makes it the most lucrative women’s cycle race in the world, with a total of £50,000 on offer to individuals and teams.
The first prize for this one day race will be £15,000, second will be £10,000 and third, £5,000, with prize money down to 20th place.
Otley born Armitstead, who currently tops the women’s world rankings after a series of impressive wins in the season so far, said:
“The Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s race will be my first race in the UK in my World Champions jersey and it’s an absolute dream to be starting in my home town.”
Speaking of the sponsorship and reasons to support women’s racing, Andy Clarke, Asda President and CEO said:
“It’s a privilege to be supporting the Tour de Yorkshire women’s race and helping to raise the profile of women’s sports. In 2014 Asda was the official partner of the Tour Makers for the Yorkshire Grand Départ, which was a resounding success. We’re incredibly proud of our Yorkshire roots and wanted to remain part of this exciting legacy that works to bring communities together in celebration of an amazing sport set against the backdrop of an unbeatable county.”
The series of announcements continued today with news that the Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire will be broadcast live, on ITV4 and Eurosport.
Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:
“Today is a hugely significant milestone for women’s racing. We’ve come good on our promise to expand the women’s race and rather than rest at bringing parity in terms of the men’s route and broadcast coverage, we’ve gone further to offer the world’s most lucrative prize fund.
“Together with our sponsors, we’re bringing women’s racing the respect it deserves and I can think of no better way to start our race in Otley than with our very own World Champion on the start line.”
The Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire Race will see a ceromial start at 8.15am in Otley before the race begins at 8.30am. The riders are expected to finish between 11.59am and 12.22pm in Doncaster.
Teams for both the men’s and women’s races were also unveiled in York today.
As the women’s race is ranked 1.2 by the world governing body, UCI, it has been able to attract some of the world’s best riders as well as domestic teams. Armitstead will race with the Great Britain Cycling Team.
Race timings were announced last week for the TDY 2016 you can download them below:
The route for the 2016 edition of the Tour of Britain, British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, has been launched in Bristol this evening [Thursday 25 February] featuring an overall start in Glasgow and finale in the centre of London plus three stages in the South West of England, including a return to the summit finish of Haytor on Dartmoor, and a challenging individual time trial and circuit race split stage in the heart of Bristol on the penultimate day.
Having last welcomed the Tour of Britain in 2008, Glasgow will host the Grand Depart of the opening stage on Sunday 4 September, building on the success of hosting the Commonwealth Games and British National Road Race Championships in recent years.
The opening stage will finish in Dumfries and Galloway’s Castle Douglas, last visited by the Tour of Britain in 2006, before the second stage takes place in Cumbria and the Lake District between Carlisle and Kendal, including the iconic climbs of Whinlatter Pass and The Struggle, before the uphill finish on Beast Banks.
The third stage of the Tour of Britain will feature a first visit to Cheshire East with a stage from Congleton to Tatton Park outside Knutsford, which will feature a spectator friendly loop giving fans at the finish the chance to see the race twice. The stage will also tackle the iconic 10-kilometre climb of the Cat and Fiddle in Cheshire’s Peak District.
Denbighshire will host its first stage start as Stage Four begins in Denbigh, heading south through Mid-Wales before Powys hosts a first stage finish, on the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells.
Stage Five begins in Wales in Rhondda Cynon Taf at Aberdare, heading across South Wales and through the Forest of Dean into Gloucestershire before the finish in Bath, a first for the city.
This will begin three days of racing in the South West after a one-year absence for the area from the Tour of Britain route that will see the world’s top teams head to Devon for a repeat of the 2013 summit finish at Haytor in the Dartmoor National Park.
Bristol will host the penultimate stage of the race, which will be a split stage with riders contesting an 15-kilometre individual time trial in the morning before a 5-lap circuit race in the afternoon. Both stages will take place entirely on a proposed 15.3-kilometre circuit finishing atop the Bristol Downs. The 600-metre SKODA King of the Mountains climb of Bridge Valley Road, which averages 9%, will feature in the final kilometres of a both stages.
London will again host the final stage, presented by Transport for London, on Sunday 11 September, which will use the same circuit as in 2015, focused on Regent Street, the Heart of London and the Northbank, with a repeat of the finish on Regent Street St James just below Piccadilly Circus.
Commenting on the route announcement, Tour of Britain Race Director Mick Bennett said;
“We are confident that this year’s route for the Tour of Britain will provide the opportunity for eight exciting days of racing and a multitude of opportunities for riders and teams to be aggressive and make the race. We believe that with the combination of longer stages of over 200-kilometres, the tough circuit and time trial in Bristol and the summit finish at Haytor we have not just a great preparation for the World Championships but also a fantastic race that will showcase the British countryside and stands alone in its own right as a race riders will want to win.”
“The route includes major cities such as Glasgow, Bristol, Bath and London, and visits each of Scotland, England and Wales, while at the same time touching many smaller communities and areas where we know the passion and support for cycling is so great.”
