As the Tour de France enters it’s final few days of racing, our latest #ThrowbackThursday special looks at some of the riders who have been making the headlines in France, racing at the Tour of Britain.

We’ve delved into the archives for some photos from over the years, and you can find more on our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages, just click on the links or search #tobmemories 

""Current Tour de France leader and 2013 Champion Chris Froome has only once appeared in the Tour of Britain, back in 2009 during his Barloworld days.  That year Froome wasn’t even the most significant rider from his team, as Steve Cummings headed to the race as runner-up 12-months previously, Geraint Thomas was a fresh Olympic Gold medallist and Italian teammate Michele Merlo won the final stage in central London.

Froome finished the race 50th overall with few guessing that less than four years later he would stand atop the Tour de France podium, and be interviewed by Ned Boulting, pictured with him, in very different circumstances!

Supporting Froome Team Sky’s line-up have almost to a man featured in past editions of the Tour of Britain so here we’ve picked out some of their starring moments.  Headlining this article is Dutch climber Wout Poels winning in Teignmouth in 2010, while Poels also features in the below image in a three-rider break on the opening stage that year, led by future teammate Richie Porte.

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Another strongman in the Sky line-up is Ian Stannard. The Essex rider was a memorable solo escapee on Stage Two in 2008 between Milton Keynes and Newbury, pictured below, the year he finished third overall in the race.

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A day later and Stannard was in the breakaway again over Exmoor, where he was joined by Steve Cummings, who would go on to finish second overall.  Steve, who won his first Tour de France stage last weekend in Mende, has twice finished runner-up in his home Tour – in 2008 behind Geoffroy Lequatre and in 2011 behind Lars Boom. Below we throwback to Cummings in time trial action in London, but he couldn’t pull back enough time to overturn the Dutchman’s lead.

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Featuring the in same move as Steve in the Tour de France was young British rider Simon Yates.  The Bury rider memorably won on Haytor in Devon in 2013 as the modern Tour of Britain had its first ever summit finish. Here though we look back at the start of that stage in Sidmouth, and he and brother Adam (also performing strongly in Le Tour) relax with their Great Britain teammates before the start.

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Finally with the Tour de France in the Alps, two of the strongest climbers in recent years clashed memorably at the Tour of Britain in 2013. Dan Martin and Nairo Quintana, both stage winners in that Summers Tour went head-to-head on Honister Pass on Stage Two and then again here, on Stage Five, on Caerphilly Mountain.

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Next week we’ll be celebrating National Parks Week in the UK by dedicating our #ThrowbackThursday to highlights of the Aviva Tour of Britain racing in our beautiful National Parks. Make sure you use #tobmemories when posting your pictures or memories from over the years.