tour of britain 2014 route

Tour of Britain 2014 route revealed

Stage details and provisional list of WorldTour teams taking part in the 2014 Tour of Britain (September 7-14) - Race to start in Liverpool - Includes Knowsley, Llandudno, Newtown, Worcester, Bristol, Exeter, Bath, Brighton - Split final stage in London featuring morning time trial

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This year's Tour of Britain will start in Liverpool and finish in London with a split final stage after visiting Knowsley, Llandudno, Newtown, the Tumble, Worcester, Bristol, Exeter, Bath, Hemel Hempstead and Brighton.

The official race launch took place on Monday night in Canary Wharf, as details of the eight stages were revealed. Earlier on Monday, it was revealed that the race would start with a criterium stage in Liverpool on Sunday, September 7.

Stage three in Wales and starting from Newtown will feature a summit finish on The Tumble.

Stage five visits Dartmoor, where it will take in the key climb of Haytor as it did last year - although not as a summit finish. Stage seven from Camberley to Brighton is the longest in the modern race's history at 220km.

The final stage will feature the now almost traditional finale around the streets and landmarks of London on Sunday, September 14 - this will be a split stage, with a morning time trial followed by an afternoon criterium.

Scotland is absent from the 2014 route - as part of event organiser SweetSpot's five-year agreement with British Cycling to run the race, it will will visit areas on a biennial basis. Expect to see Scotland, and the east of England in next year's event.

BMC Racing Team will make its debut in the race alongside fellow WorldTour-level squads Garmin-Sharp, Movistar, Team Sky, Omega Pharma-QuickStep, Giant-Shimano, Tinkoff-Saxo, Cannondale and Belkin.

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In February, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) confirmed that the Tour of Britain would be awarded Hors Categorie status , elevating it into the same league as the likes of Criterium International and the Tour of California.

Each of the stages will be broadcast live on British television.

Liverpool city centre circuit, 130km

Sunday September 7

Knowsley to Llandudno, 197km

Monday September 8

Stage three

Newtown to the Tumble, 150km

Tuesday September 9

Worcester to Bristol, 182km

Wednesday September 10

Exmouth to Exeter, 171km

Thursday September 11

Bath to Hemel Hempstead, 203km

Friday September 12

Stage seven

Camberley to Brighton, 220km

Saturday September 13

Stage eight

The London stage: 8a time trial, 8.8km; 8b circuit race, 88.8km

Sunday September 14

Liverpool criterium to open 2014 Tour of Britain

The Beatles' home city returns to the race for the first time since 2008.

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Tour of britain 2014 route announced: stage-by-stage analysis, race director mick bennett dissects the 2014 tour of britain.

The Tour of Britain 2014  will include the “toughest summit finish yet” on The Tumble in Wales after the route for the eleventh edition of the race was unveiled in London.

Great Britain’s national tour has been upgraded to 2.HC status by the UCI , elevating it to the same status as events like the Criterium International and Tour of California, and this year’s route is a reflection of a race which has significantly grown in prominence since returning to the calendar in 2004.

Race director Mick Bennett believes the upgraded status has been long overdue. It brings with it a “new era” for the race, he says, and makes the Tour of Britain one of the top ten non-WorldTour stage races.

“With our toughest summit finish yet, an individual time trial in London and several longer stages, this year’s Tour of Britain has a varied and testing route that will present opportunities to a variety of riders,” said Bennett. You can read Bennett’s thoughts on each of the eight stages via the links at the bottom of the page.

The upgraded status also brings with it a bigger prize fund and, more significantly, a bigger pot of UCI points available to teams and riders and Bennett told RoadCyclingUK the 2014 edition has received unprecedented interest, with nine WorldTour squads already confirmed (Belkin, BMC Racing, Cannondale, Garmin-Sharp, Movistar, Omega Pharma-QuickStep, Giant Shimano, Team Sky and Tinkoff-Saxo), as well as a Great Britain national squad.

Eighteen teams will take to the start line in total and Bennett also hopes to have all of the UK’s five UCI Continental-registered squads involved, though each must earn their place, he says. “Our desire is to have all five Continental teams in the race – but we don’t want to make it easy,” said Bennett. “We want them to prepare for the event and we want them to take their selection down to the wire but it’s highly unlikely they’ll be left out and it’s part of our commitment to support [domestic teams].”

The eight-stage race has also been moved forward by one week – Sunday September 7 to Sunday September 14 – to avoid a clash with the World Team Time Trial Championships and Bennett expects the switch to bolster the quality of a field which already included eventual champion Bradley Wiggins and Tour de France runner-up Nairo Quintana in 2013.

Compact route

The compact nature of the route is also a reflection of the Tour of Britain’s new-found status. The Tour of Britain’s organisers, Sweetspot, have come under pressure from British Cycling and the UCI to reduce the length of transfers between stages and the race will respond by visiting regions on a biennial basis, so expect to see Scotland, which hosted the depart in 2013, and the north and east of England, which this year will host the Tour de France and inaugural Women’s Tour respectively, on the route in 2015.

“It’s a very westerly route this year and that’s something we acknowledge,” said Bennett. “The next five years will be exciting times” – referring to Sweetspot’s renewed tender to run the race – “and we’re in year one of a five year plan.

