BRITAIN S triple Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins will be competing in next month s Tour of Britain, which races through Sidford and Sidbury on September 18.

BRITAIN'S triple Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins will be competing in next month's Tour of Britain, which races through Sidford and Sidbury on September 18.

Wiggins, who finished fourth in this year's Tour de France to equal the best ever result by a Briton, will lead the Garmin Slipstream team.

Garmin Slipstream are among four more teams announced to be taking part in the eight-stage race which begins in Scunthorpe on Saturday 12 September and finishes eight days later in the centre of London on Saturday 19 September.

The line-up of teams named so far to compete in the Tour of Britain are:

*AG2R La Mondiale

*Agritubel

*Barloworld

*Cervelo Test Team

*CandiTV - Marshalls Pasta

*CSF Navigare

*Euskaltel - Euskadi

*Garmin Slipstream

*Team Columbia - HTC

*Team Halfords Bikehut

*Rapha - Condor

*Topsport Vlaanderen

*Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team

The South West stages of The Tour, hosted by Devon County Council and Somerset County Council, will take in 346km of Devon and Somerset. Stage Six starts in Frome and finishes in Bideford. The following day is the penultimate day of the race, with Stage Seven setting out from Hatherleigh and finishing in Yeovil.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: "This is a great opportunity for people in Devon and Somerset to see star riders like Bradley Wiggins racing on home soil. We can certainly give Bradley a really good homecoming welcome in Devon and Somerset for his achievements in the Tour de France. Spectators are going to be treated to seeing some of the world's best cyclists up close on The Tour."

Councillor William Mumford, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Strategic Planning, said: "This latest announcement will prove a huge draw for thousands of people. Bradley Wiggins has become a household name following his success at the Olympics Games in Beijing last year and at this year's Tour de France. I'm sure his presence will attract even more people to turn out for the two stages in the South West."

Councillor David Huxtable, Somerset County Council's Cabinet Member for Resources, said: "It is a privilege for Somerset and Devon to host two days of this world famous event. We are confident that this year's stages in the South West are going to provide some excellent entertainment for residents and tourists alike - especially with top professional cyclists such as Bradley Wiggins taking part."

The Tour of Britain is the UK's biggest free to attend sporting event, attracting over a million spectators a year.

For more information about the South West stages of the Tour of Britain visit: www.southwesttourofbritain.co.uk.