Under dire threat of relegation from the World Tour, the Israel-Premier Tech team received a useful fillip at the opening stage of the Tour of Britain, won by their New Zealand first-year professional Corbin Strong. The 22-year-old outshone more illustrious teammates such as their new signing Dylan Teuns, who has been hired specifically to garner ranking points that may preserve the team’s top-level status.
Summit finishes are a rarity at the Tour of Britain, and Sunday’s opener to the top of the bleak 9km ascent up the Old Military Road to the Glenshee ski station was the first time the British race has had such a long uphill run to the chequered flag on its opening day. There were few fireworks, however, as a stiff headwind on the exposed, draggy road discouraged initiative until the very last moment.
