Nearly a year after coming close to death in a scooter accident in Italy that left him in hospital in an induced coma and with horrific injuries including a fractured skull, Jonny Bellis has been named in the Team Saxo Bank squad for next month’s Tour of Britain.
The Manx rider, who returned to racing in June’s national road race championships, last rode in the race in 2008 as a stagiaire for the then Team CSC-Saxo Bank and finished 12th overall.
Joining the 21-year-old in the Team Saxo bank line-up will be Polish Time-Trial Champion Jaroslav Marycz, Jonas Aaen Jorgensen, Alex Rasmussen and Frank Høj.
Race director Mick Bennett said: “I’m delighted to welcome Team Saxo Bank back to The Tour, as they have been one of our staunchest supporters, and have enjoyed great success in the event. It is fantastic to have the world’s number two ranked team riding The Tour, a team who I’m sure we will be hearing a lot more of next year thanks to their recent signing of Tour de France champion Alberto Contador.”
Bennett continued: “I am also pleased to see Jonathan [Bellis] returning to The Tour this year, and I, and all of the organising team, wish him all the best for the race. I’m sure he will see a lot of support from the British public during The Tour.”
Two British teams that figured in the Tour Series earlier this year will be making their first appearance in the Tour of Britain, Sigma Sport-Specialized and Team Raleigh.
Fo Simon Richardson, team leader of Sigma Sport-Specialized, Stage Five from Tavistock to Glastonbury will take him on familiar roads close to his home town of Shepton Mallet.
Holy crap at that shirt! My eyeballs are bleeding AND I'm going to have nightmares!
Yeah, /that/ bike didn't look expensive, but if it was me the cop came up to wanting to commandeer my bike, I'd be quite reluctant now having seen...
Well, there is the excellent transport museum, but I get your point - I left there 30 years ago and don't have any great desire to return (other...
Utter moron. Cyclists have the right to be in the middle of the lane, as they should be. Other road users (we're talking cars here) have the duty...
Aside from being inaccurate (average speed in 1968 = 20.9mph; average speed in 2023 = 25.7mph; difference of 4.8mph. 2022 was even faster!), I'm...
We are talking about a village that is less than 1km long. Slowing down to a reasonable village speed (20mph) from an illegal 70mph would cost...
25mph cruise speed? Sounds like Nigel's celebrated courtesy and politeness finally reached breaking point...
Have you tried the local press? They love a good 'police not doing their job' story. May just kick them into action.
So the appealing feature of this, being able to swap the setup from a road bike one day to a gravel bike the next involves taking it to a dealer?...
Fantastic that someone just thought of a new app that communicates to a group of people at the same time, as part of a private discussion group....