Pupils from pro cyclist Mark Donovan’s former school got in gear to send him a special good luck message as he prepares to peddle through his home patch when the Tour of Britain arrives in Cumbria today.
Mark, 22, will leave Carlisle with his team mates and the rest of the field this morning as stage six of the country’s biggest cycle race gets underway.
He is currently lying ninth in the overall Tour of Britain standings after a memorable 12 months, competing for Team DSM in the Vuelta a Espana late in 2020 and the Tour de France earlier this year.
Tour of Britain riders will head through Greystoke, Motherby and pass by Ullswater later this morning before entering Penrith and following the A686 to Hartside on their way to the finish in Gateshead.
The race concludes in Aberdeen on Sunday.
Mark, who competed for Penrith-based Beacon Wheelers in his teens, attended Greystoke and Penruddock primary schools, and then Keswick School.
And yesterday, the current crop of Penruddock pupils spelled out his name as they sent a good luck “Go Mark” greeting. “We are looking forward to watching part of the race and cheering Mark on,” said a school spokesman.
Speaking ahead of the race, Mark was one of several riders asked to pick out their favourite stages.
He told ITV4: “It’s a stage from my home, across to the NE, and that will be a really, really nice stage across the Pennines, nice scenery — as long as the weather’s okay!
“There’s also a real nice stage in Wales as well which I’m looking forward to with a little uphill finish and it will be interesting to see how that goes.”
Where can I see the Tour of Britain? Find out its route here
