Britain’s first winners of the men’s Tour de l’Avenir and Flèche Wallonne, alongside a silver medalist from the recent Olympic Games in Paris, will feature in Israel – Premier Tech’s line-up for the Tour of Britain.
Joe Blackmore, Stevie Williams, and Ethan Vernon have been named in IPT’s squad for the 20th edition of the modern race, which begins in southern Scotland on Tuesday (September 3).
They will be joined by Jake Stewart – the fourth British rider in the team – and Australians Simon Clarke and Nick Schultz.
Britain’s biggest race has been good to IPT in recent years: Corbin Strong won the opening stage of the 2022 edition, while Mike Woods (2021) and Dylan Teuns (2022) both finished fifth overall.
The key to repeating those strong GC results will be good performances in Stages 2 and 3. The former, a 152.1-kilometer leg from Darlington to Redcar, features two ascents of the uncategorized Saltburn Bank. The second of these comes within the final 10 kilometers of racing. Taking place in South Yorkshire, Stage 3 features 2,736 meters of elevation, including an uphill final kilometer.
Furthermore, two stage finishes should look familiar to riders in the IPT squad: Clarke finished eighth in Kelso (which hosts the opening stage this time around) in 2019, while Vernon won the bunch sprint for second in the seaside town of Felixstowe, where the 2024 edition culminates, last year. For the record, this will be Clarke’s fifth participation in the race, a run that dates back to 2008.
“We’ve got a good team for Britain, with objectives and opportunities across the whole week,” says Sports Director Sam Bewley.“It’s important to have depth in the squad, especially when it comes to the GC. While there aren’t many WorldTour teams coming to the race, those who are are very strong, so having more than one card to play across the week will be key.
“There will definitely be days when it’s a full bunch sprint, and others when it’s a smaller group that comes to the line. So, depending on how Ethan’s bouncing back from his big Olympic campaign, we can look at him or go to Jake if we need to.”
A long-distance break on the final day almost earned Williams a podium place in last year’s race. Although the 2024 edition doesn’t venture into his home country of Wales, the Tour Down Under winner is targeting another strong GC performance.
He says: “This will be my third Tour of Britain and, after coming close to getting a really good result last year, I’m even more motivated to do well. I love racing in the UK and going there with three other British riders, it doesn’t get much better than that. Hopefully it’ll be a good week with the boys.
“It’s almost like a reverse of last year, as the first three days will be key for GC this time around. That makes it exciting, we’ll be going straight into the action. Then, if it goes as expected, there’ll be opportunities for our sprinters. I think we’ve got somebody for every stage, it’s a multi-talented team.”
After a busy summer preparing for the Olympics, the Tour of Britain marks Vernon’s first race back with the team since the Giro d’Italia.
“I’m really excited to be back racing on home roads,” says Vernon. “We don’t get many opportunities to race in the UK anymore so to be able to race with the full team support will make for a special week.
“I’m just coming back from the Olympics so I’m still building my form, but I am excited to get back racing with my mates again. If a result comes along the way then fantastic but, if not, then a good solid week to help re-find the legs for the rest of the season will also be good.”
The closest any rider gets to a home stage is on day five, which passes near the birthplaces of Vernon (Bedford) and Stewart (Coventry). This year marks the latter’s third start in the Tour of Britain, and Stewart will go into the race with momentum.
He says: “Coming out of the Tour of Poland and Bretagne Classic, the form has been really good. I feel in good shape and the sensations are good, so that’s really exciting heading into the Tour of Britain. It’s the first time I’ll have done the race with my trade team as opposed to a national one, and we’re coming with a really strong squad that can be competitive across all the stages and the GC, especially with Stevie and Joe.
“I’m going to bring everything I’ve learned from the lead-outs in the Tour de France for the link up with Ethan. Also, I was so close to a stage win in 2022, so if the opportunity arises it would be amazing to get my hands up in the air. With the strength of the squad we’ve got it’s going to be a good week.”
In the car alongside Bewley is IPT Academy Manager Tim Elverson, who is also no stranger to the race. Riders on his previous teams won jerseys in the 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 editions.
IPT at the Tour of Britain (September 3 – 8)
Riders: Joe Blackmore (GBR), Simon Clarke (AUS), Jake Stewart (GBR), Nick Schultz (AUS), Ethan Vernon (GBR), Stevie Williams (GBR)
Sports Directors: Sam Bewley (AUS), Tim Elverson (GBR)
