Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome to ride Tour of Britain
- Published
2018 Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas and four-time winner Chris Froome will ride together in the Tour of Britain for the first time since 2009
Tour de France winners Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome will lead Team Sky at next month's Tour of Britain, it has been confirmed.
They will line up on the start at Pembrey Country Park, Carmarthenshire, on Sunday 2 September.
"As soon as I'd finished the Tour I knew I wanted to ride the Tour of Britain," said Thomas.
"It starts in Wales which will be special, and then I get to go and race across the whole of the UK."
Thomas, the 2018 Tour de France champion who has family roots in Carmarthenshire, and four-time Tour de France winner Froome will be joined by Dutchman Wout Poels. The rest of the Team Sky line up has yet to be confirmed.
Thomas said he could not wait to "ride on home roads"
Six-time Grand Tour winner Froome last took part in the Tour of Britain in 2009, while Thomas finished seventh overall last year.
Their participation rules them out of the Vuelta a Espana which starts on 25 August.
"I want to go to the race in the shape to compete and enjoy it," said Thomas, who has ridden the Tour of Britain eight times.
"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.
"Wout is looking really good at the moment too."
The rest of Team Sky line-up for the Tour of Britain will be announced at a later date
"It's been a long time since I've raced the Tour of Britain," said Froome, who has focused instead on La Vuelta in the past four seasons, winning the Spanish Grand Tour for the first time last year.
"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."
Following the start in Wales, this year's Tour of Britain will take riders into the West Country and up to Cumbria before returning to its regular finishing circuit in central London on 9 September.