Jonny Clay, British Cycling director of cycle sport and membership, said:
“We are proud to announce the 2016 route for Britain’s national tour. Every year the Tour of Britain offers a chance for the public to see some of the world’s best road riders racing through their local area. Last year’s race had a bit of everything; fast flat sections, rolling roads and a great hill top finish which led to exciting racing for the competitors and fans alike. .This year’s route has all the same ingredients, so promises to be a great event.”
Chain Reaction Cycles continue their partnership with the race and sponsorship of the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Classification, won in 2015 by Team WIGGIN’s Owain Doull, while UK parcel carrier Yodel will continue to sponsor the daily intermediate YodelDirect Sprints classification, which Peter Williams of ONE Pro Cycling won last September.
ŠKODA remain official car suppliers and sponsors of the King of the Mountains jersey, also won by Williams in 2015.
For the fifth successive year fans can look forward to enjoying daily live coverage of all eight stages on ITV4, with the channel broadcasting a three-hour live programme from each stage, plus one-hour of highlights every evening during the race.
Commenting on the 2016 event, Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of Tour of Britain organisers SweetSpot said; “This year’s Tour of Britain features a fantastic combination of major cities like Glasgow, Bristol and London, smaller communities across Scotland, England and Wales and the stunning scenery and testing climbs of the Lake District and Dartmoor. With hundreds of thousands of fans at the roadside and millions more watching via live television in the UK and around the world, the 2016 Tour of Britain is a fantastic showcase for the brands involved in the event.
“We thank our jersey partners Chain Reaction Cycles, SKODA and Yodel and all our other Official Partners and Suppliers for their continued support.”
The Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their door step.
About the Tour of Britain
Re-launched in 2004 after a five year absence from the calendar, the Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their doorstep. The Tour of Britain is the UK’s highest ranked professional stage race and the country’s largest free-to-watch sporting event, organised annually by SweetSpot Group.
Ranked at the 2.HC level by the UCI, the Tour of Britain attracts the world’s top cyclists, including Olympic and World Champions and Tour de France stage winners, to compete on British roads each September, with three-hours of live coverage a day on ITV4.
The 2016 Tour of Britain takes place from Sunday 4 to Sunday 11 September.
Photo Credit for top image and link to Neon Velo: Marshall Kappel
Gabby Durrin Press Release (as one door closes another opens)
A lot has been going on this year for me. I have been away from racing for a little while and I have made some big decisions over the past couple months.
I am RETIRING from professional cycling, and I am very happy to be moving on to the next chapter in my life. I have been racing professionally for the past 13 years, and they were the most amazing years of my life. The memories and friendships I’ve made along the way will stay with me forever.
I have written a blog about what I have been going through over the past couple years with depression and losing the spark for racing. I am very proud of what I have accomplished, and am excited to find that spark in the next adventure and chapter in my life.
We’re pleased to announce that Gabby Durrin has accepted a full time position as brand Marketing Executive for Neon Velo starting 2016. The role comes with a move back to the UK where both Gabby and Jeremy will work closely with Neon Velo brand at their Hertfordshire based headquarters. Gabby will be using her years of experience in the cycling industry to help grow the Neon Velo Brand, it’s Race Team and Products. Jeremy will continue racing for the team on the road and CX primarily in the UK and Europe. Jeremy and the other team riders will also help to further develop the exciting Neon Velo product range through 2016.
-Neon Velo’s Emma Backhouse stated. “Gabby has such a wealth of knowledge within the industry and the sponsors who have supported her throughout the years really show the level of professionalism she carries with her. She will be a valued asset to the program on multiple levels and we can’t wait to see what the next year brings!”
-Gabby Stated earlier today. “We are extremely excited about this opportunity for our next step with Neon Velo. I am very happy to have been offered such a great position and it makes the transition from professional cycling seamless and allows me to maximize my 12+ years of industry experience to the full potential. Neon Velo is an exciting brand with big ambitions and we’re looking forward to 2016”
Gabby Posted the following statement on Facebook earlier today.
2016 has a whole new exciting opportunity for me.
Thank you all for all the great years, and this won’t be the last of me you will see around cycling.
I will update you all soon on what my next adventure is, but it’s definitely exciting!
I will be moving to the UK with Jeremy Durrin after accepting a full time position with Neon Velo as brand marketing executive. Jeremy and I will be based in Hertfordshire close to where the Neon Velo HQ is based.
Photo Credit Brad Warren
I am very excited about this huge change in my life. Having over 12+ years experience in the cycling industry I am looking forward to working on the business side. This opportunity will be great in helping me to transition out of professional cycling and into the business world!
Jeremy will still be racing for Neon Velo on the road and in cyclocross primarily in the UK and Europe with an early season USA cyclocross campaign.
2016 is set to be a whole new change and array of opportunities for Jeremy and I. We are both looking forward to the future.
