Tour of Britain tests Ribble's mettle

Crashes and mechanicals dent James Shaw’s GC hopes, writes Vern Pitt

- Vern Pitt

Ribble-Weldtite battled valiantly against mechanicals and crashes to make James Shaw the best-placed rider of the Tour of Britain’s Continental teams.

The squad had a tough opening two stages, with four riders crashing and one suffering from stomach issues. They had pinned hopes on a strong ride in stage three’s team time trial. Manager Colin Sturgess was confident the squad could place on the podium, while rider, aerodynamicist and WattShop owner Dan Bigham even felt a win was possible, but it wasn’t to be. Powerhouse rider Simon Wilson suffered a break in his chain within the first few minutes and was swiftly left behind. They struggled home in eighth.

Then, the next day, Matt Gibson used his prodigious power to drag James Shaw, who is set to return to the WorldTour for 2022, into a strong position ahead of the race’s final climb only for Shaw to suffer a mechanical and need a bike change.