“We’ve reduced transfers again and this has a natural consequence of compressing the overall route. We look forward to being back in Scotland and the north and east of England in 2015. Over the coming years we’ll see a much greater variation in Tour routes, so while the likes of Cumbria, Scotland and the east of England don’t feature this year, you can be rest assured that they’re very much in our plans for future editions.”

Bennett also remains optimistic that the race may extend to nine or ten days in future, which will allow it to take in a greater proportion of the country.

2014 parcours

Back to 2014, and the race will open with a city centre criterium in Liverpool, followed by the first road stage from Knowsley, where Wiggins laid the foundations for his 2013 triumph with victory in the individual time trial. The stage will take in the climb of the Great Orme headland but won’t finish at the summit – “it’s too extreme for stage two,” said Bennett, “we’d risk the race being all over, potentially, or it being a race of two halves” – and will instead loop round for the finale in Llandudno.

The peloton will remain in Wales for stage three, which starts in Newtown and concludes with a summit finish on The Tumble in Monmouthshire: a six kilometre climb with an average gradient of seven per cent. Following the successful format of 2013, which saw the first summit finish in the race’s modern history on Haytor, Bennett aims to include a summit finish and individual time trial in each edition of the Tour of Britain.

Bennett believes The Tumble will define the race. “It ramps up at the start,” he told RoadCyclingUK. “It’s harder than Haytor and you get crosswinds two-thirds of the way up. If you get a prevailing crosswind then it will be really split up over the top. That will be the defining moment.”

There’s still plenty of climbing to come, however, and stage four, which starts in Worcester, will also feature an uphill finish, with the one kilometre, 10 per cent climb of Bridge Valley Road on the Clifton Downs in Bristol. The race will then remain in the West Country for stage five, with a lumpy route which starts in Exeter, heads out onto Dartmoor and passes over Haytor, and finishes in Exmouth.

Stage six will see the race travel cross-country from Bath to Hemel Hempstead, before the penultimate stage from Camberley to Brighton, marking 20 years since the Tour de France visited the coastal city. The 225km stage, which includes the famous climb of Ditchling in the final kilometres, comes partly at the request of teams and riders, according to Bennett, who want a long stage to prepare for the World Road Race Championships, which will take place on September 28, exactly a fortnight after the Tour of Britain concludes.

The winner will then be crowned on the streets of London – the Tour of Britain has signed a five-year deal with Transport for London to host the final stage in the capital – with a split stage which opens with an 8.8km time trial before a criterium on the same circuit.

We caught up with race director Mick Bennett, himself a double Olympic bronze medalist in the team pursuit at the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games, to find out his thoughts on the route. Read on for Bennett’s analysis of each stage.

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Tour of Britain Route, Stages and Results 2024

News and Updates for Tour of Britain 2014

Stage 8b post-race coverage permalink("#8b-results-2014");.

Marcel Kittel edges out Mark Cavendish on stage 8b as Dylan van Baarle seals #TOB2014 win - http://t.co/JwQdsmxvQQ pic.twitter.com/v8cPpa53Xm — Sky Sports Cycling (@SkyCycling) September 14, 2014

Stage 8a Post-Race Coverage permalink("#8a-results-2014");

Wiggins wins time trial: http://t.co/re8eA7JKDv pic.twitter.com/AeWfKvEmbX — ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) September 14, 2014

Stage 7 Post-Race Coverage permalink("#07-results-2014");

We are in for a thrilling finale tomorrow! Full Tour of Britain Stage 7 race report here http://t.co/mj0ye94T6W pic.twitter.com/7CAXn210cR — ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) September 13, 2014

Stage 6 Post-Race Coverage permalink("#06-results-2014");

#tob2014 stage six report: http://t.co/0cxSc1i2EO @alexdowsett in yellow after a thrilling day's racing pic.twitter.com/MVL1oRUiZ0 — ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) September 12, 2014

Stage 5 Post-Race Coverage permalink("#05-results-2014");

Pic: Matthias Brandle of IAM Cycling - Live pics are here on VeloUK http://t.co/8LUEjtBaAg pic.twitter.com/dX78PgIyTG — British cycling (@VeloUK) September 11, 2014

Stage 4 Post-Race Coverage permalink("#04-results-2014");

#tob2014 Stage 4 REPORT: @michalkwiatek wins in final meters, leads GC http://t.co/wvIwhQXP4M Photo ©VeloUK/SweetSpot pic.twitter.com/F1XtcJ2EfI — OPQS Cycling Team (@opqscyclingteam) September 10, 2014

Stage 3 Post-Race Coverage permalink("#03-results-2014");

Edoardo Zardini celebrates winning Stage 3 of the Tour of Britain on the Tumble @itvcycling @ITVWales #tob2014 pic.twitter.com/Rbmv5ryiQU — Tom Sheldrick (@tmsheldrick87) September 9, 2014

Stage 2 Post-Race Coverage permalink("#02-results-2014");

Race Report: Renshaw wins Stage 2: http://t.co/o56sIRAD4K pic.twitter.com/YJB5Mcypb2 — ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) September 8, 2014

Stage 1 Post-Race Coverage permalink("#01-results-2014");

Marcel Kittel wins Tour of Britain opener as Mark Cavendish has to settle for third - http://t.co/YpvSWA2k17 #tob2014 pic.twitter.com/nLsrEP5YFC — Sky Sports Cycling (@SkyCycling) September 7, 2014

2014 Tour of Britain Preview permalink("#preview");

Live video streaming live_in_progress(getnextunfinishedstage()) and tv coverage permalink("#live");, 2014 tour of britain route map permalink("#route-map");.

