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Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome on Tour de France podium (via YouTube)

Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome to ride the Tour of Britain

Both riders looking forward to a great atmosphere on the roads

by Alex Bowden

Thu, Aug 16, 2018 10:13

This year’s Tour de France winner, Geraint Thomas, will ride the Tour of Britain alongside last year’s Tour de France winner, Chris Froome. Thomas finished seventh in the Tour of Britain last year, in what was his first appearance since 2011, but Froome hasn’t appeared in the race since 2009.

Thomas said: "As soon as I'd finished the Tour I knew I wanted to ride the Tour of Britain and race on home roads. It starts in Wales which will be special, and then I get to go and race across the whole of the UK. I can't wait.

"I want to go to the race in the shape to compete and enjoy it. We'll have to see how the next few weeks go but I'm looking forward to it and I know we will have a strong team there."

Thomas renounced his normal strict diet while celebrating his Tour de France win, but speaking in Cardiff last week, he said he was keen to maintain decent fitness for the World Championships in September.

"I'd still quite like to try and have some sort of form by the end of the year but I don't know about winning them.

"I think I'd have to be sort of Tour de France weight and form. I think it's easier to get the form. The weight now, it's a bit of a write-off to be honest after the last 10 days. It takes a lot of hard work, that's the hardest part for me.”

Having already won the Giro d’Italia and finished third in the Tour de France, Froome will understandably skip the third Grand Tour of the year, the Vuelta a Espana, which he won last year.

He said: “It’s been a long time since I’ve raced the Tour of Britain. The Vuelta a Espana has always been such a big goal and sadly coincided with the Tour of Britain, but not doing La Vuelta this year gives me the chance to come back to the UK and race on what looks like a great parcours.

“I’m really looking forward to riding. I always remember there being a great atmosphere at the Tour of Britain and the race has only got bigger over the years. I’m really looking forward to coming back.”

The race begins at Pembrey Country Park, Carmarthenshire, on Sunday September 2.

Geraint Thomas

Chris Froome

Tour of Britain 2018

Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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39 comments

Yorkshire wallet replied to Dnnnnnn | 6 years ago

0 likes

Duncann wrote:

joules1975 wrote:

Danger Dicko wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Technically its the Tour of England and Wales

It's an 8 day race, you can't expect it to hit every UK county in that time.

F*** me, a 21 day race in Italy, France or Spain won't visit every region/province in those countries.

Some people are never satisfied.

Yeah, add in that it's been to Scotland (albiet only the southern part, admittidly) in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 (so that's 7 times out of the last 8 editions), and deamlx's comment looks rather stupid.

I don't think so - I think as a point of principle it should visit each of the three countries each time.

It's fine to disagree, and you have a point - but I don't think it makes deamlx's comment "stupid".

His Froome and TDF comments cemented that view.

BehindTheBikesheds replied to joules1975 | 6 years ago

1 like

joules1975 wrote:

Danger Dicko wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Technically its the Tour of England and Wales

It's an 8 day race, you can't expect it to hit every UK county in that time.

F*** me, a 21 day race in Italy, France or Spain won't visit every region/province in those countries.

Some people are never satisfied.

Yeah, add in that it's been to Scotland (albiet only the southern part, admittidly) in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 (so that's 7 times out of the last 8 editions), and deamlx's comment looks rather stupid.

No, deamlx's comment was 100% correct, they said "technically it's a tour of England and Wales", you and others need to read properly otherwise you'll look stupid!

dreamlx10 replied to Danger Dicko | 6 years ago

1 like

Danger Dicko wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Technically its the Tour of England and Wales

It's an 8 day race, you can't expect it to hit every UK county in that time.

F*** me, a 21 day race in Italy, France or Spain won't visit every region/province in those countries.

Some people are never satisfied.

Scotland is neither a region nor a province within the United Kingdom

vonhelmet replied to dreamlx10 | 6 years ago

2 likes

dreamlx10 wrote:

Danger Dicko wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Technically its the Tour of England and Wales

It's an 8 day race, you can't expect it to hit every UK county in that time.

F*** me, a 21 day race in Italy, France or Spain won't visit every region/province in those countries.

Some people are never satisfied.

Scotland is neither a region nor a province within the United Kingdom

You're telling me Scotland isn’t in the UK?

hawkinspeter replied to vonhelmet | 6 years ago

3 likes

vonhelmet wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Danger Dicko wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Technically its the Tour of England and Wales

It's an 8 day race, you can't expect it to hit every UK county in that time.

F*** me, a 21 day race in Italy, France or Spain won't visit every region/province in those countries.

Some people are never satisfied.

Scotland is neither a region nor a province within the United Kingdom

You're telling me Scotland isn’t in the UK?

Believe it or not, it's a country in the UK.

dreamlx10 replied to vonhelmet | 6 years ago

1 like

vonhelmet wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Danger Dicko wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Technically its the Tour of England and Wales

It's an 8 day race, you can't expect it to hit every UK county in that time.

F*** me, a 21 day race in Italy, France or Spain won't visit every region/province in those countries.

Some people are never satisfied.

Scotland is neither a region nor a province within the United Kingdom

You're telling me Scotland isn’t in the UK?

It is one of the "Kingdoms" that make up the United Kingdom, Wales being a principality of England

fukawitribe replied to dreamlx10 | 6 years ago

0 likes

dreamlx10 wrote:

vonhelmet wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Danger Dicko wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Technically its the Tour of England and Wales

It's an 8 day race, you can't expect it to hit every UK county in that time.

F*** me, a 21 day race in Italy, France or Spain won't visit every region/province in those countries.

Some people are never satisfied.

Scotland is neither a region nor a province within the United Kingdom

You're telling me Scotland isn’t in the UK?

It is one of the "Kingdoms" that make up the United Kingdom, Wales being a principality of England

It can also be viewed as a 'region', in the 'usual' sense or otherwise, e.g.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countries_of_the_United_Kingdom wrote:

"Regions": For purposes of NUTS 1 collection of statistical data in a format that is compatible with similar data that is collected elsewhere in the European Union, the United Kingdom has been divided into twelve regions of approximately equal size.[16] Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are regions in their own right while England has been divided into nine regions.

hawkinspeter replied to dreamlx10 | 6 years ago

0 likes

dreamlx10 wrote:

vonhelmet wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Danger Dicko wrote:

dreamlx10 wrote:

Technically its the Tour of England and Wales

It's an 8 day race, you can't expect it to hit every UK county in that time.

F*** me, a 21 day race in Italy, France or Spain won't visit every region/province in those countries.

Some people are never satisfied.

Scotland is neither a region nor a province within the United Kingdom

You're telling me Scotland isn’t in the UK?

It is one of the "Kingdoms" that make up the United Kingdom, Wales being a principality of England

It used to be, but is no longer a kingdom: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707

peted76 | 6 years ago

1 like

Good news for the race, however I fear the crowds will not be much cop with it being the week the kids go back to school

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