Connor Swift will make Tour de France debut in support of Nairo Quintana 

Connor Swift has become the third confirmed Brit to ride the 2020 Tour de France, racing in support of Nairo Quintana. 

The 24-year-old has continued to deliver on his potential, having won the British National Championships in 2018 and stepping up to join ProTeam Arkéa-Samsic last season.

Since joining the French squad, Swift has become a key rider supporting Quintana in stage races, assisting him to overall victory in the 2020 Tour de La Provence and at Paris-Nice. 

Quintana and Arkéa-Samsic will be focussed on the general classification at the Tour, after the Colombian joined the team from Movistar at the start of the season. 

Sports director at Arkéa, Sébastien Hinault, said: “Clément Russo and Connor Swift will discover the Tour de France and the three-week races, but both have given proof of their solidity during this season during major races. Connor on the Paris-Nice roads by protecting Nairo during the stages, and Clément by doing a very big job in favour of his leaders on the roads of the recent Critérium du Dauphiné.”

Swift, a former Madison Genesis rider, racked up a number of promising results early in his career before his breakthrough result in the National Championships two years ago, where he beat WorldTour riders like Owain Doull and Ben Swift. 

He was then signed to Arkéa-Samsic from October 2019 to bolster André Greipel’s sprint train.

While Greipel’s time at Arkéa was short-lived, the team then signed Quintana for 2020 in the hopes of taking the yellow jersey. 

In July, Swift then extended his contract with the squad after impressing management during his first few months. 

Arkea-Samsic’s general manager Emmanuel Hubert said at the time: “This year he added a new dimension to his talent by protecting and replacing his leader Nairo Quintana, among others, on the stages of plains and borders of Paris-Nice, but also the sprint finishes by being part of the Nacer Bouhanni train, which proves the extent of the talent of this young rider.” 

Quintana has two Grand Tour victories to his name the 2014 Giro d’Italia and the 2016 Vuelta a España, but the Tour de France has always eluded him. 

Arkéa-Samsic squad for the Tour de France 2020 

Nairo Quintana (Col) 

Warren Barguil (Fra)

Connor Swift (GBr) 

Winner Anacona (Col) 

Dayer Quintana (Col)
Diego Rosa (Ita) 

Maxime Bouet (Fra)

Clément Russo (Fra)