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Tour of Britain to stage 2014 Grand Départ in Liverpool for first time

The Tour of Britain is to stage its Grand Départ in Liverpool on 7 September, the race organisers confirmed in a statement released in advance of Monday night's launch of the 2014 race route. The 130km stage around the city will start and finish on The Strand. This will be the first time the race has begun in Liverpool, although it finished there in 2008, and its move to a major city start outside London marks a step up for the British event.

Monday evening's route announcement in London has particular significance because it is the first since the eight-day event gained hors catégorie status in the UCI's event ranking system, the highest category behind the three major Tours – Spain, France and Italy – and on a par with such long-established events as Paris-Nice and the Critérium du Dauphiné. That in turn means a higher quality field with a greater percentage of WorldTour teams, while the move to a date a week earlier than before will remove a clash with the world championship team time trial.

It comes less than a year after the organiser, SweetSpot Group – which has run the race since it returned to the national calendar in 2004 – obtained a renewed tender from British Cycling to run the event until 2018 after a tortuous six-month bidding process. Since then it has added a national women's Tour to its roster of events, although that will be run separately from the men's race, in May.

This background means that whatever steps SweetSpot takes to develop the event with the eye on the long term will be closely scrutinised. One major criticism of the event over the years has been its reliance on lengthy transfers between the stages, due to the fact that each day's racing tends to be sponsored by an individual county or region.

One perennial feature of the route is the Welsh mountains – the stage finish at Caerphilly has been key in recent years , and last year's Tour included two Welsh stages – while Devon and Dartmoor have been included regularly since the race first visited the West Country in 2007, with last year's high point a stage finish on top of Haytor .

The 2013 event ended in victory for Sir Bradley Wiggins , although the 2012 Tour de France winner is uncertain whether to defend his title this autumn as he has his sights on the world time-trial title and may opt for the Tour of Spain, which clashes with the British race.

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Tour of britain 2014 route hits bath, brighton, liverpool and london.

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The route for the 2014 Tour of Britain, the first since the upgrade to 2.HC status , will include first visits for the modern Tour to Bristol and Brighton, as well as a summit finish on The Tumble in South Wales.

Liverpool and London city centres will open and close the route, while seven new venues will welcome The Tour in September, in addition to returns to Liverpool, Worcester and Exeter.

"With our toughest summit finish yet, an individual time trial in London and several longer stages, this year’s Tour of Britain has a varied and testing route that will present opportunities to a variety of riders,” said race director Mick Bennett. "The route will again showcase some fantastic scenery, and combine major British cities with charming and picturesque towns and villages, as well as testing climbs, all of which will make for a memorable Tour.”

The Tour of Britain 2014 Stage One Sunday 7 September Liverpool Stage Two Monday 8 September Knowsley to Llandudno Stage Three Tuesday 9 September Newtown to the Tumble Stage Four Wednesday 10 September Worcester to Bristol Stage Five Thursday 11 September Exmouth to Exeter Stage Six Friday 12 September Bath to Hemel Hempstead Stage Seven Saturday 13 September Camberley to Brighton Stage Eight a Sunday 14 September London individual time trial, presented by TfL Stage Eight b Sunday 14 September London circuit race, presented by TfL

Jonny Clay, British Cycling’s cyclesport director, added: "This year’s Tour of Britain is set to be the biggest and best yet and is a fantastic way to showcase the event’s new, upgraded 2.HC status.

"The Tour of Britain will not only deliver on every level for cycling fans, giving them the opportunity to see the best teams and riders in the world competing on their door step, but it is also a great day out for people of all ages. Watching the race from the roadside is free, allowing thousands of spectators to get caught up in the excitement of the event passing through their city, town or village.” 

The national launch yesterday evening also saw the announcement of expanded television coverage, with three-hours of live coverage daily, plus an hour’s highlights show on each evening in a new multi-year deal with ITV.

Hugh Roberts, chief executive of organiser SweetSpot Group, commented: "The increased television coverage at home and abroad and the upgrade of The Tour to HC status firmly places The Tour of Britain among the top ten stage races in the world.

"With our renewed relationship with British Cycling we are now in a position to build upon solid foundations going forward, opening up exciting new commercial opportunities around the London stage, and The Tour of Britain as a whole, that can only benefit the race and cycling in Britain.”

An 18-team line-up of six-rider squads is planned for The Tour, with the first ten teams confirmed at the launch. Joining a Great Britain national squad in the race will be nine top-level UCI Pro Tour teams – Belkin Pro Cycling, BMC, Cannondale, Garmin Sharp, Movistar, Omega Pharma Quick-Step, Team Giant Shimano, Team Sky and Tinkoff – Saxo. The remaining teams, as well as detailed route maps from new Tour partners Ordnance Survey showcasing intermediate Yodel Direct Sprints and SKODA King of the Mountains climbs, will be announced later in the year.

