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The wonder of Bradley Wiggins has put race on the map, The Tour of Britain has come a long way in nine editions since its relaunch, a path that almost exactly mirrors the transformation in the sport's status within these shores. When the race rolled away from the Manchester velodrome on 1 September 2004 – for what turned out to be a turbulent stage through the north-west, marred by rider protests over safety – no one would have predicted that, by the 10th edition, British riders would have won the Tour de France twice with the world's No1 ranked professional team, and that knighthoods and Sports Personality awards would be doled out like Smarties.The British Tour, expanded to eight days from its initial five, has played a key part in cycling's massive expansion. When it began, much of the race's appeal hinged on the fact it gave the British public a glimpse of Olympic stars such as Bradley Wiggins. That public might not have heard of more obscure members of the European peloton, but it would have followed the Olympics on the BBC. That London was hosting the Tour de France in 2007 also played a key role, enabling a prestige finish in Whitehall.
The performances of Wiggins and Mark Cavendish in the Tour de France have raised the British race's profile, and it has grown accordingly, drawing better support from local authorities and police, while the crowds – substantial even in the early years – became phenomenal after the Beijing Games, when Wiggins and his fellow cyclists became national heroes. It has been a picture of constant expansion, with televised circuit races – the Tour Series – launched off the back of the British Tour, while, next year, the organisers hope to run a five-day women's Tour of Britain.
That bigger picture was reflected earlier this year, when the organisers, SweetSpot, were awarded the rights to run the event for a further five years. "It feels as if it's almost a self-perpetuating, virtuous circle," said organiser Mick Bennett. "We want to see it get bigger and stronger, while keeping the traditional Britishness of it." For example, said Bennett, this year's time trial is over 10 miles, traditionally the distance at which most British cyclists make their start in the sport at club level.
The terms of the new tender state that the race must move up a level in the UCI rankings, meaning more world-ranking points and prize money, drawing a stronger European field – but that should not change one of the race's great strengths; that it enables Britain to field a national team. "In theory, going up to hors catégorie would rule out national squads, but we can apply for a derogation," said Bennett.
The British Tour has provided a valuable televised showcase for the sport and this has led to a boom in team numbers, with seven UCI-registered teams likely in the UK next year. "It's been a phenomenal success from the point of view of bringing sponsors in," said John Herety, directeur sportif of leading UK team Rapha-Condor-JLT. They can point to past backers such as Costa Express and Sharp, who have put money into the squad to gain exposure in the Tour and its stablemate of televised summer circuit races, the Tour Series. "That, in turn, has enabled us to do the other stuff we do, which is provide a platform for younger riders to progress."
The weather does not look likely to cooperate, with the first autumn low pressure resulting in high winds and rain for the first two days, but –whatever the conditions – this year's route is the toughest yet. There are only three stages – Sunday's in south-west Scotland, and the final weekend into Guildford and Whitehall – on which Cavendish can realistically hope for the bunch sprints that will enable him to push his victory tally for the year towards 20. The time trial on Tuesday, finishing in the safari park at Knowsley, is an obvious draw for Wiggins, but it also puts pressure on him: he will be expected to win here and questioned if he does not.
Monday's stage into Kendal crosses the Lake District via the Honister Pass; Wednesday's finale includes Pen-y-Pass, a lengthy ascent to one of the traditional starting points for climbing Snowdon; while the climb of Caerphilly Mountain the following day has become a fixture. Friday's finish in the centre of Dartmoor on Haytor should decide any remaining issues. These are where British fans will hope to see the talent of the Tour's best climber, Nairo Quintana, on full display.
If Wiggins is the obvious favourite in a field that looks short on overall contenders, another British-born racer could be the man most likely to put a spoke in his wheel. Daniel Martin, Brummie by birth, Irish by nationality, is the polar opposite of the Olympic time-trial champion. Where Wiggins likes the certainty of a time trial and a structured race, Martin is a pure bike racer, a relatively weak time triallist, but a man who thrives on the lottery element of the sport.
Few cyclists talk of the joys of racing with the passion that Martin expresses – and it is a no-holds-barred philosophy that has taken him to two prestigious wins this year, in a Pyrenean stage of the Tour de France and the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Classic.
If Wiggins is in yellow after Tuesday's time trial, the only way to beat him will be to unsettle him, and that is a game Martin will be all too happy to play if he has the fitness after the crash that put him out of the Tour of Spain.
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