Keeping the British end up
Crowds out in their thousands, shaking off the Covid-fuelled fallow year; the sun surprisingly keeping its hat firmly on for most of the week; and of course a Scottish schoolboy receiving a water bottle from Jumbo-Visma’s Pascal Eenkhoorn as reward for not only sprinting in the shadows of the peloton but pulling on the heartstrings of a global audience. This year’s Tour of Britain was a joyous affair.
And don’t forget the sight of British Continental rider Dan Bigham sucking in the Lancashire air as he fought to stay clear of a chasing pack of WorldTour stars. The Ribble-Weldtite rider dug deep but would eventually miss out to an Ineos Grenadier, Ethan Hayter. It was a brave effort from Bigham that garnered great publicity for his team but concealed a dark secret: British Continental racing is on life support and, if it doesn’t receive CPR very soon, it could be game over.