Sweetspot has more details on the stages:

"For the first time since 2008 Liverpool will host The Tour of Britain, with the opening stage consisting of a ten-lap, 130km stage starting and finishing on The Strand, beneath the world-recognised skyline of the city’s Three Graces.

"Stage Two, on Monday 8th September, will start from Knowsley, scene of Sir Bradley Wiggins’ time trial victory in the 2013 Tour, before heading across North Wales to a stage finishing with a lap of the Great Orme and a seafront sprint in Llandudno.

"Wales will host a challenging second stage a day later heading through Powys and mid-Wales to a summit finish on the six-kilometre climb of The Tumble, above Abergavenny in the stunning landscapes of Monmouthshire.

"Wednesday 10th September will see the world’s top riders racing into Bristol from Worcester at the end of a 182-kilometre leg, before tackling the one-kilometre, 10% climb of Bridge Valley Road to the finish on Clifton Downs.

"A day later sees the return of the always popular Devon stage that will include the climb of Haytor on Dartmoor, which hosted The Tour’s first ever summit finish last September.

"Another venue making its debut in the modern Tour is Bath, from where Stage Six will start close to the famous Royal Crescent on Friday 12th September. A 200-kilometre plus route will cross Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and including a challenging finale in the Chiltern Hills, ahead of a stage finish in Hemel Hempstead, Dacorum.

"Brighton and Sussex will host their first stage of the modern Tour of Britain on the penultimate day of the 2014 race, marking 20-years since the Tour de France visited the city. The longest in the race, Stage Seven will start in Camberley heading through West and East Sussex before the on Brighton’s Marine Drive, which will make perfect preparations for the World Road Race Championships thanks to its distance and arduous nature. In the closing kilometres riders will also face the challenge of the climb of Ditchling Beacon.

"The battle for the race leader’s yellow jersey will go down to the final day in central London, with both an individual time trial and circuit race taking place on the iconic 8.8-kilometre circuit that takes in the capital’s best known landmarks, including the finish on Whitehall."

www.thetour.co.uk

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Tour of (south west) Britain 2014 route unveiled

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The route for the 2014 Tour of Britain has been announced, with stages visiting the cities of Exeter, Bath, Bristol and Brighton before finishing with double stage in London.

Hot on the heels of this morning's announcement that the 2014 Tour will start in Liverpool, details of all eight stages were announced this evening at a London launch ceremony - with the route tracing a course down the south west, before turning east for the traditional London finale. A rotation policy means that the north and east, including Scotland, will be back on the map next year while the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland are other potential stage hosts.

The 2014 Tour, which will be the first to be run following the upgrade to 2.HC status, will include first visits for the modern Tour to both Bristol and Brighton, as well as a summit finish on The Tumble in South Wales.

Seven new venues in all will welcome The Tour of Britain in September. Liverpool and London city centres will bookend the route, with the latter hosting the final stage of the race, which will include an individual time trial for the first time since 2011.

Race Director Mick Bennett commented: "With our toughest summit finish yet, an individual time trial in London and several longer stages, this year's Tour of Britain has a varied and testing route that will present opportunities to a variety of riders.

"The route will again showcase some fantastic scenery, and combine major British cities with charming and picturesque towns and villages, as well as testing climbs, all of which will make for a memorable Tour."

British Cycling's Cyclesport Director, Jonny Clay, said: "This year's Tour of Britain is set to be the biggest and best yet and is a fantastic way to showcase the event's new, upgraded 2.HC status.

"The Tour of Britain will not only deliver on every level for cycling fans, giving them the opportunity to see the best teams and riders in the world competing on their door step, but it is also a great day out for people of all ages. Watching the race from the roadside is free, allowing thousands of spectators to get caught up in the excitement of the event passing through their city, town or village."

For the first time since 2008 Liverpool will host The Tour of Britain, with the opening stage consisting of a ten-lap, 130km stage starting and finishing on The Strand, beneath the world-recognised skyline of the city's Three Graces.

Stage Two, on Monday 8th September, will start from Knowsley, scene of Sir Bradley Wiggins' time trial victory in the 2013 Tour, before heading across North Wales to a stage finishing with a lap of the Great Orme and a seafront sprint in Llandudno.

Wales will host a challenging second stage a day later heading through Powys and mid-Wales to a summit finish on the six-kilometre climb of The Tumble, above Abergavenny in the stunning landscapes of Monmouthshire.

Wednesday 10th September will see the world's top riders racing into Bristol from Worcester at the end of a 182-kilometre leg, before tackling the one-kilometre, 10% climb of Bridge Valley Road to the finish on Clifton Downs.

A day later sees the return of the always popular Devon stage that will include the climb of Haytor on Dartmoor, which hosted The Tour's first ever summit finish last September.

