Bahrain Victorious Set to Tackle Tour of Britain Challenge

TEAM Bahrain Victorious is set to compete in the 21st edition of the Tour of Britain, launching today from Woodbridge and culminating in Cardiff on Sunday. The high-profile men’s road race unfolds alongside the second week of La Vuelta a España, where Bahrain Victorious is already showcasing impressive form.

The week-long British tour comprises six stages and is largely designed to suit the strengths of sprinters, although the penultimate “Queen stage” promises a stern test for climbers and general classification (GC) contenders. With only six riders per team, smart team tactics and individual brilliance will be crucial throughout.

According to Bahrain Victorious sports director Roman Kreuziger, “The race is a bit more on the south compared to last year. I would say the first three stages should be sprints. Then stage four finishes with a kick. The fifth stage, the Queen stage, is very solid, with a five-kilometre climb at 8 per cent that we do twice. And then the last stage to Cardiff, that seems elevation-wise could be a sprint, but we have to be ready for everything because nine kilometres before the finish there is another kick that really gives opportunities to many riders.”

“As usual, the roads are pretty small, and there will be a different level in the bunch, but those guys who want to compete are very high-level riders. So we have to be realistic with our goals.”

The team will rely on a solid six-man roster that includes Matevz Govekar, last year’s winner of the final stage in Felixstowe. Govekar is eyeing more success in the flatter early stages, starting with 161km from Woodbridge to Southwold followed by a 169km loop around Stowmarket.

Backing Govekar will be former British champion Fred Wright—riding his home tour for the first time—along with Zak Erzen and Edoardo Zambanini, who snatched a podium finish on the third day in 2023. Zambanini and Wright will also switch roles later in the tour to support Pello Bilbao, Bahrain’s GC leader aiming for a top-three finish.

The team is completed by Portuguese rider Afonso Eulalio, expected to be a versatile asset both in GC support and as a wildcard for breakaway opportunities.

Kreuziger emphasized the team’s strengths and goals: “We have Pello as leader, and Edoardo who also did it last year. Then we have Afonso who is in great shape and we are really looking forward to having him there because the course suits him really well. We have the winner of last year’s last stage, Matevz, who is getting there step by step and I really hope that he can do an amazing finale to the season. Then, Freddie, who will want to show himself on home landscape. He knows what we want to see there and he’s in amazing shape. Finally, we have the young kid Zak, who should be really important, especially in the first three days for Matevz.”

The terrain transitions on stage three with more elevation over 123km from Milton Keynes to Ampthill, followed by the most demanding stretch: 187km from Atherstone to Burton Dassett. The final weekend in Wales is packed with drama. Saturday’s 133km to ‘The Tumble’ includes four categorized climbs and is likely to favor punchy climbers and GC hopefuls. Sunday’s finale concludes with a brief but unpredictable 112km from Newport to Cardiff.

Kreuziger described the strategy required for such a varied course: “Being just six riders, we have to be careful how we split the task and do the things properly. For me, the biggest thing is to have riders that are motivated, and then everything comes after that. So the focus from day one to six will be on the challenges of the course: smaller roads, wind, the weather, and we have to be ready for everything.”

He added: “We want to be stage winners, but we have to be careful if we want to fight for the podium to take some intermediate sprints where there are also bonus seconds. I think top three on GC with Pello is achievable. And with the sprinters, a stage win is also possible. The combination of Pello and Zamba – who finished seventh last year – can do really well. So we want to have someone on the podium.”

With momentum building from their performance in La Vuelta, Bahrain Victorious enters the Tour of Britain with eyes on both stage wins and overall classification success. The team’s balance of experience and emerging talent makes them one of the squads to watch this week across the British countryside.

Team V.DIR-EM-UAE