It is with great sadness this morning that we learnt of the death of Tour of Britain ‘Super Fan’ Andy Corkill, who anyone that has attended a stage of the race will be familiar with thanks to the distinctive cowboy hats worn by himself and Father Alan.

Andy and Alan had attended every stage of the Tour of Britain since the race’s revival in 2004, only missing one stage start over the following 13-years, such was their dedication to supporting Britain’s national Tour.

Such was Andy’s love for cycling and the Tour of Britain, plus The Tour Series and Women’s Tour where he was also a regular presence and well known by organisers, officials and riders, as he himself put it on his blog, the elements of his life were often ordered around where the latest stage or round was being held.

“I have three distinct parts to my life, family, cycling and work, not necessarily in that order! It depends on the time of the year.”

Andy’s love for cycling extended beyond the races, with him being a qualified British Cycling road and track commissaire.

You can find out more about Andy and Alan, by watching the above video, shot with them before the Congleton stage start of last year’s Tour of Britain.

Everyone at SweetSpot Group, the organisers and promoters of the Tour of Britain, would like to send their condolences to Andy’s wife Jo, daughter Jess and all of their family and friends.  The Starts and Finishes of this year’s OVO Energy Tour of Britain will be much poorer for Andy’s absence.

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Brighton

Look closely, and you can see Andy and Alan resplendent in their cowboy hats in their usual position close to the finish line as Julien Vermote wins Stage 7 in Brighton in 2014