Another venue making its debut in the modern Tour is Bath, from where Stage Six will start close to the famous Royal Crescent on Friday 12th September. A 200-kilometre plus route will cross Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and including a challenging finale in the Chiltern Hills, ahead of a stage finish in Hemel Hempstead, Dacorum.

Brighton and Sussex will host their first stage of the modern Tour of Britain on the penultimate day of the 2014 race, marking 20-years since the Tour de France visited the city. Reportedly the longest stage in the history of the modern Tour at 225km, Stage Seven will start in Camberley heading through West and East Sussex before finishing on Brighton's Marine Drive, which will make perfect preparations for the World Road Race Championships thanks to its distance and arduous nature. In the closing kilometres riders will also face the challenge of the climb of Ditchling Beacon, giving them a chance to challenge Sportive.com's record time .

The battle for the race leader's yellow jersey will go down to the final day in central London, with both an individual time trial and circuit race taking place on the iconic 8.8-kilometre circuit that takes in the capital's best known landmarks, including the finish on Whitehall.

The national launch also saw the announcement of expanded television coverage for Britain's national Tour, with three-hours of live coverage daily, plus an hour's highlights show on each evening in a new multi-year deal with ITV.

"The increased television coverage at home and abroad and the upgrade of The Tour to HC status firmly places The Tour of Britain among the top ten stage races in the world," said Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of organisers SweetSpot Group.

"With our renewed relationship with British Cycling we are now in a position to build upon solid foundations going forward, opening up exciting new commercial opportunities around the London stage, and The Tour of Britain as a whole, that can only benefit the race and cycling in Britain."

An 18-team line-up of six-rider squads is planned for The Tour of Britain, with the first ten teams confirmed at the race's national launch. Joining a Great Britain national squad in the race will be nine top-level UCI Pro Tour teams: Belkin Pro Cycling, BMC, Cannondale, Garmin Sharp, Movistar, Omega Pharma Quick-Step, Team Giant Shimano, Team Sky and Tinkoff-Saxo.

The identities of the remaining teams, as well as detailed route maps from new Tour partners Ordnance Survey showcasing intermediate Yodel Direct Sprints and SKODA King of the Mountains climbs will be announced in the summer.

www.thetour.co.uk

The Tour of Britain 2014

Stage One: Sunday 7 September - Liverpool

Stage Two: Monday 8 September - Knowsley to Llandudno

Stage Three: Tuesday 9 September - Newtown to the Tumble

Stage Four: Wednesday 10 September - Worcester to Bristol

Stage Five: Thursday 11 September - Exmouth to Exeter

Stage Six: Friday 12 September - Bath to Hemel Hempstead

Stage Seven: Saturday 13 September - Camberley to Brighton

Stage Eight a: Sunday 14 September - London individual time trial, presented by TfL

Stage Eight b: Sunday 14 September - London circuit race, presented by TfL

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Liverpool to host the opening stage of prestigious cycling race the Tour of Britain

The Three Graces will provide the stunning backdrop to the opening stage which will start and end on The Strand

• 07:00, 31 MAR 2014
• Updated 09:38, 1 APR 2014

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Liverpool will host the opening stage of the UK’s largest professional cycling race.

Organisers of the renowned Tour of Britain announced Liverpool will be the “Grand Depart” city for this year’s race on Sunday, September 7.

This is the first time the city has hosted this prestigious opening stage -  although it has been involved with the event before by holding stage finishes in 2006 and 2008 and a stage start in 2007.

Proposals are in place for Stage One to start and finish on The Strand, taking in the backdrop of the Three Graces, with 10 laps of a 13km circuit.

Liverpool’s assistant mayor and cabinet member responsible for sport Cllr Wendy Simon said: “This is a huge coup for the city. It’s wonderful news that this world-famous sporting event will begin in Liverpool.

“This race attracts some of the best riders from across the globe with previous races featuring elite cyclists such as Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome.

“There’s a real momentum building for cycling and we’re pushing ahead with plans for a cycling revolution in this city.

"The latest figures show more people than ever are using bikes here and there’s a real appetite for it at the moment. 

“ And with the launch of our cycle hire scheme – the biggest in the UK outside of London – there has never been a better time for Liverpool to host this high-profile event.”

The Liverpool route will be revealed in the near future, along with details of a mass participation event to coincide with the Tour of Britain’s arrival in the city.

Race director Mick Bennett said: “We are delighted that this year’s Tour of Britain can start with such a prestigious stage in the centre of Liverpool.

“The opening circuit will be perfectly suited to the sprinters and whoever wins Stage One will pull on the first yellow jersey of 2014.

 “With the support of Liverpool city council we are looking forward to making this year’s Grand Depart a memorable occasion for cycling fans.”

The 2014 Tour of Britain will take place over eight days – from September 7 to 14.

The full route will be announced at 7pm today with details on www.thetour.co.uk

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Final Stage Route Revealed for 2024 Tour of Britain Women

Mathew Mitchell

• Published on May 13, 2024
• in Women's Cycling

Today, the final route for the 2024 Tour of Britain Women was unveiled, marking Greater Manchester’s role as the host of stage four of this prestigious international stage race on Sunday 9 June.

