Movistar's Alex Dowsett has revealed that he plans to go on the attack from the start of the Tour of Britain, which begins today.

The 26-year-old British rider led last year's race after stage six before finally being overhauled by eventual winner, Dylan van Baarle.

"This race is very unpredictable. Last year the lead changed six or seven times, normally if you are two minutes down in a race your GC hopes are over, I went from two minutes down to leading," Dowsett told Sky Sports News.

"I think the plan is basically to just go on the attack. In the Tour of Britain you can't let the race come to you, you have to go and fight for it, so that's going to be the plan."

Dowsett is a former holder of cycling's world hour record, and won a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.