The first cyclists have been confirmed for the Tour of Britain which will be coming to east Suffolk next month.

Belgian double Olympic gold medallist and Tour de France podium finisher Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe, winner of the 2018 men's Tour of Britain, headline the first batch of star riders to be confirmed for this September’s event, which begins on Tuesday, September 3.

Remco Evenepoel on the attack during the Tour de FranceRemco Evenepoel on the attack during the Tour de France (Image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

On Sunday, September 8, the riders are set to go on a route through east Suffolk from Lowestoft to Felixstowe for the tour's final stage.

It won't be the first time the Tour of Britain has come to Suffolk - a stage for last year's event ended with a sprint finish on Felixstowe seafront.

Evenepoel will be joined on the start line in the Scottish Borders at Kelso on September 3 by teammate and former world champion Alaphilippe, whose two previous appearances in the tour have resulted in overall victory (2018), and third overall (2021).

For Evenepoel it will be a first appearance in the men's Tour of Britain, coming just a month after he sensationally became the first male rider in history to win the gold in both the road race and time-trial at an Olympic Games.

This came in a season when he has already won stages in four major stage races, most recently at the Tour de France where he won the stage seven individual time trial on his way to the best young rider jersey and third overall.

Double World Road race champion (2020 and 2021) Alaphilippe will be making his third appearance in Britain’s biggest professional cycle race.

Having won the King of the Mountains classification in the 2018 Tour de France, Alaphilippe lived up to his star billing at that year’s Tour of Britain, winning the third stage in Bristol, and taking a runner up spot on a crucial summit finish in the Lake District to seal the overall victory.