Press release from Tour of Britain HQ – Route to follow

Ninety-six of the worlds finest cyclists are preparing for six days of grueling cycle racing as the Tour of Britain starts in Glasgow today (Tuesday 29th August). Starting on Glasgow Green at 10.30am, the riders will travel more than 500miles to a spectacular finish on The Mall in London on Sunday (3rd September). Tomorrow’s stage is from Glasgow to Castle Douglas and involves three King of the Mountain climbs and three sprints along the route.

Favourites for the Tour of Britain yellow jersey include world road racing champion, Tom Boonen and his QuickStep teammate Nick Nuyens. Nuyens was the overall winner last year. They will face a strong challenge from the T-Mobile team and Andreas Kloden who was a podium finisher at the Tour de France.

The strong line up also includes Olympic road racing champion Luke Roberts of Australia and team CSC. Fellow Australian and three time world time trial champion, Michael Rogers, lines up with the strong T-Mobile team. Axel Merckx, son of legendary Tour de France winner Eddy, will ride with the Phonak iShares team.

Twenty British riders, including two Scots, are included in the line up. Russell Downing from the DFL team will be a fancied rider having just won the Grand Prix – Overijse in Belgium last week. The 28-year-old Yorkshireman picked up a third place finish on stage three of the Tour of Britain last year. Recycling.co.uk team rider Kristian House will be another strong contender having just won Britain’s Premier Calendar road racing title. He will ride with double world champion Chris Newton.

Event Director Tony Doyle commented:
“The Tour of Britain is delighted to be back in Scotland for the second year and we are excited about returning next year for the race finish. Seventeen nations are represented this year and we have assembled the strongest field ever.”

Councillor Alex Mosson, Chairman – Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Glasgow City Council spokesperson for events and marketing, said:

“Glasgow is delighted to welcome some of the worlds best cycling teams to the city for the start of the 2006 Tour and I am sure it will prove to be as memorable an occasion as last year. We are working in partnership with the Tour of Britain, EventScotland, Sportscotland, VisitScotland, Dumfries and Galloway Council and Scottish Enterprise (Dumfries and Galloway) to present another world-class event in the city and very much look forward to its return in 2007.”

Sports Minister Patricia Ferguson said:
“This prestigious event will see world class riders cycling through some of the most stunning parts of Scotland inspiring cycling enthusiasts from across the UK and further a field to visit. I am pleased that EventScotland, our major event agency, is a key funding partner of the 2006 Tour of Britain. The Scottish stage of the Tour will help promote Scotland as one of the world’s leading events destinations.”

Jon Doig, CEO of the Scottish Commonwealth Games Council added:
“This is another opportunity for us to demonstrate Glasgow’s ability to host a world class sporting event in the lead up to our bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. It is tremendously exciting that we are hosting this event and that the whole race will finish in Glasgow next year.“