June 21, 2004 – The Tour of Britain, scheduled for September 1-5, is
quickly filling up with quality teams eager to participate in
what is sure to be the best field ever assembled for the race in its long
history.

This week Credit Agricole, a division One team based in France, signed
up for the race and they have as a team member Britain’s Bradley Wiggins –
the 2003 World 4,000 meter Individual Pursuit Champion. Bradley hopes to
continue his road race experience by riding in this year’s Tour de France
and he has high hopes of medals in the Athens Olympics both in the
Individual and Team 4,000 meter Pursuits. In Sydney he gained a bronze in
the Team Pursuit but hopes to improve on that this year. It would provide
the country with a great opportunity to salute his achievements if Bradley
were to ride in the Tour of Britain.

The Credit Agricole team also includes other stars of the cycling world
like Thor Hushovd, currently ranked 25th in the UCI ranking list. Born in
Norway, Thor is now twenty six years old and is a Stage Winner in the Tour
de France and last year was fourth in the points title race. Hushovd is
expected to feature prominently in the Tour again this year. Christophe
Moreau is one of France’s biggest hopes this year to do well in the Tour de
France – two years ago he won the Prologue which took place in Dunkirk. He
finished eighth in The Tour de France last year and in Roger Legeay the
team has one of the best managers in the world to push him to achieve.

Chocolade Jacques Wincor-Nixdort, another division One team, is based in
Belgium and this team is new for the 2004 season. Dave Bruylandts, from
Belgium, was third in the Tour of Flanders but has been recovering recently
from a broken elbow. Even though this has interrupted his season, he is
still ranked in the world’s top seventy and it leaves him comparatively
fresh to concentrate on the Olympics in Athens. Jans Koerts, from
Holland, is a recognised road sprinter and he works in tandem with his
Dutch compatriot, Bart Voskamp.

The Tour of Britain has been granted elite status (Category 2.3) by
the UCI. It will feature sixteen teams and take in stages which start in
Manchester and visit the North-West of England on day one. Stage Two will
be based in Yorkshire and Stage Three will visit cities in the East
Midlands. The Fourth Stage takes the riders to South-East Wales and Gwent
with the thrilling climax taking place on Sunday with a criterium, a race
on a specially designed circuit which takes in the streets of
Westminster.

BBC TV are committed to televising the Tour both through their regional
networks and in an eighty minute programme, featuring all five stages,
which will be broadcast in their flagship sports programme, Grandstand.
A similar programme will be made for global distribution.