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Remco Evenepoel is set to ride the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men in September, Cycling Weekly understands.
The Belgian is currently in France at the Paris Olympics where he won gold in the individual time trial last weekend. Evenepoel is also set to feature in the elite men’s road race on Saturday where he will be a favourite for gold once more.
Sources told Cycling Weekly that Evenepoel’s next race after that would then be the Tour of Britain Men in early September. Soudal Quick-Step are expected to be one of several WorldTour teams on the start line in Kelso in the Scottish Borders on 3 September.
A spokesperson for Evenepoel’s team confirmed that the race was being considered as a possibility for the Olympic champion, but said that nothing had been fully decided as of yet. Patrick Lefevere, Soudal Quick-Step’s boss, has also said that the Tour of Britain is on Evenepoel’s provisional schedule, as a prelude to the World Championships.
Cycling Weekly contacted British Cycling Events to confirm Evenepoel’s participation, but they were unable to officially comment. An announcement regarding teams at the Tour of Britain will be made in the coming days.
It is understood that double Olympic MTB champion Tom Pidcock is likely to feature for Ineos Grenadiers. It’s understood that the course was designed with the aim of attracting Pidcock, who finished second at the truncated 2022 edition.
Evenepoel made his Tour de France debut this summer and finished third overall. He was also crowned as the best young rider in Nice. He then added an Olympic gold medal to his palmarès.
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British Cycling will run the Tour of Britain Men under their own banner for the first time this year after the race’s former organiser, SweetSpot, entered liquidation. The national governing body’s new major events arm will take charge of the event. Former Ineos Grenadiers boss Rod Ellingworth was appointed race director of both the Tour of Britain Men and Women in March.
Ellingworth recently told Cycling Weekly that he was “totally open” to the possibility of Mark Cavendish also being part of the race in some capacity.
This year’s race will take place over six days – to achieve future parity with the women’s race – starting in Scotland before wrapping up in Felixstowe, Suffolk on 8 September. Suffolk played host to the race last year with Wout van Aert grabbing a stage win in Felixstowe.
Full route details were recently announced for the first two stages in Scotland and northern England in which the peloton will face more than 5,000 metres of elevation gain.
After the first two stages, the race will then head south with stages in South Yorkshire, the East Midlands and Northamptonshire before reaching the planned Suffolk finale.
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