A European road cycling series, the Lead Cycle Tour Euro Cup, was launched this week ahead of the 2019 season, press officer Stuart Pickering announced.
The series comprises 12 existing professional races and takes place over 16 days and across five different European countries, with the possibility of additional events being added later.
Lotto Soudal’s Tim Wellens (left) last year won the Tour de Wallonie, one of the races in the Lead Cycle Tour Euro Cup series this year. Photo: Photo credits
The league starts this month and ends in October, when the series champion will be decided based on a points system.
The first 20 riders to complete each race will be allocated points and a prize will be awarded to the overall champion in Cardiff, Wales, in October.
The five-day Tour de Wallonie in Belgium, won last year by Belgian Tim Wellens of Lotto Soudal, is included in the series.
The tour commences with the Playa de Palma Challenge-Ciclista Mallorca in Spain on January 31.
Pickering said the series had been launched in a bid to ensure the longevity of some European events that were struggling to retain sponsorship by “combining them into one platform”.
“This is our launch season and we are looking to increase the number of events in the LCT (Lead Cycle Tour) later this year,” he said.
“Further races will be added to the roster with an expansion of the UK leg in 2020 and with the inclusion of a grand finale event to crown the series champion.”
The series will be open to any WorldTour, pro-Continental, Continental and club participants, without any restrictions of nationality.
