CyclistTour of Britain 2024 favourites and riders to watchThe Tour of Britain starts on Tuesday 3rd September and sees plenty of big names take to the start line in the Scottish Borders for six days of racing in Scotland and England. The route will take the riders down the spine of Britain through the Yorkshire Moors and East Midlands with a finale set on the Suffolk coast.In 2023, Wout van Aert won the Tour of Britain title just three seconds ahead of Tobias Halland Johannessen and Damien Howson. The Belgian wont be in Kelso to defend his title. He is busy sweeping Vuelta stages over in Spain.With the reigning champion out of the frame, we will get a new winner in Felixstowe on Sunday 8th September. Lets see who that could beFavourites to win the 2024 Tour of BritainRemco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep)Cyclist/Patrik LundinFresh from Olympic glory, Remco Evenepoel will make his comeback to racing at the Tour of Britain. This will be the Belgian riders debut Tour of Britain and will be the first race hes competed in the UK since winning the time-trial World Championship in Stirling last year.Evenepoel has a strong hit rate at second-tier stage races during his career, winning five out of the seven he has started since his big crash at Il Lombardia in 2020. With a lack of WorldTour opponents, he will start as the overwhelming favourite, especially with no Pogaarand Vingegaard to chase him down. The Tour white jersey winner will also use this race as a tune-up before the upcoming UCI Road World Championships in Switzerland.The profile doesnt necessarily suit Remco, but when has that stopped him before?Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers)Patrik Lundin/CyclistAlso making his post-Olympic return, Tom Pidcock will take on the British roads this September. The two-time mountain bike Olympic champion is still to win a senior stage race or indeed a senior road race in the UK but he will be hungry to continue his victorious year at the Tour of Britain.Pidcock has competed at the previous two editions of the race, but is still to win a stage. The finale to Barnsley on Stage 3 could be his strongest chance of adding a home race victory to his palmars.Pidcock leads an Ineos Grenadiers team that will hope to win their home race for the first time since 2013. Related Posts Pro Log: First ever British Tour de lAvenir win, No GB at European Champs, Ben OConnor leads Vuelta a Espaa State of the nation: Inside the UK domestic racing scene Vuelta a Espaa 2024: Route, start list, how to watch and all you need to know Tour of Britain 2024: Route, start list, how to watch and all you need to know Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep)Rafa Gomez - Pool/Getty ImagesA former winner of the Tour of Britain, Julian Alaphilippe will return this year.The fiery rider will flank Evenepoel throughout the week, just like he has done in the past. The two should be a ferocious duo who could have the hilly North Yorkshire stage on day two nailed down. The 2018 champion will be sure to capture attention during the race as he gears up for a bid at a third rainbow jersey in Switzerland in late September.Alaphilippe has already confirmed his departure from the team, so this will be the Frenchmans last appearance in a stage race in QuickStep blue before heading to Tudor Pro Cycling next year.Riders to watchJonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility)ARN/Aurlien VialatteTour de France breakout star Jonas Abrahamsen will lead Uno-X Mobility at the 2024 Tour of Britain. After a summer spent in the breakaways, Abrahamsen will be looking to build on this good form and newly-found confidence.The Norwegian is a hardy sprinter. He can also overcome hills though, so expect him to be in the mix throughout the six stages. After winning a stage last year, Uno-X will be eager to keep up this record at the Tour of Britain.The Scandinavian squad is also a hair away from making it to the UCI WorldTour in at the end of 2025, so any points won here will be incredibly valuable.Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep)A.S.O./Oman Cycling Association/Thomas MaheuxAs you may have noticed, Soudal-QuickStep arent playing around with their team.The team is a mix between of experienced leaders like Alaphilippe and Evenepoel and young stars like Martin Svrek and Gil Gelders. The star of the youngster show, however, is Frenchman Paul Magnier. The 20-year-old is a strong sprinter able to hang on in the hills. Some have touted him as the next Julian Alaphilippe in fact. He is fresh from a podium finish at the Bretagne Classic last week and two stage wins at the Giro Next Gen back in June.Magnier was also born in Texas, where he spent the first three years of his life. Americans, feel free to claim him.Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious)A.S.O./Charly LopezPhil Bauhaus is a consistent sprinter. He is a solid fixture inside the top ten on Grand Tours and a victor on the WorldTour level at races such as Tirreno-Adriatico, Critrium du Dauphin and the Tour de Pologne. He relishes a chaotic sprint, and there are sure to be plenty of those at the Tour of Britain this year.The German hasnt competed in the Tour of Britain since 2018 when he was riding for Team Sunweb. His current team Bahrain Victorious hasnt raced the Tour of Britain in the teams almost decade-long history.Elsewhere, keep an eye on Bauhaus teammate Matev Govekar. He is another talented young sprinter.Stevie Williams (Israel-Premier Tech)A.S.O./Billy CeustersIsrael-Premier Tech will be led by Welsh rider Stevie Williams, who is enjoying his best season to date. He opened the year with a victory at the Tour Down Under before claiming his biggest victory at the Flche Wallonne.Williams wont have the chance to stride away on steep gradients during this Tour. That said, the stage to Redcar should suit his puncheur qualities. He has also shown signs of being courageous and unafraid to roll the dice. We might see him attack away from distance to try and secure his first-ever Tour of Britain stage win.Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious)A.S.O./Charly LopezWout Poels has won four stages at the Tour of Britain throughout his career. In fact, he has won a stage at every Tour of Britain he has started. However, since 2018, he has not returned to the race. Its about time he came back.The Dutchman doesnt have a stage that suits him down to a tee like the other four stages hes claimed. Maybe Stages 2 and 3 could play into his hands, but he should be a rider to watch based on his record and prestige. He is also set to move across to Astana next year, so he would surely like to finish his tenure with Bahrain on a high.Read our full Tour of Britain preview including the start list, TV timings and stage profiles. Related Posts Pro Log: First ever British Tour de lAvenir win, No GB at European Champs, Ben OConnor leads Vuelta a Espaa State of the nation: Inside the UK domestic racing scene Vuelta a Espaa 2024: Route, start list, how to watch and all you need to know Tour of Britain 2024: Route, start list, how to watch and all you need to know The post Tour of Britain 2024 favourites and riders to watch appeared first on Cyclist.