As the designated European Capital of Cycling for 2024, Greater Manchester eagerly anticipates the arrival of elite female cyclists competing over a challenging 99km route with 1,615m of elevation. The race will commence at 11:15 from the National Cycling Centre, the esteemed home of British Cycling, and conclude at Leigh Sports Village, with riders expected to reach the finish line around 14:06.

The route will traverse through picturesque landscapes and historic towns, showcasing the region’s rich cycling heritage. Among the highlights is the Delph to Grains Bar climb, positioned amidst the stunning Pennines, where riders will face the first Queen of the Mountains (QOM) challenge.

Following a route through towns like Shaw and Rochdale, cyclists will navigate a fast descent through Edenfield before confronting the formidable Ramsbottom Rake , known for its steep gradient and significance as the final QOM point of the competition.

The peloton will then pass scenic reservoirs in Edgworth before encountering a series of demanding ascents from Dimple, adding further complexity to the race dynamics. The intermediate sprint segment awaits on Lee Lane in Horwich, 24km from the finish line, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion in Leigh.

Rod Ellingworth, Tour of Britain Race Director , expressed pride in presenting the challenging yet captivating final stage, praising the efforts of all involved in organising the event. He highlighted the significance of Manchester’s designation as the European Capital of Cycling and expressed gratitude to the city’s partners for their support.

Councillor John Hacking of Manchester City Council echoed Ellingworth’s sentiments, lauding the convergence of sporting excellence and celebrating Manchester’s cycling legacy.

Councillor David Molyneux MBE of Wigan Council expressed excitement at hosting the Tour of Britain Women’s finale at Leigh Sports Village, emphasising the borough’s growing reputation as a hub for women’s sports events.

2024 Tour of Britain Women

Stage 1 – Thursday 6 June 2024: Welshpool to Llandudno  

Stage 2 – Friday 7 June 2024: Wrexham  

Stage 3 – Saturday 8 June 2024: Warrington  

Stage 4 – Sunday 9 June 2024: Greater Manchester: National Cycling Centre to Leigh  

Main photo credit: SWpix

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Tour of Britain 2024 Stages and Routes

The first details of the 20th edition of the modern race will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Following the cancellation of the 2021 edition owing to the death of Her Majesty The Queen, organisers SweetSpot will continue to work with the local authorities who were due to host stages to explore opportunities to host the race in the future.

One of the most highly anticipated professional cycling events in the United Kingdom is all set to kick off in the first week of September. The Tour of Britain is gearing up for its 2021 edition, which will also be the 14th edition since the reincarnation of the event with several changes in 2004. The cycling Tour of Britain route was unveiled back in February 2021 with the addition of a time trial stage. It now means that the Tour of Britain 2021 has nine stages compared to 8 in recent years. Even those eight Tour of Britain stages were a bump up from the five stages the event used to have in 2004.

The Surprising Route

Tour of Britain 2021 race director Mick Bennett unveiled the cycling Tour of Britain route in the hope of keeping up with the recent momentum of popularity gathered by the event. Several changes to the Tour of Britain stages over the last few years have made it more competitive and brought it to the levels of Tour de France or Vuelta a Espana. Attracting the best riders in the world to the United Kingdom is one of the sole objectives of this event.

George Square in Glasgow will form the location for the start of the 2021 edition. The nine Tour of Britain stages will see riders cover just over 1300 km from September 4 to September 11. This will certainly take its toll on the riders, but there is a consensus that the 2021 edition will be slightly easier than the 2015 edition. Furthermore, there is an opportunity for riders to make use of every Tour of Britain stage to prepare well for the upcoming World Championships in Qatar. This reason alone is expected to increase general interest amongst riders in the competition.

Tour of Britain 2021 – Challenging Parts

The upcoming competition brings a lot of aspects like challenging races and sprint finishes. These are aspects which will have a lot to do at the World Championships. Glasgow last played host to the start of the event back in 2008. It provides a sprint finish to the Castle Douglas since there is no prominent climbs along the way. Stage two goes through various sections of the enchanting Lake District, which may not offer anything out of the blue for experienced riders. The Lake District has been a standard fare of the Tour of Britain in recent years. Even though much of the route will be familiar, riders will have to be prepared for the climb from Ambleside towards the end of the stage.

Stage three at the Congleton marks the beginning of the tough stages. As expected, the stage four takes its toll since it is the longest. As the competition enters into the final stages, riders go through Wales and Bath before a time trial event near London. The final stage will be a replica of the final stage in 2015, which received a lot of rave reviews. Each stage is tough and this will be on the minds of punters when it comes to Tour of Britain bet online.

The growing popularity of the event has also resulted in a number of punters looking for good Tour of Britain bet online opportunities. These opportunities are presented because of the Tour of Britain 2021 odds, which are once again leaning towards the favourites like Alberto Contador. Even though it makes a lot of sense to make an early judgement, Tour of Britain 2021 odds at a later stage will provide a more accurate picture about the favourites for the title.

