The Tour of Britain have announced the names of nine out of the 16 teams that have confirmed they will be taking part in Britain’s biggest free to attend sporting event on 12-19 September.

“This year’s Tour of Britain will be fielding the best and strongest set of teams ever to take part in the event. By having such high profile teams, of which some are currently taking part in the Tour de France, spectators to this year’s Tour of Britain will be guaranteed to see the highest calibre of cycle racing ever to take place on British soil,” said Mick Bennett, Technical Director for The Tour of Britain. “It has always been our desire to include domestic teams on The Tour of Britain, as we see these emerging cycling teams playing an essential part in helping to develop the sport in this country.”

“As a British-based team, it’s great to be racing against some of the best teams in the world on home turf,” said Phil Griffiths, Team Manager for CandiTV – Marshalls Pasta. “Thanks to The Tour of Britain, our team now has the chance to prove ourselves to an international audience and hope to inspire the younger generation to take up cycle racing.”

The teams confirmed to take part in this year’s event are:

– AG2R La Mondiale

– Agritubel

– Barloworld

– CandiTV – Marshalls Pasta

– Team Columbia – HTC

– CSF Navigare

– Team Halfords Bikehut

– Rapha – Condor

– Topsport Vlaanderen

The Tour of Britain is the UK’s biggest free to attend sporting event, attracting over a million spectators per year to towns, cities and communities across the length and breadth of the country. The 2009 event begins in Scunthorpe on Saturday 12 September and finishes eight days later in the centre of London on Saturday 19 September.

More at www.tourofbritain.co.uk