- Jul 12, 2012
- 8,975
- 591
- 19,080
The 2016 edition starts this weekend with another strong field of riders set to race, as with last year its 6 riders per team, which always adds to the action.
Previous winners:
2009 Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) Team Columbia-HTC
2010 Michael Albasini (SUI) Team HTC-Columbia
2011 Lars Boom (NED) Rabobank
2012 Nathan Haas (AUS) Garmin-Sharp
2013 Sir Bradley Wiggins (GBR) Team Sky
2014 Dylan van Baarle (NED) Garmin-Sharp
2015 Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) MTN-Qhubeka
Cavendish, Cummings, Viviani, Poels, Roche, Dowsett, Dennis, Phinney, Greipel, Gasparotto, Dumoulin, Groenewegen, D Martin, T Martin, Ewan and Nizzolo all should start.
Startlist: http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Aviva_Tour_of_Britain_2016_Startlist
TV: live on ITV4 and the BIKE channel each day with highlights each night.
Stage 1: Glasgow - Castle Douglas - 161.1km
The 1st stage should see a bunch sprint, there are some minor climbs to face but with this sprinter field its likely to come back together. There is a slight 3/4% drag up to finish so it will pay not to go too early in the sprint.
Stage 2 - Carlisle - Kendal - 188.2km
An interesting stage through the hills of Cumbria that should produce some entertaining racing, especially if the weather turns sour. The peloton go over the steep climbs of Whinlatter Pass and Chestnut Hill before reaching the Struggle, a very tough climb which reaches nearly 16% in places. There is another uncategorised climb on the run in to Kendal before they reach Beast banks in the final 500m, a short drag up to the finish reaches 11%. It was here that Gerald Ciolek won in 2013.
Stage 3 - Congleton - Tatton Park, Knutsford - 179km
Stage 3 features the long drag up the Cat and Fiddle, the first 2k's are around 6% before it levels off to around 3-4% false flat all the way up to the top, the highest point of this years race. Unless the middle part of the route is raced hard I should expect it will come down to a bunch sprint in Tatton Park, or there could be a decent breakway that is allowed to go.
Stage 4 Denbigh - Built Wells - 218km
A tough day in Wales and the longest stage of this years Tour, there is also over 4000m of climbing to be done. A strong puncheur could have his day here.
Stage 5 Aberdare - Bath 194.5km
Another rolling stage which starts in South Wales and heads for the hills of the Cotswolds. There are several uncategorised lumps which could thwart the sprinters.
Stage 6 Sidmouth - Haytor - 149.9km
The Tour returns to climb Haytor for the 4th time, and like in 2013 the stage ends on the climb for this years summit finish. In 2013 it was Simon Yates who won here with a select GC group just behind him. The climb is very exposed near the top and wind can often play a factor.
Stage 7a Bristol iTT - 15km
Stage 7b Bristol 6x15km laps - 90km.
The organisers have returned to the format of a split stage this year, and unlike the usual London crit design this one could be quite good. The iTT is one lap of the circuit which crosses the Clifton suspension bridge and has a testing climb in the final 3k's. The climb up Bridge Valley Road is 600m @ 9% and was the same finish that was used in 2014 where Kwiatkowski won from a small attacking group. The road race in the afternoon will follow the same 15km course but race it 6 times. It should be a decisive day for GC action.
Stage 8 London - 100km
As is the norm the race ends in with the crit around central London, expect another good battle between Cav, Viviani and Greipel.
Previous winners:
2009 Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) Team Columbia-HTC
2010 Michael Albasini (SUI) Team HTC-Columbia
2011 Lars Boom (NED) Rabobank
2012 Nathan Haas (AUS) Garmin-Sharp
2013 Sir Bradley Wiggins (GBR) Team Sky
2014 Dylan van Baarle (NED) Garmin-Sharp
2015 Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) MTN-Qhubeka
Cavendish, Cummings, Viviani, Poels, Roche, Dowsett, Dennis, Phinney, Greipel, Gasparotto, Dumoulin, Groenewegen, D Martin, T Martin, Ewan and Nizzolo all should start.
Startlist: http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Aviva_Tour_of_Britain_2016_Startlist
TV: live on ITV4 and the BIKE channel each day with highlights each night.
Stage 1: Glasgow - Castle Douglas - 161.1km
The 1st stage should see a bunch sprint, there are some minor climbs to face but with this sprinter field its likely to come back together. There is a slight 3/4% drag up to finish so it will pay not to go too early in the sprint.
Stage 2 - Carlisle - Kendal - 188.2km
An interesting stage through the hills of Cumbria that should produce some entertaining racing, especially if the weather turns sour. The peloton go over the steep climbs of Whinlatter Pass and Chestnut Hill before reaching the Struggle, a very tough climb which reaches nearly 16% in places. There is another uncategorised climb on the run in to Kendal before they reach Beast banks in the final 500m, a short drag up to the finish reaches 11%. It was here that Gerald Ciolek won in 2013.
Stage 3 - Congleton - Tatton Park, Knutsford - 179km
Stage 3 features the long drag up the Cat and Fiddle, the first 2k's are around 6% before it levels off to around 3-4% false flat all the way up to the top, the highest point of this years race. Unless the middle part of the route is raced hard I should expect it will come down to a bunch sprint in Tatton Park, or there could be a decent breakway that is allowed to go.
Stage 4 Denbigh - Built Wells - 218km
A tough day in Wales and the longest stage of this years Tour, there is also over 4000m of climbing to be done. A strong puncheur could have his day here.
Stage 5 Aberdare - Bath 194.5km
Another rolling stage which starts in South Wales and heads for the hills of the Cotswolds. There are several uncategorised lumps which could thwart the sprinters.
Stage 6 Sidmouth - Haytor - 149.9km
The Tour returns to climb Haytor for the 4th time, and like in 2013 the stage ends on the climb for this years summit finish. In 2013 it was Simon Yates who won here with a select GC group just behind him. The climb is very exposed near the top and wind can often play a factor.
Stage 7a Bristol iTT - 15km
Stage 7b Bristol 6x15km laps - 90km.
The organisers have returned to the format of a split stage this year, and unlike the usual London crit design this one could be quite good. The iTT is one lap of the circuit which crosses the Clifton suspension bridge and has a testing climb in the final 3k's. The climb up Bridge Valley Road is 600m @ 9% and was the same finish that was used in 2014 where Kwiatkowski won from a small attacking group. The road race in the afternoon will follow the same 15km course but race it 6 times. It should be a decisive day for GC action.
Stage 8 London - 100km
As is the norm the race ends in with the crit around central London, expect another good battle between Cav, Viviani and Greipel.
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