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Tour of Britain 2024

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Tour of Britain

• Dates 1 Sept - 8 Sept
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• Race Category Elite Men

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Latest News

1 Tour of Britain Women route revealed, with curtailed 2024 edition set to expand in coming years

2 Rod Ellingworth named as Tour of Britain race director

3 Four-day Tour of Britain Women appears on UCI calendar for 2024

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Tour of Britain women's race route revealed as world's best come to Greater Manchester

T he final route for the 2024 Tour of Britain Women’s cycle race has been revealed as Greater Manchester gears up to host stage four of the major international stage race on Sunday June 9. Named as the first-ever European Capital of Cycling, Greater Manchester will welcome some of the biggest names in female cycling as they go head-to-head over 99km and 1,615m in height before the winner of the inaugural Tour of Britain Women is crowned.

The cycle stars will depart at 11.15am from the National Cycling Centre in Manchester and conclude at Leigh Sports Village with riders expected to cross the finish line at about 2.06pm. The anticlockwise route will cross the Ashton Canal, heading north east to Oldham before riders will first the first ‘queen of the mountains’ segment of the day.

At 2.72km long with an average gradient of 5.5 per cent, the Delph to Grains Bar clim features 23km into the route and lies among the Pennines. The rolling route will take in the towns of Shaw and Rochdale with riders facing a fast descent through Edenfield before taking on the short but formidable Ramsbottom Rake.

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At just 0.97km in length, but averaging a 9.9pc gradient, the climb known locally as ‘The Rake’ is where the final queen of the mountain points of the competition will be collected. The peloton will pass the picturesque Wayoh and Entwistle Reservoirs in Edgworth before facing a series of ‘punchy ‘ickers’ from Dimple.

The day’s intermediate sprint segment is along Lee Lane in Horwich with 24km of the race remaining. A fast, flat run into Leigh will set the stage for what is expected to be a spectacular finish to the race where spectators will see the overall winner crowned.

Tour of Britain race director Rod Ellingworth said: “I am incredibly proud of the collective efforts of everyone involved to allow us to be in a position where we can announce the fourth and final route of the Tour of Britain Women. Stage four is set to be another incredibly tough stage, with a series of challenging climbs, beautiful scenery and visual reminders of the area’s industrial heritage where spectators will witness the very best of women’s road racing in action.

“As the European Capital of Cycling, we know that our partners in Manchester and the surrounding boroughs will put on a show not to be missed. We are extremely grateful for the support of Marketing Manchester, Manchester Active, Manchester city council, Wigan council and all those involved for their ongoing commitment and support.”

Coun John Hacking, executive member for skills, employment and leisure, Manchester city council, said: "It is fitting that during the year when Manchester is celebrating being named the European Capital of Cycling, we are welcoming some of the greatest athletes in the sport to our city. The Tour of Britain is always a showstopper event and I'm sure thousands of people will turn out to see these incredible competitors battle it out, starting in the shadow of the National Cycling Centre, our very own medal factory and the home of British Cycling."

Wigan council leader Coun David Molyneux said: “We are so excited that the Tour of Britain women’s race will finish at Leigh Sports Village (LSV) next month. This announcement could not be more welcomed, and we’re so proud that our borough is quickly becoming a major hub for women’s sport following our hosting of the UEFA Women’s EUROs, Rugby League World Cup and now the Tour of Britain Women.

“There is going to be a fantastic atmosphere with plenty of activity down at the LSV on Sunday 9 June, so make sure to come down, have fun and support the riders.”

Prior to the final Greater Manchester section of the race, Stage one takes place on Thursday June 6 from Welshpool to Llandudno; stage two on Friday June 7 is at Wrexham and stage three on Saturday June 8 is at Warrington.

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• Route for final stage of Tour of Britain Women revealed as European city of cycling welcomes world's best female riders

The final route for the 2024 Tour of Britain Women has today been revealed as Greater Manchester gears up to host stage four of the major international stage race on Sunday 9 June.

Named the first ever European Capital of Cycling, Greater Manchester will welcome some of the biggest names in female cycling as they go head-to-head over 99km and 1,615m of elevation before the winner of the inaugural Tour of Britain Women is crowned. 

Stage 4: Greater Manchester: National Cycling Centre – Leigh, 99km (1,615m)

The race will depart at 11:15 from the National Cycling Centre, the home of British Cycling, and will conclude at Leigh Sports Village with riders expected to cross the finish line at approximately 14:06. 

The anticlockwise route will cross the Ashton Canal, heading northeast to Oldham shortly before riders will face the first queen of the mountains (QOM) segment of the day.

At 2.72km long with an average gradient of 5.5%, the Delph to Grains Bar climb features 23km into the route and lies among the Pennines. 

The rolling route will take in the towns of Shaw and Rochdale with riders facing a fast descent through Edenfield before taking on the short but formidable Ramsbottom Rake.

Just 0.97km in length but averaging at a 9.9% gradient, the climb known locally as “The Rake” is where the final QOM points of the competition will be collected.

The peloton will pass the picturesque Wayoh and Entwistle Reservoirs in Edgworth before facing a series of punchy kickers from Dimple which are likely to do some further damage.

The day’s intermediate sprint segment sits on Lee Lane in Horwich with 24km of the race remaining.

A fast, flat run into Leigh will set the stage for what is expected to be a spectacular finish to the race where spectators will witness history in action as the overall race winner will be awarded.

