With the Tour Series set to return for the first time since May 2019, this explainer tells you what it is, how it works, when it takes place and why it’s oh-so-important for our domestic racing teams

What is it?

An annual series of circuit races, held predominantly in city and town centres. One of the defining features of the series is its emphasis on team success over individual achievement. The team who consistently performs the best and scores the highest combined points tally claim the prestigious Tour Series title.

The Series consistently attracts the top teams from across the UK and this year will be no different, with British UCI Continental teams going head-to-head with the UK’s top elite squads. Canyon dhb SunGod and CAMS-Basso Bikes were crowned the most recent champions back in 2019 and will be back to defend their titles.

Highlights of the series will once again be shown on ITV4. And, in a new innovation, a partnership with USA CRITS will see the winning teams from the men’s and women’s Series invited to compete in the American criterium series’ finals weekend at the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic in North Carolina in September (24th-26th).

Originally due to take place in its traditional slot in May, this year’s edition was postponed to August because of Covid restrictions.

The Races

The rearranged Series is a compact affair, involving three rounds set in the north of England and south Scotland, running from Sunday 8 August through to Thursday 12 August.

The opening round will take place in Guisborough, home of the East Cleveland Klondike GP. Sunderland will host the second round, with a final round across the border in Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, as The British Continental had trailed last October.

Why is it important?

The Tour Series is always a fiercely contested affair, but after a season and a half without any top-level domestic road racing in the UK, it takes on particular importance for domestic teams this year.

With ITV4 showing highlights of each round, it is one of very few domestic road racing events that will be shown free-to-air, providing vital exposure for teams on their sponsors.

And with the UK emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, the events themselves will provide a rare opportunity for local communities to come together to celebrate sport on their doorsteps.

History

Canyon dhb p/b SunGod are the defending men’s champions; they won their second title in 2019 and victory this August will make them the first men’s team to win three-consecutive championships.

CAMS-Basso Bikes are the defending women’s champions, having won last time out under the guise of Brother UK-Tifosi p/b OnForm.

Past men’s series winners

Past women’s series winners

Teams to watch

Normally our gaze is firmly focused on individual riders to watch, but here it’s all about team strength as much as individual flair.

Women’s competition:

15 women’s teams take part, including two of the UK’s three UCI Continental teams (CAMS-Basso Bikes and AWOL O’Shea), the Great Britain U23 team and four of the five women’s Elite Development Teams (Brother UK Cycle Team OnForm, Loughborough Lightning – TRG, Team Boompods, Team LDN –Brother UK).

Defending champions CAMS-Basso Bikes field a formidably strong squad, including Megan Barker, Illi Gardner and Jess Finney, who led the team in their recent domination at the Ilkley Cinema Women’s GP.

The compact Great Britain U23 team might be only have a five-rider squad but each member is extremely strong. They include three of U23s riders to watch this season: Otley GP winner Eluned King, Women’s CiCLE Classic victor Abi Smith and Amelia Sharpe. Halesowen Road Race winner Ella Barnwell and Sophie Lewis round out the strong quintet.

If these two teams are the favourites on paper, there are plenty of other challengers. The new Pro-Noctis-Redchilli Bikes-Heidi Kjeldsen team looked impressive in the recent National Circuit Series, the highest-placing elite team in the competition, finishing third overall. They count former CAMS-Basso Bikes riders Jo Tindley and Jenny Powell in their squad, as well as Corinne Side and Charliiy Berry, both consistent criterium performers.

Another new team, Team Spectra p/b Wiggle, were fourth overall in the National Circuit Series, with cyclocross specialist Amira Mellor particularly impressive. The ŠKODA DSI Cycling Academy also look strong, particularly with Beth Morrow (2nd in Ilkley) and Lucy Ellmore (5^th in the same race).

This list isn’t comprehensive and there are teams and riders than can – and undoubtedly will – shine too. Isabell Darvill (Team Boompods), Hannah Bayes (AWOL O’Shea), Lucy Lee (Team LDN-Brother UK) and Frankie Hall (Loughborough Lightning – TRG) have all shown form in criterium racing this year, for example. And it will be fascinating to see how Irish track star Emily Kay (Torelli Assure Cayman Islands Scimitar), fresh from Tokyo.

Rules and scoring

• Team size 

Teams may enter a squad of up to eight riders, with no more than five riders being allowed to race in each round. To qualify for the team championship, men’s teams must enter five riders per round, while women’s teams must field a minimum of three riders.

• Team competition
  
  

All five riders from each team will be awarded a finishing time for every round. In the men’s competition, a team will count their best four finishing times. And in the women’s competition, the team will count their best three finishing times. The team with the lowest aggregate actual transponder time will be awarded the team victory, and so on.

Points will be awarded to teams on the following basis per round:

• • Men’s teams, from 1^st to 13^th place: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
  • Women’s teams, from 1^st to 15^th place: 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

The team that accumulates the most points overall across all rounds will win the overall Tour Series.

• Sprints competition
  
  

A number of intermediate sprints will take place during each men’s (three sprints) and women’s (two sprints) races (held approximately every 15 minutes). The first five individuals across the line at each sprint, as well as at the end of the race, will earn points in ascending order of 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. The rider that accumulates the most points overall across the three rounds will win the Sprints Competition.

• Fastest lap competition

There will be a fastest lap competition at each race of the Series, awarded to the rider recording the fastest individual lap of that round – including the final lap. 

For more information about the Tour Series, visit the Tour Series website here.