Cyclists going through Bitton in the Tour of Britain in 2016
Some of the world’s top cyclists will be speeding though South Gloucestershire again as part of the Tour of Britain race in September.
Yesterday the organisers announced the various host regions for this year’s prestigious cycle race which is a centrepiece of the sporting calendar as the country’s largest free-to-watch live sporting event, attracting more than a million spectators to the roadside with many hundreds of thousands more following on television and online around the world.
In September 2016, as part of stage 5 from Aberdare to Bath, around 120 cyclists came through Pucklechurch, Bridgeyate, Oldland Common, Bitton, Swineford and Kelston on their way to the finish at Royal Victoria Park in Bath. On the penultimate day of the eight-stage race, Bristol hosted a double stage including both an individual time trial and a circuit race, taking in some of the city’s most iconic sites.
Stage one of this year’s Tour of Britain will be on Sunday 4th September in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Stage two (Monday 5th September) will be in Scotland while the North East of England and Sunderland will host stage three on Tuesday 6th.
Stage four (Wednesday 7th) is in Redcar & Cleveland and North Yorkshire, and stage five (Thursday 8th) in Nottinghamshire.
Stage six on Friday 9th will be in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire. Stage seven on Saturday 10th will take in Dorset and the eighth and final stage on Sunday 11th September will be on the Isle of Wight.
More route details are due to come in the spring. Find out more at www.tourofbritain.co.uk
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