Posted on: 23 August 2012

Devon’s connections with The Tour of Britain extend beyond Stage Seven of this year’s race on Saturday 15 September.

Of course, there are some of the riders involved; Endura Racing’s Jon Tiernan-Locke, who won last year’s Skoda King of the Mountain’s Jersey, Team UK Youth’s Yanto Barker, and Team Sky’s Jeremy Hunt, all rode for the Mid Devon Cycling Club when growing up in the county.

But if you are attending the finish venues of any of the eight stages of this year’s Tour, starting in Ipswich on Sunday 9 September and finishing in Guildford on Sunday 16 September, you are bound to notice the unmistakeable voice and glasses of entertainer and commentator Joe Fisher, from Devon.

Crowd pleaser Joe, from Exeter, is the man tasked with whipping the masses into a frenzy as they eagerly await the world’s best riders. When the spectators start banging the boards it is Joe who helps build the atmosphere that makes The Tour such a unique event.

Joe was introduced to The Tour by Devon County Council, who host the Devon Stage, when the Council asked him to commentate on the warm-up events before the Tour Series cycle race in Exeter city centre in 2009. He was then asked by the organisers of The Tour to be the finish line commentator for all Tour Series and Tour of Britain stages, which he has done ever since.

“I like to call myself a ‘commentertainer’,”explains Joe. “It’s about passion and energising the crowd. Some commentators stay in a box and you never see them, but I come from an entertainment background; I’m an actor and comedian and I’d like to think I’ve brought that side of entertainment to sport and it’s a blend which works very well.

“I had been a sports announcer for a long time before getting involved with The Tour of Britain. I commentate on a lot of different sports but I love being involved in cycling. The banging on the boards by the crowds encapsulates the cycling atmosphere – and I’ve started Mexican board banging instead of a Mexican wave! It makes my job much easier when the crowd respond to things like that.

“The Devon Stage is always special because it’s been my home for the past 20 years, I love the area and I’m passionate about the South West. It’s always one of the biggest crowds and, of course, I like coming home.”

Joe’s energetic style has seen him just finish a stint at the recent Olympic Games, but his impressive CV also includes the Tour de France roadshow in the run up to the Prologue in London in 2007, as well as the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, and a range of other major sporting events including football and triathlon.

Joe adds: “Two weeks working as an announcer at Old Trafford for the Olympic football was fantastic. The kudos of the event made the atmosphere very different from any other football match – the crowd were really up for it.

“Without doubt cycling has changed from five years ago when I did the Tour de France London roadshow. Back then, it was still very much a niche audience but now there has been a massive increase in people coming to watch cycling. It’s become much more popular, the cyclists are more well-known, and I think the Tour Series and Tour of Britain have encouraged that as well.”

The Devon Stage, which is the penultimate Stage of this year’s Tour, will start in Barnstaple at 10:15am and heads through Dartmoor National Park before finishing in Dartmouth.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “We’re proud of Devon’s involvement in The Tour of Britain, and it’s great that Joe plays such an important part in that. He always ensures an electric atmosphere among the crowds at the finish line and it’s fair to say that really adds to the sense of occasion as the spectators cheer home the best riders in the world.”

Daily highlights of The Tour of Britain will be screened every evening on ITV4.

For more information on The Tour of Britain, visit: www.southwesttourofbritain.co.uk and www.tourofbritain.co.uk and on Twitter follow @SWTourofBritain.

The 16 competing teams are:
- AN Post Sean Kelly Cycling Team (Ireland)  
- Endura Racing (Great Britain) 
- Euskaltel Euskadi (Spain)  
- Garmin – Sharp (USA) 
- Liquigas – Cannondale (Italy) 
- Node4 Giordana Racing (Great Britain) 
- Orica GreenEDGE (Australia)
- Rapha Condor (Great Britain)
- Saur Sojasun (France)  
- Team IG – Sigma Sport (Great Britain) 
- Team NetApp (Germany)
- Team Raleigh – GAC (Great Britain)
- Team Sky Pro Cycling (Great Britain)  
- Team UK Youth (Great Britain) 
- United Healthcare Pro Cycling Team (USA)
- Vacansoleil DCM (Netherlands)

Posted on: 21 August 2012

Tour de France winner and Olympic Time Trial champion Bradley Wiggins heads a stellar field of professional cyclists who will be “going for gold” in this year’s Tour of Britain.

