Salisbury will welcome Britain’s best teams and riders once again this month as the OVO Energy Tour Series returns.
Having hosted the 100th round in series history and the event’s 10-year anniversary in May 2018, Britain’s leading televised cycle series heads to Salisbury on Thursday 23 May for this season’s penultimate showdown.
Last year’s round, watched by 12,000 spectators as well as TV viewers around the world, memorably saw three-time Olympic champion Ed Clancy take individual honours in the men’s race. The 1.2-kilometre (0.7-mile) circuit based around Guildhall Square and Market Place also holds good memories for the Canyon Eisberg and Team Breeze squads, who were crowned last year’s men’s and women’s series champions respectively in Salisbury.
“I think everybody involved with last year’s visit to Salisbury would describe it as the best round in the OVO Energy Tour Series’ proud history,” said race director Mick Bennett. “The support and the enthusiasm – not to mention the noise – from the crowd that night will live long in the memory, and I hope that more unforgettable racing and that strong community togetherness will be created once again in May.”
The Wiltshire venue joins Redditch, Motherwell, Aberdeen, Durham, Birkenhead and Brooklands as the last of the confirmed locations for the 2019 OVO Energy Tour Series.
Among the likely contenders to Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes’ crown are Madison Genesis, 2015 men’s champions and last year’s runners-up, Team WIGGINS Le Col and Vitus Pro Cycling. Meanwhile Storey Racing and Brother-Tifosi look set to challenge Team Breeze in the ever-competitive women’s title race.
As well as being an unticketed, free-to-attend event, the OVO Energy Tour Series is unique in the world of cycling, as the focus in both the men’s and women’s competition is on the teams, who battle for the overall title based on the performance of all five of their riders in each round.
Highlights of the OVO Energy Tour Series are screened on ITV4 and broadcast around the world, while event days provide the opportunity for a range of community and cycling activities to take place on closed-road circuits.
