Share

Racing

Chris Froome and Sir Bradley Wiggins’ February race programmes confirmed

Froome set to defend Tour of Oman title, Wiggins to open season in Mallorca

Chris Froome and Sir Bradley Wiggins will both start their 2014 seasons in February, with every Team Sky rider in action during a busy month.

Although the British WorldTour team are not competing at the inaugural Dubai Tour, they will face eight races in February, with Froome and Wiggins’ fellow Brits, Peter Kennaugh, Ben Swift and Josh Edmondson, also kicking off their campaigns.

Chris Froome will look to defend his Tour of Oman red jersey when he starts his season in the Middle East (Pic: Tour of Oman)

Wiggins will make his bow at the Challenge Mallorca from February 9 to February 12, where he will race in three of the four one-day races on the Balearic Island, while Froome will return to the Tour of Oman.

Ben Swift will also be in action in Mallorca, one year on from suffering an injury on the final day which saw him suffer a severely disrupted 2013 season.

Back from surgery and a prolonged winter break however, Swift will be keen to remind team directors of his ability as he bids for a place on the start line of the Tour de France, in his home county of Yorkshire.

Wiggins and Swift will be joined in Mallorca by Kennaugh and Edmondson, while Vasil Kiryienka, David Lopez, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Sergio and Sebastian Henao are also included in a 12-strong squad.

At the same time, several of Sky’s Tour Down Under squad – including Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe – will be racing at the Tour of Qatar, which also starts on February 9 and finishes on February 14.

Sprinter Chris Sutton has overcome the minor wrist fracture which ruled him out of the Tour Down Under to lead the sprinting charge in Qatar, while Gabriel Rasch – who will retire to join the backroom staff later this season – is also selected.

Froome’s season debut, meanwhile, will be at the Tour of Oman, from February 18 to February 23, where he will bid to defend the overall title he won last year.

Froome is backed by a strong support squad which includes Henao, Lopez, new signing Mikel Nieve and Belarusian Kanstantin Siutsou.

Sir Bradley Wiggins will start his season in Mallorca before racing alongside Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas at the Ruta del Dol (Pic: Sirotti)

And while Froome is in the Middle East, Wiggins will join Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas in a formidable line-up for the Ruta del Sol in Spain, with Philip Deignan, Kennaugh, Kiryienka and Boasson Hagen rounding off a strong squad.

Finally, Edmondson is the sole Brit selected for the Tour du Haut Var, taking place in France on February 22 and February 23.

Nathan Earle, who impressed on his unexpected debut at the Tour Down Under, will make his second appearance for Team Sky in the race, while Rasch adds some experience to an otherwise young squad.

See Team Sky’s full line-ups for February here.

Discuss in the forum

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production