Riders in the Tour of Britain embark on their journey on Sunday 4th September and ride 8 stages across the UK ending the Tour in London on the 11th September. The week-long tour is the UK’s highest ranked cycle race which made its debut in 2004 and will pass through Cheshire, the home of PBK on Stage 3!
Bradley Wiggins won the 2013 Tour riding for Team Sky, and is the only British winner. Last year saw Norways’s Edvald Boasson Hagen on the podium riding for MTN-Qhubeka. The 2016 peloton will be made up of 20 of the world’s best cycling teams, including the Great Britain National Team, Team Sky, Team Wiggins, Etixx Quick-Step, and Lotto Soudal to name a few.
Three hours of action every day will be aired on ITV4 – so don’t miss out!
Click here to view PBK’s offers on Tour of Britain team kits!
2016’s Tour of Britain Stages:
The route this year starts in Glasgow and takes the riders in a southern line passing through Cumbria, Wales and Devon to a grand finish in London. Throughout the stages, there will be awards up for grabs – the King of the Mountain on the hilly stages will wear the polka dot jersey, and the sprinters in the short stages will also be awarded with a sprinter’s jersey to wear.
Stage 1 | Glasgow to Castel Douglas | 4th September
Cyclists will ride a total distance of 161.6km, facing a total ascent of 1,854m. Starting the celebration and send off for the riders in George Square, this year marks 10 years since the city last hosted the opening stage of the Tour.
Stage 2 | Carlisle to Kendal | 5th September
Stage two takes the riders across 188.2km. The route includes a number of climbs, resulting in a total ascent of 3,175m. The route finishes on a tough climb of Beast Banks in Kendal, Cumbria and takes riders through some iconic scenery in the Lake District – perfect for spectators to line the streets and cheer on the peloton.
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Stage 3 | Congleton to Tatton Park, Knutsford | 6th September
Cheshire, the home of PBK, welcomes the Tour on Tuesday 6th September as the riders cover 179.4km from Congleton to Tatton Park. This marks the first time that Cheshire East hosts a stage of the Tour of Britain, so expect crowds of people to support the event throughout the day.
Stage 4 | Denbigh to Builth Wells | 7th September
The longest stage of the Tour of Britain takes place on Wednesday 7th September. The pros will ride 218km, tackling a number of climbs that total to an ascent of 4,225m. A positive during this gruelling day is that the route takes the riders through the heart of Mid-Wales – a spectacular landscape.
Stage 5 | Aberdare to Bath | 8th September
The riders will cycle 194.5km from Aberdare to Bath, with another strenuous day ahead of them ascending a total of 3,292m. The route finishes in the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage city in the South West.
Stage 6 | Sidmouth to Haytor, Dartmoor | 9th September
The route departing from Sidmouth follows 149.9km and includes a 6km climb up Haytor in the Dartmoor National Park, but again, another day for spectators to enjoy the view whilst supporting the peloton!
Stage 7 | Bristol | 10th September
The penultimate stage of the Tour of Britain! Stage 7 is a short 90km sprint through Bristol, including an individual time trial and circuit race. This is an exciting stage to watch as the action will be in the heart of the city, with a thrilling cycle competition amongst the world’s top riders.
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Stage 8 | London | 11th September
Finally, the Tour of Britain comes to an end in central London in a popular 16-lap circuit to cover 100km starting and finishing from Regent Street St James. If you can, get yourself down there to watch the action from the best riders in cycling battle it out on the roads of London! Podium presentations take place at the junction of Pall Mall – who will win this year?
Click here to shop through our collection of Tour of Britain offers at ProBikeKit today.
(Feature Image Source: www.tourofbritain.co.uk)