Two years on from Stevie Williams’ dominant GC victory in the race, NSN’s British riders will once again be at the forefront of the team’s attack at the Lloyds Tour of Britain.
Ethan Vernon will look to take his fifth victory of the season in the sprints, while race debutant Lewis Askey, along with Italian rider Alessandro Pinarello, provide options for the GC battle.
A third British rider, Jake Stewart, alongside Irishman Ryan Mullen and Kiwi Dion Smith add the power and tactical knowledge for the five-day event.
Adding to the distinctly British feel to the race will be Wednesday’s opening stage around the historic cathedral city of Lincoln, with the parcours using many of the roads that make up the much-loved Lincoln Grand Prix, arguably the country’s most popular one-day race.
Sprints look likely on stages two and three, while the North Yorkshire stage on day four should be where the GC gets decided.
“We have Ethan here, so for sure we are aiming for a few sprints,” says DS Rene Mandri. “Two stages are 100% tailored for him, and maybe we’ll have even three days for him, depending on the race situation and the tactics.
“Stage four is a big GC day, so we have Askey and Pinarello over here for that. We’ll try to do the best we can with them here. There’s tough competition, so it’s not so easy to win, but we’re aiming for it.”
Askey might be in his fifth year as a pro, but he’s never had the chance to compete in his home tour until now.
He says: “I really wanted to be here, actually. I’ve never raced a pro race in Britain before, so I’m looking forward to it.
“I think the GC will all depend on how the first couple of stages go. I think the first stage will decide quite a lot of the race for me.
“I was feeling really good in my first race back since the Tour de France at Bretagne Classic on Sunday – maybe I didn’t ride the best race I could have ridden, but the legs were there.”
Vernon’s sprinting consistency in his home race is noteworthy: he finished in the top four in every sprint on his last appearance here in 2024, having also placed in the top three in four out of six bunch finishes the previous year. That elusive stage win is on the list to check off this week.
“I’m super motivated to race my fifth Tour of Britain off the back of a successful Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,” he says.
“Winning a stage of your home race is what every rider wants – I’ve been second or third seven times now, so getting that first Tour of Britain stage victory is my big target for the week. I’ll have a strong team backing me, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
NSN Cycling Team at the Lloyds Tour of Britain (Wednesday 2 – Sunday 6 September)
Riders: Lewis Askey (GBR), Ryan Mullen (IRL), Alessandro Pinarello (ITA), Dion Smith (NZL), Jake Stewart (GBR), Ethan Vernon (GBR)
Sports Directors: Rene Mandri (EST), Eric Van Lancker (BEL)