Tour de Yorkshire: Clancy backs Swift for overall victory

Barnsley-born Clancy, the multiple Olympic and world track champion, rides the Tour de Yorkshire from Bridlington tomorrow with JLT Condor, one of a host of British teams contesting the inaugural stage race through the Broad Acres.

Rotherham’s Swift, a former track team-mate of Clancy’s, is the leading name in the Team Sky squad that is targeting overall victory come Sunday afternoon in Leeds.

Swift featured well at the recent Coppi e Bartali stage race in Italy, and told the The Yorkshire Post last weekend that he was aiming for the general classification on home soil.

And asked who he thought would figure at the front of the race this weekend, Clancy said: “Swifty is the first name that comes to mind.

“I spoke to him about three or four days ago. He was reccying stage three and he sounded well up for it.

“If you look at his recent results, he has shown he can climb well enough to be involved in the bunch at the end and from there we know he can sprint.

“I really fancy Ben Swift this week.”