The Tour of Britain starts in Liverpool on Sunday September 7, with a strong field set for the start line of the 11th edition of the modern incarnation of the national Tour, now a 2.HC UCI Europe Tour event.
Sir Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) returns to defend the gold jersey he won last year, courtesy of individual time trial success in Knowsley and a strong ride up Haytor.
But Wiggins will face stiff competition this time out, with a strong list of GC contenders set for the Liverpool start line – including former champion Lars Boom (Belkin), fresh from his second place at the Eneco Tour.
With a tough, varied route for this year’s race – including a summit finish on The Tumble in South Wales and the return to Haytor, en route from Exmouth to Exeter in Devon – it is likely to be a fiercely contested battle for the gold jersey.
Eight WorldTour teams in all are set for the start line, alongside a Great Britain team, the five British UCI Continental outfits and a host of European UCI Pro Continental squads.
So where and how will this year’s race be won and who is likely to top the podium in London?
Read on for our in-depth preview of the 2014 Tour of Britain over the following pages.
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