Image 1 of 7 Ben Swift (Team Sky). (Image credit: Team Sky) Image 2 of 7 Ben Swift (Team Sky) Image 3 of 7 Ian Stannard presses the pace for Team Sky. (Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa) Image 4 of 7 British champion Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 5 of 7 Wout Poels rides the front for Chris Froome and Team Sky. Image 6 of 7 Elia Viviani (Team Sky) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 7 of 7 Andrew Fenn (Team Sky) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Team Sky have announced their six-man squad for the 2015 Tour of Britain with three riders from the their Tour de France winning team included in their official line-up.

Ben Swift is likely to lead the charge over the eight-day race, which starts on Sunday in Beaumaris and runs until September 13, with the race concluding in London.

Swift will be joined by a trio of riders who rode this year's Tour de France in support of Chris Froome - Ian Stannard, Wout Poels and Peter Kennaugh - while the rest of the team includes Andrew Fenn and Italian sprinter Elia Viviani.

"The Tour of Britain has become one of the stand-out races in the cycling calendar. It's a very special feeling to race in front of your home fans and see the fantastic support that we get every year," Swift said in a statement released by his team.

"Cycling has never been more popular in the UK and the crowds at the Tour of Britain get bigger with each edition of the race, which is great to see.

"This will be my seventh appearance at this race and I know just how tough the British roads can be, but we have a strong team and we'll certainly be challenging for stage wins and the overall GC."

Ian Stannard, third overall in 2008, returns to the race after crashing out last year. The Classics specialist was part of Team Sky's winning team at the Tour de France and, along with Kennaugh and Viviani, he will compete for stage wins during the race.

Team Sky won the Tour of Britain in 2013 with Bradley Wiggins.