Tour of Normandy: The French race with a long history of British success
This year's Tour of Normandy begins on Monday, March 21, with 14 British riders competing. Raleigh-GAC, JLT-Condor and Madison-Genesis are all riding

By Thomas Dodd
The Tour of Normandy has been a happy hunting ground for British cycling in recent years and this year's race sees three teams from the United Kingdom competing in the week-long race in northern France.
Raleigh GAC, Madison Genesis and JLT Condor will contest the 36th edition of the Tour, which gets underway on Monday, March 21, in Carentan.
The event has been kind to British racers in the past and with 14 riders from these shores heading over to France there are high hopes of more success this time around.
Londoner Alex Peters, then of SEG Racing, used his second-place finish in 2015 as a springboard to land a ride with Team Sky last summer.
Two years ago, British amateur Dan McLay won stage three of the race and ultimately went on to claim the green sprint jersey.
Last year’s Tour de Normandie also handed a professional debut to Team Wiggins, where Owain Doull finished third on stage four.
Check out the essential guide to this weekend's main race
In 2012, Erick Rowsell finished second in the young rider category, thanks in part to a runner-up finish on stage two.
Rowsell (Madison-Genesis) will this year be riding alongside Tom Stewart, who wore the climber’s jersey for three stages of last year’s Tour of Britain before ultimately finishing second in the classification.
George Pym (Raleigh-GAC) will compete in his first UCI WorldTour race outside of Great Britain and a youthful Raleigh line-up will also feature 18-year-old Jack Escritt.
>>> Behind the scenes with Team Wiggins at their debut race, the 2015 Tour of Normandy
JLT-Condor will be led by Thomas Moses and Chris Lawless, the latter having been part of Team Wiggins’s first pro race 12 months ago.
Irish team An Post-Chain Reaction are also sending a squad with Yorkshireman Jacob Scott one of their six riders. Jacob Shaw, of Lotto-Soudal U23, is racing too.
Often characterised by the rain and wind, this year's race comprises of six road stages preceded by a prologue, starting in Carentan and ending in Caen the following Sunday.
The man who pipped Peters to the top step of the podium last year, Dimitri Claeys, will not defend his title, but his team Verendas Willems return to the race led by Timothy Dupont, who won the Nokere Koerse in his native Belgium this week.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.
-
-
Former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer to ride Unbound Gravel
Unbound 200 contestants will be joined by a gravel newcomer of note this year. Former Tour de France race leader Jan Bakelants is joining in on the fray.
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
POC Ventral Tempus MIPS Review - A helmet for riding in the rain, and being seen
Bright, light and comfortable, but not cheap
By Tyler Boucher • Published
-
Why Sunday’s stage of the Tour de Yorkshire might be the hardest ever on British soil
Yorkshire is known for its testing roads and demanding climbs, but stage four of this year’s Tour de Yorkshire could well be the hardest ever laid out on British soil. We previewed part of the course with Madison-Genesis to see what lies ahead on Sunday - Photos by Luke Webber/Madison
By Paul Knott • Published
-
'I don’t know how we’ve done it': Tom Stewart becomes first Brit to win Tour de Normandie since 1985
JLT Condor celebrate successful Tour de Normandie, with overall victory, stage win and points classification
By Nigel Wynn • Published
-
Madison Genesis and One Pro Cycling teams unveil their new bikes for 2018
British teams Madison Genesis and One Pro Cycling reveal their bikes and the kit they will be riding in during the 2018 season
By Nigel Wynn • Published
-
Germain Burton returns to racing with new JLT Condor contract
JLT Condor announces signing of Germain Burton and Oliver Wood for 2018
By Nigel Wynn • Published
-
Madison Genesis seeking Tour of Britain success: 'Today suits us better'
British team Madison Genesis is hunting for a top 10 place on the Tour of Britain's penultimate stage on Saturday
By Nigel Wynn • Published
-
12 JLT-Condor team bikes stolen from Condor warehouse
Worth around £5,000 each, 12 JLT-Condor team bikes have been stolen from the Condor warehouse in south London, with thieves using angle grinders to break in.
By Henry Robertshaw • Published
-
Chris Lawless 'needs to aim for stage wins' in Tour of Normandy
JLT-Condor manager John Herety says the squad's Chris Lawless should be aiming for victories to attract the attention of Pro Continental teams
By Nigel Wynn • Published
-
The Alliance of British Drivers missed one crucial fact when complaining about speeding cyclists
The Alliance of British Drivers claims that cyclists are racing through the streets of London based on looking at Strava stats, but there's one thing they've missed
By Stuart Clarke • Published