As he did earlier this year on key stages of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, British pro Daniel Lloyd has ridden the opening stage of the Tour of Britain and previewed the characteristics of this first day of the race.
The Team IG Sigma Sport competitor finished tenth in the race last year while competing with the Garmin-Transitions team. This event is a big target for him, not least because it’s a major platform to display his talents and the team sponsors.
“This is the longest edition of the race so far at 1349 kilometres,” said Lloyd in the video below. “This will be without doubt the biggest objective of the year for the six UK-based teams competing. Not only do they get a chance to compete on television, they also get a chance to pit themselves against six of the teams that were at the Tour de France back in July.
“One of those is the biggest team of all from Britain, Team Sky, and they will be particularly motivated in a race they have yet to win.”
In a year where British riders Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome have taken first and second in the Tour de France plus first and third in the Olympic Games TT, massive crowds are guaranteed.
Today’s 203 kilometre stage is mainly flat but includes Skoda KOM third category climbs at Snape (km 24.9) and Westleton (km 49.1), as well as Yodel intermediate sprints at Melton (km 9.2), Great Yarmouth (km 105.3) and Coltishall (km 140.9).
Watch the video below for Lloyd’s analysis and insight; come back later for a full report.