'The Tour de France wasn't part of the plan' - James Shaw's unlikely route to the world's biggest race

‘I came back from the Dauphiné in the best shape I’ve ever been in’ - the 27-year-old British rider believes impressive recent form earned him a place in EF’s Tour squad

James Shaw
(Image credit: Getty Images)

EF Education-EasyPost’s James Shaw has said that when his team was drawing up plans during the winter for the 2023 season, riding the Tour de France was never part of the plan for him. 

The 27-year-old British rider initially expected to be aiming towards goals later in the season which included riding the Vuelta a España. However, due to various different scenarios playing out, Shaw now finds himself in the Basque Country getting set for a maiden Tour outing in Bilbao on 1 July. 

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Tom Thewlis
News and Features Writer

After previously working in higher education, Tom joined Cycling Weekly in 2022 and hasn't looked back. He's been covering professional cycling ever since; reporting on the ground from some of the sport's biggest races and events, including the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships. His earliest memory of a bike race is watching the Tour on holiday in the early 2000's in the south of France - he even made it on to the podium in Pau afterwards. His favourite place that cycling has taken him is Montréal in Canada.