Cornwall's professional cycling team to race in prestigious 2021 Tour of Britain
The first leg will be from Penzance to Bodmin
The first teams have been unveiled for the 2021 Tour of Britain, which kicks off in Cornwall.
The famous cycling event will start on the 5th September with the first leg going from Penzance to Bodmin.
It has been confirmed that the Cornwall based team Saint Piran will make their Tour of Britain debut.
All five of Britain’s UCI Continental teams and a Great Britain national squad have today been unveiled as the first confirmed teams.
Canyon dhb SunGod and SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling will return to the UK’s most prestigious race having previously won jerseys in the event, while Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling, Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing will make their Tour debuts in September.
Tour of Britain organiser SweetSpot and British Cycling have issued invites to all five of Britain’s UCI Continental teams for the 2021 race in recognition of the challenges posed and the lack of racing opportunities since last March owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a desire to assist them with current and future commercial partnerships in a challenging economic climate.
Their participation will mark the most home teams in the race since the 2015 Tour of Britain, when six British UCI Continental teams competed. Owing to the unprecedented demand from UCI World and ProTeams to compete in the event over the past decade, SweetSpot and British Cycling introduced a season-long qualifying process in 2016 to reward those teams who both supported and performed the best in the leading domestic races. The selection criteria for UCI Continental teams will be re-introduced for the 2022 Tour of Britain, and SweetSpot and British Cycling will work with teams to confirm the process in Autumn 2021.
The Great Britain Cycling Team – who have ridden 13 of the 16 modern Tours to date, including every edition since 2012 – complete today’s team announcement. Their involvement allows future stars to gain invaluable experience in one of the world’s leading races. Among those who have lined up in the race in home colours are reigning Giro d’Italia champion Tao Geoghegan Hart, 2018 Vuelta a Espana victor Simon Yates and Grand Tour stage winner Hugh Carthy.
Details of the UCI World and Pro Teams competing in the Tour of Britain will be announced in the summer.
“We’re delighted to be announcing the first six teams competing in the long-awaited 2021 Tour of Britain. Together with British Cycling, we understand the challenges that they have faced over the past 14 months. We hope that these early invitations give them the chance to plan ahead to September, safe in the knowledge that their place is assured, so that they can arrive at the Tour of Britain in the best possible condition. We know from recent editions of the race that the Great British squad and domestic teams can illuminate the race – I’m looking forward to more of the same later this year!”
Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director
Saint Piran’s invitation to the Tour will see Cornwall’s first-ever international cycling team compete on home roads when the race starts in the Duchy with a stage between Penzance and Bodmin on Sunday 5th September.
“Saint Piran are delighted to be participating in the 2021 Tour of Britain. For the team, this represents the realisation of a dream, and the fact that the first stage of this year’s race takes place in our home county is the icing on the cake.
"This will be the largest sporting event ever in Cornwall and we believe it will create a huge legacy for cycling here.
"We can’t wait to be on the start line in September in Penzance and we look forward to mixing it with some of the best riders in the world.”
Ricci Pascoe, Saint Piran team principal