Blythe, Cavendish, Wiggins and Greipel set for Tour of Britain

The 26-year-old achieved his finest hour in Stockton-on-Tees in June when he outsprinted Mark Cavendish to win the coveted national title.

He leads a six-strong GB team that also includes Holmfirth’s Gabriel Cullaigh and Wakefield’s Oliver Wood.

Blythe’s world tour team Tinkoff Saxo are not in the race and are disbanding at the end of the year, meaning Blythe is looking for his fifth team in five years.

The eight-day Tour of Britain, which beats a path from Scotland to London via the west coast and the south west, is headlined by home favourites Cavendish and Sir Bradley Wiggins.

A strong field also includes a host of world tour teams with riders such as Andre Greipel and Tony Martin competing.

There is plenty of Yorkshire interest. Rotherham’s Ben Swift – who is also looking for a new team next year – rides for Team Sky.

Pete Williams of Skipton, who impressed at the Tour de Yorkshire in May, returns with OnePro Cycling. JLT Condor have a strong Yorkshire representation in Rotherham’s Russ Downing, Doncaster’s Graham Briggs and Keighley’s Tom Moses, while Doncaster’s Tom Stewart rides for Madison Genesis. Yorkshire-based team NFTO are also on the startline.