The Tour of Britain organisers, Sweetspot Group, have unveiled the Team Sky line-up which will compete for the IG Markets Gold Jersey. And Devon County Council, who will host the penultimate Stage (Stage Seven) of this year’s Tour on Saturday 15 September, is predicting the announcement will attract tens of thousands of extra spectators to the county to boost the local economy.

Four time Olympic Gold medallist Wiggins, the first British rider to win The Tour de France and winner of the Olympic Time Trial at London 2012, will lead Team Sky. He will be joined by World Road Race Champion Mark Cavendish, who won two stages in last year’s Tour of Britain, and Devon rider Jeremy Hunt. Alongside the trio of British riders are two members of Bradley Wiggins’ successful Tour de France line-up, Bernhard Eisel and Christian Knees, plus Swedish rider Thomas Löfkvist.

The 106 mile (170.7km) Devon Stage will start in Barnstaple and head through Dartmoor before finishing in Dartmouth. It will also pass through communities including Bideford, Hatherleigh, Instow, Great Torrington, Okehampton, Princetown, Tavistock, Buckfastleigh, Kingsbridge, Torcross and Stoke Fleming.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, warmly welcomed the confirmation that Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish would be riding.

He said: “This is just the news we wanted to hear. I’m sure there will be plenty of people in Devon, from across the South West and further afield, who will turn out to congratulate Bradley Wiggins for his efforts in becoming the first British rider to win the Tour de France and for winning Gold at London 2012. It will also be great to see Mark Cavendish sporting the rainbow jersey as World Champion. Those two alone will attract thousands of people to the county, which is great for local economy businesses, and with so many other top riders competing you can expect the 106 mile route of the Devon Stage to be packed with spectators. The London Olympics was all about inspiring a generation, and with this prestigious event on our doorstep, it’s a chance for people in Devon to be inspired by these incredible athletes taking part in The Tour.”

Tour of Britain Race Director Mick Bennett said: “To have the reigning Tour de France and Olympic Time Trial Champion, and the current World Champion competing in The Tour of Britain is a dream for us. That both riders are British and such great champions means that there is now unprecedented interest in the event.

“We are delighted that The Tour of Britain will be the first chance for many British fans to see Bradley Wiggins since his Tour de France and Olympic successes.  We are also very pleased that Mark Cavendish will race again so he can ‘show-off’ the rainbow stripes in front of home fans.  What Mark did for the race last year following the cancellation of Stage Two meant a great deal to us, so he will always be welcome as a fantastic ambassador for The Tour.”

Another Olympian, Euskaltel Euskadi’s Samuel Sanchez, who won the Olympic Road Race in Beijing in 2008, will be making his Tour of Britain debut, as will Liquigas-Cannondale’s Ivan Basso, a double winner of the Italian Grand Tour, the Giro d’Italia.

Endura Racing’s Devon rider Jon Tiernan Locke, who won last year’s Skoda King of the Mountains Jersey, returns and will be aiming to improve on fifth overall in 2011. Another Devon rider, Yanto Barker, who was top British finisher in The Tour of Britain in 2005, will lead Team UK Youth on the team’s debut in The Tour.

Other South West riders include Simon Richardson from Somerset, riding for Team IG Sigma Sport, and Chris Opie, of Cornwall, who is another member of the Team UK Youth squad.

The Devon Stage includes three Skoda King of the Mountains climbs at South Hill, near Little Torrington, as well as Merrivale and Coffin Stone within Dartmoor National Park. There will also be intermediate Yodel Sprints at Great Torrington, Slapton Ley and Kingsbridge.

The Grand Depart of The Tour of Britain 2012 will take place in Ipswich on Sunday 9 September, with the final stage in Guildford on Sunday 16 September.

Team Sky provisional start-list:
Mark Cavendish; Bernhard Eisel; Jeremy Hunt; Christian Knees; Thomas Löfkvist; Bradley Wiggins.

