The Swift cousins of Yorkshire will line up for Ineos Grenadiers at the first grand tour of the cycling season today.

Former British road race champions Ben, 36, and younger cousin Connor, 28, are part of Ineos’s eight-man team for the Giro d’Italia which begins in Torino and ends in Rome in three weeks time. They are riding in support of fellow Briton and former Tour de France stage winner, Geraint Thomas.

Road captain Ben Swift has had a busy season in preparation for the Giro, riding the UAE Tour and Tour of the Alps recently to prepare him for the gruelling examination of a three-week race.

Connor Swift, who is in his second season with Ineos, is riding his first grand tour for the British team having contested multiple Tours de France for his previous outfit, Arkea Samsic.

Ben Swift rides the Giro d'Italia for Ineos Grenadiers (Picture: SWpix.com)

Meanwhile, their Ineos team-mate Luke Rowe has announced he will retire from cycling at the end of the 2024 season, a year earlier than originally planned and before his contract expires, after the 34-year-old suffered a concussion in a crash in March.

Yorkshire cycling cousins Ben and Connor Swift taking on Giro d'Italia in support of Geraint Thomas