Start list and ‘riders to watch’ for “P&O Ferries Tour of the North”

‘P&O Ferries Tour of the North’ 2010 was a cold affair…….

With a quality field of just over 100 riders drawn from across Ireland and Britain, the ‘P&O Ferries Tour of the North’ promises to be an all out affair over the next four days in the battle for stage and overall honours.

The race starts tomorrow, Friday, with the 1.1km Hill Climb TT up Prince of Wales Drive at Stormont and continues until Monday’s final stage around the North Antrim coast

In the absence of last year’s winner Adam Armstrong (Eurocycles) - who is riding Ras Mumhan in Co Kerry this weekend - the man who pushed him so close last year Simon Williams wears the coveted No 1 in this year’s edition, lining out with his Team Curran Racing squad.

Williams has been one of the most prolific riders in Ireland in recent years and must be counted among the contenders for this year’s race.

However, he certainly won’t have it all his own way, with some good riders from home and abroad looking to make their mark. One of his strongest challengers may be someone close to home in the shape of Fraser Duncan, who is also riding with Team Curran Racing this weekend.

Last year’s mountains classification winner and very much the in-form rider so far in 2012, Peter Hawkins (IG Sigma Sport) would love to cap his amazing patch of early season form with both stage and overall victory this weekend.

Felix English (Rapha Condor-Sharp) is also riding and having already taken in the Tour of Taiwan and gotten through the Maldon Dengie Tour in Essex last weekend in good shape, he may be one to keep a very close eye on this weekend.

Related News

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains

Video - Ireland's Meehan climbs with best on brutal Alpine terrain

However, both Hawkins and English each have only two team mates in the race, a factor that may make it hard for them to control things when riding against other teams with up to six riders apiece.

The East Antrim Audi team have a handy looking line up for the weekend, with Gary Cranston and Jonathan Dempsey both capable of putting in a good ride not to mention Jack Wilson, who comes back from his base on the Continent to take in the action on home roads.

The Cycling Ulster team enjoyed overall victory in this race with Philip Lavery two years ago and will be hoping for more of the same this year with a strong six-man line up that includes Ian Inglis, Cormac Clarke, Kyle Cole, Daniel Stewart, Peter Wilson and Rory Devlin.

Lavery’s new team, NODE 4 Giordana has entered this year’s race though the 2010 winner is not part of that line-up.

He rides the Girvan in Scotland this weekend instead and is then on duty with his team in France midweek, so has decided to forego national selection for the U23 Nations Cup races in France and Holland over the next week.

The winner of the final Tour of the North stage last year, Derek Finnegan is making a return, this time riding for West Pennine Road Club. Always a strong rider who wants to race, he will likely be in the mix.

There are also some strong looking teams in the shape of the Scotland U23 team, SWABO Cycling Team from Holland, WTOS Delft (also from Holland), not to mention the NODE 4 quarter of Kieran Frend, Matt Higgins, James Moss and James Sampson.

Find the full start list below and best of luck to everyone.