The 16 competing teams are:
- AN Post Sean Kelly Cycling Team (Ireland)
- Endura Racing (Great Britain)
- Euskaltel Euskadi (Spain)
- Garmin – Sharp (USA)
- Liquigas – Cannondale (Italy)
- Node4 Giordana Racing (Great Britain)
- Orica GreenEDGE (Australia)
- Rapha Condor (Great Britain)
- Saur Sojasun (France)
- Team IG – Sigma Sport (Great Britain)
- Team NetApp (Germany)
- Team Raleigh – GAC (Great Britain)
- Team Sky Pro Cycling (Great Britain)
- Team UK Youth (Great Britain)
- United Healthcare Pro Cycling Team (USA)
- Vacansoleil DCM (Netherlands)

For more information about the Devon Stage of The Tour of Britain, visit: www.southwesttourofbritain.co.uk and www.tourofbritain.co.uk and on Twitter follow @SWTourofBritain

Posted on: 21 August 2012

Participation in all sports across the spectrum has seen a significant boost – thanks to Team GB’s success in the London 2012 Olympics.

But the combination of the success of the British track and road cyclists, and the recent Tour de France victory for Bradley Wiggins, has led to more than 1,000 people signing up as members of British Cycling in just two weeks.

And help is at hand for those who’d like to give cycling a go but have never tried it before, or lack the skills or confidence to go out and explore Devon’s roads or the vast expanse of cycle networks the County has to offer.

Devon County Council now offers free cycle confidence sessions for adults living or working in Exeter, Exmouth, Newton Abbot, Kingsteignton or Totnes areas, thanks to its successful bid for Local Sustainable Transport Funding from the Department for Transport.  All sessions are run by professional and experienced National Standards Instructors.

Cycle Devon’s Sustainable Travel Officer, Colin Savage, explained:  “Our sessions are for everyone who may need a little cycling help, whether it’s learning to ride a bike from scratch or brushing up on their skills – maybe to start cycling to work.

“Our instructors can help with learning to ride a specific route, for example to work, and give advice on suitable routes.  Whatever your cycling goal is, we can help you achieve it.”

Devon County Council’s Head of Human Resources, Paul Jones, was a keen cyclist at school and built his own road race bike from scratch over 40 years ago.

“I had lost my confidence recently after a fall, and my cycling has only been to work and back, from Alphington to County Hall, at a very pedestrian pace,” said Paul. “However, inspired by the Tour de France and the Olympics, I took the plunge and bought a road bike, even though I didn’t have the confidence to ride on busy main roads.

“This week I took advantage of the free cycle training provided by Devon County Council to anyone who lives and works in the Exeter/Exmouth area. My instructor soon had me cycling through Heavitree and Topsham road through busy traffic and taught me invaluable lessons about assertive cycling and positioning on the road to be safe and be seen.

“Having used a bike purely for commuting to work, I am now looking forward to the health and leisure benefits of doing far greater distances and hope to do a number of charity rides for good causes.”

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said:  “We’re experiencing a real boom in cycling in Devon, and it’s no wonder, with the recent Olympic cycling successes of Team GB, Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome on the podium at the Tour de France, and with Devon hosting the penultimate stage of the Tour of Britain next month.

“Our cycle training is ideal for anyone who wants to learn to cycle or improve their skills and, as it’s free in most areas, is the perfect opportunity to take up a new sport, get fit and have fun.”

For anyone who doesn’t qualify for the free training, private and bespoke cycle sessions with a local cycle instructor are also available at very competitive rates.

Cycle Devon also offers Freetrike – a cycling coaching service for those with disabilities who wish to access this life-enhancing activity. The service is run by a friendly and local cycle instructor, Tom Pales.

For more information on cycle training log on to www.cycledevon.info or on Twitter follow @CycleDevon. You can also contact local providers to request free training or for more information:
Exeter and Exmouth
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel: 01395 562507
Totnes
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel: 01803 861175
Newton Abbot
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel: 01626 215603
Free cycle maps are also available to download at http://www.cycledevon.info/local-cycle-maps.