It will be the seventh Tour Series and the third sponsored by Pearl Izumi, a leading cycling running and triathlon apparel brand, and will see circuit racing in 10 different inner-city venues.

The series will see competition take place in 12 rounds, beginning on May 14 in Ryde, on the Isle of Wight, with the new stop on the Tour set to host a criterium event and a hill climb.

Ryde is one of four new venues on the Tour Series, including Motherwell in Scotland, Croydon in London and Bath, all joining the Series which will take place throughout the United Kingdom.

Previous Tour Series venues of Redditch, Aberystwyth, Durham, Barrow and Canary Wharf in London and Peterborough will all stage events before the final round of the five week series taking place in Bath on June 11.

"We are delighted to announce the seventh season of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series with prestigious new venues and high profile new teams," Bennett said.

"The season ahead is certainly going to be highly competitive and we look forward to what will be an action packed five weeks of competition with Britain's fastest teams vying for the title.

"As always we have tried to challenge our teams with something new, so we have four new circuits plus what will be a very tough hill climb event as a part of the Aberystwyth event."

ONE Pro Cycling, owned by England cricketer Matt Prior, are one of the nine teams who will take part in the series ©ONE Pro Cycling



Highlights will continue to be broadcast on British television network ITV the following evening, after an extension of a deal which will see them continue to broadcast races until 2018, while Bennett added that the cycling series is also shown in 60 countries worldwide.

Among the teams taking part in this years' series will be the ONE Pro Cycling team, launched last week and owned by England cricketer Matt Prior and Team Wiggins, the new team formed by 2012 Tour de France winner and four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Bradley Wiggins.

JLT Condor presented by Mavic, NFTO Pro Cycling, Pedal Heaven RT, SportGrub - Kuota, Team Raleigh - GAC and Velosure Starley Primal will make up the rest of the series, alongside International Cycling Union continental team Madison Genesis, whose 2015 team launched prior to the series launch.

Their team for the year will feature 2013 world scratch race champion Martyn Irvine of Ireland and New Zealand's 2014 Commonwealth Games points champion Tom Scully.

As well as the nine teams who will appear in every round, several guest teams will also compete at certain legs of the series.

The current Tour Series champions are JLT Condor presented by Mavic, previously known as Rapha Condor JLT, with the event unique in the respect that the teams are awarded the leaders jerseys rather than a sole individual as is traditionally the case with cycling.

Alongside the Pearl Izumi Tour Series, a five round women's Grand Prix Series will once again be held, with the competition building up to the second Friends Life Women's Tour with the five day stage race taking place from June 17 to 22.

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