I am very fortunate to have this opportunity and it has come at the perfect time for me. Retiring from professional cycling was a tough thing to do and it is rather scary and unknown, but this move certainly allows me to focus on new challenges and experiences which is really what life is all about!
I now get to write a whole new chapter in my book of life! Follow along…
Happy New Year everyone. May your year be filled with happiness, health and adventure!
On behalf of Cyclingshorts I would like to wish Gabby and Jeremy all the best for the coming year. Remember you can keep up to date with all things cyclocross, sports nutrition, training and cycle holidays at www.cyclingshorts.cc
Tour de Yorkshire organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and the Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) have selected six towns across Yorkshire to host a start or finish for the Tour de Yorkshire 2016.
Racing will begin and end in Beverley, Doncaster, Middlesbrough, Otley (Leeds), Scarborough and Settle.
The three day men’s race will be held between Friday 29 April and Sunday 1 May. The women’s race will be held on Saturday 30 April.
Welcome to Yorkshire received fourteen expressions of interest to host a Tour de Yorkshire start or finish in 2016 or 2017. A small number of 2017 start and finish locations have also been confirmed today, with Fox Valley (Sheffield), Halifax, Harrogate and Selby announced as hosts.
The inaugural Tour de Yorkshire was held in May this year and attracted one and a half million spectators and over six million global television viewers.
Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:
“From the first moments of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire, everyone who was there knew it was something special. I’m delighted that we are able to bring the 2016 race to all four corners of Yorkshire. It is testament to how much the county has taken the race to its heart that we have been oversubscribed for next year’s starts and finishes.
“The Tour de Yorkshire is an event in the cycling calendar that riders want to race in and we look forward to welcoming some of the world’s best riders back to Yorkshire next year.”
Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France at the ASO, said:
“Yorkshire is so perfectly suited to international racing and the landscapes create wonderful chances for riders to shine. Many of the teams and riders said that the Tour de Yorkshire reminds them of the Tour de France’s Grand Départ, with the routes, crowds and atmosphere once again combining to create a very special race”.
Next year’s Tour will be also see a return of the Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride and a chance for Tour Makers to volunteer on the race route and help welcome spectators at the event.
Several of the host towns announced today are also home to Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries, a direct legacy of the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire, which aim to offer every child in Yorkshire access to a bike. So far nearly one thousand children have borrowed a Bike Library bike, through school visits, led rides and community activity.
The full 2016 race route will be announced in December 2015 – this announcement will include exact start and finish locations and the distance and profile of the race.
WACE comprises Cape Town Cycle Tour, TD Five Boro Bike Tour, Vatternrundan, L’Etape du Tour, RideLondon and Granfondo Campagnolo Roma. The mission of the Association is to promote and increase cycling worldwide.
Six of the world’s top mass participation cycling events have come together to form the World Association of Cycling Events (WACE). The constitution of the new association was announced in Rome today.
WACE comprises six of the most prestigious and largest mass participation events in the world:
• Cape Town Cycle Tour (South Africa), the world’s largest timed cycling event
• TD Five Boro Bike Tour (USA), the only closed road mass participation cycling event in New York City with 32,000 participants
• Vatternrundan (Sweden), one of the oldest and longest mass participation cycling event in the world with more than 6 million km ridden each year
• L’Etape du Tour, (France) one of the most beautiful and toughest sportives in the world, ridden over a stage of the Tour de France
• RideLondon (UK), the world’s largest festival of cycling with 95,000+ riders on traffic-free roads in London and Surrey
• Granfondo Campagnolo Roma (Italy), a unique cycling experience in the historic Eternal City starting in front of the Colosseum
Chartered Members
WACE has been formed to promote and increase cycling worldwide. With more than 200,000 participants from 90 countries riding in WACE events each year, the new organisation is ideally placed to inspire new riders to take up the challenge of cycling and to encourage riders to travel to participate in other world class cycling events.
“It is a very exciting time for cycling with such rapid growth in interest and participation,” said Hugh Brasher, President of WACE and Event Director for RideLondon.“We expect a number of other major international cycling events to join us to promote the many health and lifestyle benefits of cycling and to work together to promote the opportunity to ride in great cities around the world. WACE events are working with city leaders to get more people cycling to help address the global issues of pollution, overcrowding on public transport and public health.”
“We want everybody to participate in our events, not just serious riders,” said Matteo Gerevini, Executive Director of WACE. “Our events cover every aspect of cycling, from a ride in a city like New York to an incredibly tough experience in the French Alps.”
More major international cycling events are set to join WACE and the association is planning the creation of the ‘WACE CHALLENGE’ with awards to riders who take part in multiple WACE events around the world.
To find out more about WACE, please visit the WACE website at www.wacebike.com
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In total, there are eight British women’s teams:
In full, the men’s teams are:
“Today is a hugely significant milestone for women’s racing. We’ve come good on our promise to expand the women’s race and rather than rest at bringing parity in terms of the men’s route and broadcast coverage, we’ve gone further to offer the world’s most lucrative prize fund. 
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