Strathpeffer cyclist Finn Crockett is looking to follow his Commonwealth Games medal with a stage victory in the Tour of Britain.
Crockett will be making his debut in the event, which starts in Aberdeen on Sunday, on the back of the biggest result of his career at Birmingham 2022.
He took a superb bronze in men’s road race on the penultimate day of competition, making it 11 medals for Scottish cyclists during the Games.
But it will be new territory for Crockett heading into an eight-stage race, which will cover 1,352km of the United Kingdom.
“I can’t wait for it,” said Crockett, who rides for Ribble Weldtite cycling team. “This is the first time I’ve done a big tour like this.
“This is the biggest race in the UK really and for the team. I’m ready for it. You’re competing against the best guys in the world so hopefully we can put on a good show.
“We’ve got guys that could go for GC (general classification) and the overall win. But I’ll be pin-pointing stages and a stage win would be amazing. That’s my goal going into the race but it’s easier said than done.
A new experience for Crockett
“We don’t get many opportunities like this so to try take something away from it, that’s definitely my goal. It’s going to be a big learning curve but I can take confidence from this year, race how I have been and I’m sure good things will come.”
Stage one of the race starts in Aberdeen city centre on Union Street, before heading out to Inverurie and on to Bennachie, Alford, Ballater and finishing at the Glenshee Ski Centre in the Cairngorms for a total route of 181.3km.
Last year’s Tour ended with a sprint finish on the Esplanade as Belgian Wout van Aert sealed a stage triumph and the overall victory in the Granite City.
“It’s going to be a new experience for me,” added Crockett. “I’ve had a lot of racing this year and it’s somewhat similar to what we’ll be doing.
“But it’s very aggressive, not very controlled and there’s not the bigger pro teams there, compared to the Tour. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out throughout the race.
“For us as a team – any UK team – it’s about getting up there and showing face. It’s a totally new experience but I can’t wait for it.
“It’s a strong six-man team and we’ve done a lot of racing as a group. I think we can work really well as a unit.”
