THE route for the 2013 British National Road Race Championships in Glasgow looks likely to set the stage for one of the most fiercely contested battles in years.
Riders will compete for the British title on a challenging course resembling the tight and highly technical street circuits often seen in European cycling.
The 8.8 mile (14.2km) road race on Sunday, June 23, comprising 13 laps for the men and eight laps for the women, will start and finish at Glasgow Green.
It is a route likely to suit sprinters and puncheurs alike with no fewer than five short, sharp climbs.
The elite cycling event typically attracts some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Lizzie Armitstead.
The Scottish cyclist, David Millar, is said have "personally assured" his attendance to British Cycling board member Alasdair Maclennan, as have a number of Team Sky riders.
Glasgow will mark the first time the championships have taken place entirely in an urban setting with the race weaving its way through the heart of the city.
The course, believed to be similar to that proposed for the 2014 Commonwealth Games next summer, takes in the Saltmarket, Argyle Street, Buchanan Street, Bath Street, Kelvingrove Park and University Avenue.
It also includes Byres Road, Gibson Street, Woodlands Road, Park Circus, Sauchiehall Street and George Square.
Kayleigh Brogan, the reigning Scottish women's road race champion, said: "The route is going to make for a fast and exciting race. It's different to anything I've raced on before, but quite similar to European style races with all the road furniture.
"It goes from narrow streets to big, wide city centre roads with some small, punchy climbs. Those are short enough that the sprinters will be able to get over them. The climbs could easily cause a split in the bunch.
"It could end up as a sprint finish or even a breakaway that wins. It's going to be a good circuit and make for some hard racing."
The championships include a time trial through East Ayrshire on Thursday, June 20, starting and finishing in Stewarton, with two 15-mile (24.6km) loops for the men. The women and under-23s will contest two laps of an 11-mile (17.6km) route.
Team Sky has announced its nine-man line-up for the Giro d'Italia in May.
Sir Bradley Wiggins leads the team in a bid to add another grand tour title to his Tour de France victory last year.
The squad, comprising Dario Cataldo, Sergio Henao, Christian Knees, Danny Pate, Salvatore Puccio, Kanstantsin Siutsou, Rigoberto Uran and Xabier Zandio, will be built with the sole aim of supporting Wiggins as he begins his quest for the coveted maglia rosa.
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