The Tour of Britain cycling race will sweep through Barnsley on Thursday.

Ashley Ball has taken a look at seven stars you will be able to catch a glimpse of on local streets as they chase down the stage win on County Way.

Aside from the finish line, there will be good vantage points on Sandygate, Wath, Park Spring Road, Darton Lane, Mapplewell, High Street, Penistone, Sheffield Road, Oxspring, Hound Hill Lane, near Worsbrough Common (where the final King of The Mountain points are available) and Locke Park.

Television coverage will be provided by ITV4 with the race starting in Sheffield at 11am and expected to conclude in Barnsley itself between 2.48-3.35pm.

The stars to look out for:

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)

The standout name in this year’s tour is the Belgian superstar who even casual observers of the sport will recognise as a double Olympic champion from Paris. He won an unprecedented double gold with wins in both the time trial and road race in Paris, finishing the latter with an iconic celebration in front of the Eiffel Tower.

His palmares, at 24, is already an extensive one with a world champion jersey from both road race and time trial as well as a general classification win of the Vuelta a Espana. He was also third in this year’s Tour de France. He’s a big favourite to win the stage and the tour itself.

A talented all-round sportsman, Evenepoel was also in the youth academies of Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven and played international football as a youngster.

Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step)

The swashbuckling Frenchman, 32, is immensely popular among cycling fans as he often rides like his life depends upon it. ‘Loulou’ is classed as a puncher so the short sharp hills of this stage would suit his style and don’t be surprised if he sets off up them rapidly.

He is also a double world champion in the road race (2020 and 2021) and has claimed six stages at the Tour de France and has also won the polka dot jersey. He won the Tour of Britain in 2018.

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers)

Another cyclist with two Olympic gold medals to his name. The Leeds man, 25, made it back-to-back mountain bike gold with an astonishing win in Paris where he overcame a puncture to make back 40 seconds and win the race.

Pidcock has won in Barnsley before and will be familiar with a lot of the roads on the day. As will his teammates Ben Swift (from Rotherham) and Doncaster duo Connor Swift and Ben Turner. The latter two are engines who will aim to get Pidcock into a strong position to challenge for the stage. Ethan Hayter and Jonathan Castroviejo make up a ridiculously strong looking Ineos team.

Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious)

The Dutchman is in his latter years at 36 but has enjoyed a wonderful career - mostly as a super domestique for Team Sky in their glory years from 2015 to 2019.

His career may be winding down but that also affords him more licence to attack and he won his maiden stage at the Tour de France in 2023. He also won a Vuelta stage in that year and claimed the classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2016. Teammate Phil Bauhaus can be seriously fast on his day.

Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility)

The Norwegian rider, 28, is enjoying his best as a professional with the underdog team of the cycling world.

Nicknamed the Greenland Plow, Abrahamsen has spoken publicly about under eating as a young rider as he aimed to be as light as possible in order to succeed in the sport. His form has improved markedly since gaining weight and 2024 has been his best yet with the win of the Brussels Cycling Classic. He also starred at the Tour de France where he held the mountain jersey for ten stages and twice received the combativity award for his aggressive riding.

Ethan Vernon (Israel Premier Tech)

The 24-year-old from Bedford will also be a name people recognise from watching the Olympics where he was part of the Team GB team pursuit silver medalists on the track.

He has a gold from the elimination race in the World Championships as well as in the team pursuit.

Should he be in the mix at the end of the race he may well have the power to get over the line in first.

Ben Wiggins (Hagens Berman Jayco)

A name synonymous with British cycling and the youngster is trying to follow in the footsteps of his father, Tour de France champion, Bradley.

The 19-year-old won a junior world title on the track in the Madison race and has enjoyed some success on the road too.

The Tour of Britain gives him a first opportunity to really mix it with the big boys.