Mark Cavendish will fine-tune his Tour de France preparation at the National Road Race Championships after being named on the start list for the event on Saturday June 24 – but Bradley Wiggins will not defend his title.
Cavendish, who is currently training in Italy having completed the Giro d’Italia last month, is one of nine Team Sky riders set to contest the 182km race in Ampleforth, North Yorkshire.
The world champion will be joined by Team Sky colleagues Alex Dowsett, Christopher Froome, Jeremy Hunt, Peter Kennaugh, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift and Geraint Thomas. Omega Pharma-QuickStep neo-pro Andrew Fenn completes the WorldTour contingent.
Sky have dominated the race since the team’s inception, filling the podium in both 2010 and 2011, with Thomas and Wiggins crowned champions respectively.
Thomas will use the race as preparation for the Olympic Games, along with team pursuit colleagues Ed Clancy and Andy Tennant, both riding for Rapha Condor Sharp, who also count 2009 winner Kristian House in their ranks.
The start sheet is dominated by domestic teams, spearheaded by an eight-strong Endura Racing squad which includes former Sky rider Russell Downing, who won the event in 2005.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Lizzie Armitstead is joined by AA drink leontien.nl team-mates Sharon Laws, Lucy Martin and Emma Pooley, who all hope to be part of the Olympic road race squad, while Beijing gold medallist and 10-time British road race champion Nicole Cooke is the sole representative of Team Faren-Honda.
