Christopher BarrettOrganisers of free-to-attend cycle race the Tour of Britain, which attracts a roadside audience of more than 1.5m spectators, have announced details of the UK regions that will be involved in the event.
The Tour of Britain, part of the UCI ProSeries, generated £29.96m of net economic benefit for the UK economy last year. As well as ITV4 in the UK, the race be broadcast in more than 150 countries via partnerships with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network.
This year, the road race will return to Yorkshire and will for the first time include full stages in Dorset and Gloucestershire.
The Tour of Britain will run from 4-11 September and will visit the following regions:
Stage one 4 September Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Stage two 5 September South of Scotland
Stage three 6 September North East of England and Sunderland
Stage four 7 September Redcar & Cleveland and North Yorkshire
Stage five 8 September Nottinghamshire
Stage six 9 September Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire
Stage seven 10 September Dorset
Stage eight 11 September Isle of Wight
Scotland will host multiple days of the race, which will start in Aberdeen (pictured) where a full weekend of activities to run alongside the race, including the Scottish Cycling Criterium Championships, is planned. The stage will finish in in Aberdeenshire, taking a different route to the one raced in 2021.
Organisers said the race’s finale has been two years in the making, having first been announced in July 2020. The seaside town of Ryde will host the start of the final stage.
Tour of Britain race director Mick Bennett said, “The 2022 race is shaping up to be another unforgettable edition of the race, particularly since we’re mixing familiar regions, with new areas, places we’ve never fully explored and those we’ve been unable to visit for many years.
British Cycling chief executive Brian Facer said, “Over the last few years the Tour of Britain has become one of the world’s leading races, with global superstars coming to compete in our country. It has also given our up-and-coming young British riders the opportunity to test themselves against the best. 2022 will be no different, and it will be a brilliant eight days of racing in September.”