This year’s Tour of Britain classification leaders will be easily recognisable in the peloton thanks to returning jersey partners Le Col and their world-class jerseys.
The UK’s leading men’s cycle race has today appointed the London-based clothing experts as its official jersey partner for the 2023 edition (Sunday 3-10 September).
Mathieu van der Poel and riders on start line in Le Col jerseys in 2019 (SWpix.com)
Today’s announcement marks the revival of a partnership that saw Le Col work with the Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour in 2018 and 2019. The most notable success from this saw classification leaders presented with jerseys made from 100% recycled fabric – a first for any professional cycle race at the time.
Le Col founder, Yanto Barker, also has a direct personal link to the race, having competed in the Tour of Britain on six occasions during his career, and was notably the highest British finisher in 2005.
“It is a pleasure to be, once again, partnering with the Tour of Britain,” said Yanto Barker. “This race will always have a special meaning to me, having raced in it many times. We’re so excited to be back partnering with the Tour of Britain, the biggest race on the British calendar.
“Le Col are dedicated to keeping the British racing scene alive, including at a domestic level, so investing in British races and events is one of our top priorities.”
Details of the first of the race’s jerseys were revealed last month, when cottages.com – the UK’s leading provider of holiday cottages and luxury homes – were unveiled as the points competition partner.
Since its return in 2004, the Tour of Britain has become a cornerstone of the UK sporting calendar. Over 15 million people have watched the event in person, with the race generating over £330m for the UK economy to date. Former winners include Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (2018), the two-time world champion, and Belgian star Wout van Aert (2021), while British sporting hero Mark Cavendish holds the record for the most stage victories (10).
Hugh Roberts, Tour of Britain chief executive, said: “Le Col clothing combines an unmistakable quality with distinctive Britishness, which is why we’re immensely proud to unveil them as the Tour of Britain’s official jersey partner for 2023.
“Promoting authentic British brands, products and locations is at the heart of what we do. Today’s announcement will no doubt prove popular among race fans, and we have no doubt that the reveal of the four leaders’ jerseys will be received with even more enthusiasm!”
The Tour of Britain 2023 will begin in Greater Manchester on Sunday 3 September and culminate eight stages later in South Wales (Sunday 10 September). Along the way the riders will race through Wrexham, East Riding of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Essex, creating an unforgettable sporting spectacle that is free for all to watch.
More details of this year’s race, including full stage routes and competing teams, will be announced in the coming weeks.
ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a daily highlights show, allowing fans in the UK to watch the action unfold wherever they are. International coverage will be available in over 150 countries courtesy of Eurosport and GCN+.
-ENDS-
About the Tour of Britain
Relaunched in 2004 after a five-year absence from the calendar, the Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, held annually across eight days in September.
The free-to-watch sporting spectacular features Olympic, world and Tour de France champions, and attracts a roadside audience of over 1.5m spectators. Live coverage of the race is shown daily in the UK on ITV4, in addition to around the world. The Tour of Britain is part of the UCI ProSeries, making it one of the most prestigious sporting events in the sport’s global calendar.
Follow the Tour of Britain on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or via the event’s official website at tourofbritain.co.uk
For further media information, please contact:
Peter Hodges / peterH@thetour.co.uk / +44 (0)7970 526 519
Nick Bull / nickB@thetour.co.uk / +44 (0)7977 151 184
About Le Col
Le Col was born from one pro rider’s push to create the best performance cycling apparel. Their founder, former GB cyclist Yanto Barker remains central to the development of Le Col kit.
Putting his professional insight and hours of testing into every fine detail, it’s Yanto’s cycling expertise and pursuit of performance perfection that gives Le Col the leading edge.
Pro-cycling experience goes into the design of every detail of their kit. Le Col has one of the widest testing and development networks in cycling, thanks to their professional teams constantly feeding back after testing, racing and winning in their kit.
Although it’s designed and developed in London, Le Col kit is produced in their own Italian factory in the shadow of Monte Grappa, offering unparalleled quality and performance detailing on the clothing they produce.
For further media information, please contact Euan Cattermole / Fusion Media / euan@fusion-media.co.uk