Swiss team announce strong line-up for the Tour of Britain

Multiple French champion and treble Tour de France stage winner Sylvain Chavanel will make his debut in Britain’s biggest professional cycle race, alongside compatriot and former Giro d’Italia stage winner Jérôme Pineau, who also makes his debut.

Australian Heinrich Haussler, a Tour de France stage winner in 2009 and the man famously pipped to Milan San Remo victory by Mark Cavendish in the same year, is the final member of the illustrious trio.

Currently scheduled to return from injury is Mathias Frank, who broke his femur on Stage Seven of the Tour de France this Summer.

Before that the Swiss rider has enjoyed a stellar season, winning stages of Criterium International and Bayern Rundfahrt, and finishing second overall in his home tour.

Rounding out the provisional line-up are Austrian National Time Trial Champion Matthias Brändle and Norwegian Under-23 Champion Sondre Holst Enger.

Reserves for the IAM Cycling team will be 2013 Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey winner and current Swiss national champion Martin Elmiger, Kevyn Ista and, eighth overall last year, Sebastien Reichenbach.

Further rider announcements will be made in due course, before the full provisional rider list is published on Monday, September 1.

The full list of competing teams in the 2014 Friends Life Tour of Britain is: An Post Chain Reaction; Bardiani CSF; Belkin Pro Cycling; BMC Racing; Garmin Sharp; Giordana Racing Team; Great Britain; IAM Cycing; Madison Genesis; Movistar Team; MTN Qhubeka; NFTO Pro Cycling; Omega Pharma Quick-Step; Rapha Condor JLT; Team Giant Shimano; Team NetApp Endura; Team Novo Nordisk; Team Raleigh; Team Sky; and Tinkoff Saxo.

Stage Six of the tour heads from Bath to Hemel Hempstead on Friday, September 12