Team Sky picks five British riders for Tour de Romandie
Froome, Thomas, Swift, Stannard and Peters will be part of Team Sky's eight-man team for the Tour de Romandie (April 26 to May 1)
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wKQYfXLqnWESPwpVHTQ2gF-415-80.jpg)
Ian Stannard chases on stage four of the 2015 Tour de Romandie
Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift and Alex Peters are the five British riders among the eight men picked by Team Sky to contest the 2016 Tour de Romandie, April 26 to May 1.
Tour de France champion Froome has won the Tour of Romandie twice - in 2013 and 2014 - and will be one of the men to watch in the six-day, WorldTour-level race in Switzerland.
He will be joined up by Welshman Thomas, who won the race's prologue in 2012 and who led the Tour of Romandie for a day last year after the opening team time trial . A badly-timed puncture on stage two saw him lose four minutes, and with it the race lead.
Thomas has turned his attention away from the classics and over to stage racing this season, so it will be interesting to see how he fares and how he rides alongside Froome in the climb-filled race.
>>> Geraint Thomas interview: I want to make the most of the best years of my career
Froome had to settle for third last year behind overall winner Ilnur Zakarin and Simon Spilak (both Katusha).
With two individual time trials - a short 3.95km opening prologue and stage three's 15km test - and two mountain-top finishes (stages two and four), the course will suit both Froome and Thomas.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
If Froome wins the Tour de Romandie this year he will be only the second rider in history to win the race on three occasions. Irishman Stephen Roche is currently the only rider to have achieved that feat, winning in 1983, 1984 and 1987.
Swift will be the team's option for days finishing in a bunch sprint, which on paper look like stages one and five. New recruit Peters will make his debut in the race.
The five British riders will be joined on Sky's team by Pole Michal Kwiatkowski, Spaniard Mikel Nieve and Italian Salvatore Puccio.
Watch: Inside Team Sky's training camp
British rider Simon Yates (Orica-GreenEdge) is also on the provisional list of starters. Yates finished in sixth position overall last year. He was forced to abandon the Tour of the Basque Country earlier in April after crashing.
Notable other participants in the 2016 Tour de Romandie include former Sky rider Richie Porte (BMC), Tejay van Garderen (BMC), Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Romain Bardet (Ag2r) and Thibaut Pinot (FDJ).
Froome, Kwiatkowski, Puccio and Swift will also be taking part in Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, April 24.
Thank you for reading 20 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
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
A Stars and Stripes jersey and cold hard cash: the 2024 Gravel National Championships to offer a $40,000 prize purse for elite races
The US Gravel National Championships will return to Gering, Nebraska, on September 8
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Tadej Pogačar broke 288 Strava KOMs during Tour de France victory
Slovenian won his third Tour title in Nice last weekend, and picked up a host of new trophies on Strava
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
It's time to stop expecting so much of Ineos Grenadiers at the Tour de France
The British team are always under pressure to match their past best, but it’s not going to happen anytime soon
By Adam Becket Published
-
Ill Geraint Thomas battling to remain in Tour de France
The 2018 Tour de France winner is showing mild symptoms of Covid
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
'It was damage limitation': Tom Pidcock, Jai Hindley react to losing time on Tour de France stage two
"There’s going to be minutes in three weeks. 21 seconds doesn't mean anything," says Tom Pidcock after first blows dealt from the favourites in Bologna
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock says Ineos Grenadiers will be 'better' at the Tour de France without Steve Cummings
Netflix series depicted tension between the DS and rider, dynamic sources told Cycling Weekly carries a degree of accuracy
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'dreaming' of taking yellow jersey on opening weekend of Tour de France
British rider hopes to play starring role in Italian Grand Départ
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I think I'll get the opportunity to go for a stage' - Geraint Thomas relishing support role at Tour de France
Former yellow jersey winner says this year's race "could be my last"
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Geraint Thomas not picked by GB during his final Olympic cycle
Double gold medallist misses out on spot in five-man road team
By Adam Becket Published
-
Carlos Rodríguez to lead Ineos Grenadiers at Tour de France, supported by Geraint Thomas and Tom Pidcock
British squad will aim to "race aggressively and disrupt" at the French Grand Tour
By Adam Becket Published