Tour of Britain Race Director, Rod Ellingworth, said:

“I am incredibly proud of the collective efforts of everyone involved to allow us to be in a position where we can announce the fourth and final route of the Tour of Britain Women. Stage four is set to be another incredibly tough stage, with a series of challenging climbs, beautiful scenery and visual reminders of the area’s industrial heritage where spectators will witness the very best of women’s road racing in action.

“As the European Capital of Cycling, we know that our partners in Manchester and the surrounding boroughs will put on a show not to be missed. We are extremely grateful for the support of Marketing Manchester, Manchester Active, Manchester City Council, Wigan Council and all those involved for their ongoing commitment and support.”

Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure, Manchester City Council, said:

"It is fitting that during the year when Manchester is celebrating being named the European Capital of Cycling, we are welcoming some of the greatest athletes in the sport to our city. The Tour of Britain is always a showstopper event and I'm sure thousands of people will turn out to see these incredible competitors battle it out, starting in the shadow of the National Cycling Centre, our very own medal factory and the home of British Cycling."

Councillor David Molyneux MBE, leader of Wigan Council, said:

“We are so excited that the Tour of Britain women’s race will finish at Leigh Sports Village (LSV) next month.

“This announcement could not be more welcomed, and we’re so proud that our borough is quickly becoming a major hub for women’s sport following our hosting of the UEFA Women’s EUROs, Rugby League World Cup and now the Tour of Britain Women.

 “There is going to be a fantastic atmosphere with plenty of activity down at the LSV on Sunday 9 June, so make sure to come down, have fun and support the riders!”

2024 Tour of Britain Women:

Stage 1 – Thursday 6 June 2024: Welshpool to Llandudno

Stage 2 – Friday 7 June 2024: Wrexham

Stage 3 – Saturday 8 June 2024: Warrington

Stage 4 – Sunday 9 June 2024: Greater Manchester: National Cycling Centre to Leigh

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All six British UCI Continental teams confirmed for 2024 Tour of Britain Women

All six of britain’s female uci continental teams have today been announced as the first teams confirmed for the inaugural tour of britain women..

Taking place from Thursday 6th June to Sunday 9th June, the Tour of Britain Women will feature four challenging and exciting stages, beginning in Welshpool, Wales and culminating in Leigh, Greater Manchester where the winner will be crowned.

Alba Development Road Team; DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK; Doltcini-O'Shea; Hess Cycling Team; Lifeplus-Wahoo and Pro-Noctis - 200° Coffee - Hargreaves Contracting complete the line-up of exciting British UCI Continental Teams set to take on the international stage race this June.

Returning to the Tour of Britain Women will be Lifeplus-Wahoo, Doltcini-O'Shea and DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK. All have been competitive in the Women’s Tour, with British rider Alice Barnes finishing sixth for Lifeplus Wahoo, previously known as Drops, in the GC of the 2017 edition.

DAS-Hutchinson-Brother's Beckie Storrie finished on the podium as the Best British Rider in the 2022 Women’s Tour before progressing to WorldTour Team dsm firmenich PostNL.

Both elite teams in 2023, Alba Road Development Team and Pro-Noctis - 200° Coffee - Hargreaves Contracting stepped up to UCI Continental status for this season. Hess Cycling Team have switched to a British UCI Continental licence, further increasing the number of talented British Continental teams on the 2024 domestic circuit.

Lifeplus Wahoo have so far been dominating the National Road Series – the premier road racing series in the UK for men and women – with wins at both the CiCLE Classic and the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix. Alba Development Road Team secured second place finishes at both the CiCLE Classic and the Women’s East Cleveland Classic, with Hess completing the podium with third in East Cleveland.

British Cycling Events Managing Director, Jonathan Day, said:

“We are delighted to be able to announce that all six British UCI Continental teams are the first to be confirmed for the 2024 Tour of Britain Women. 

“It’s great that the British based UCI Continental teams have got the opportunity to race in such a prestigious event on home soil, given their commitment to the domestic racing season. We’ve seen first-hand how exciting these teams are to watch and know that fans can expect a real spectacle next month.”

All four stage routes for the 2024 Tour of Britain Women have now been announced and can be found on the British Cycling website.

Further team announcements for the 2024 Tour of Britain Women will be announced in due course.

British Teams for 2024 Tour of Britain Women:

Alba Development Road Team

DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK

Doltcini-O'Shea

Hess Cycling Team

Lifeplus-Wahoo

Pro-Noctis - 200° Coffee - Hargreaves Contracting

2024 Tour of Britain Women race route:

Stage 1 – Thursday 6 June 2024: Welshpool to Llandudno

Stage 2 – Friday 7 June 2024: Wrexham

Stage 3 – Saturday 8 June 2024: Warrington

Stage 4 – Sunday 9 June 2024: Greater Manchester: National Cycling Centre to Leigh

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Tour of Britain 2024 stages

• Stage 1 2024-09-01
• Stage 2 2024-09-02
• Stage 3 2024-09-03
• Stage 4 2024-09-04
• Stage 5 2024-09-05
• Stage 6 2024-09-06
• Stage 7 2024-09-07
• Stage 8 2024-09-08

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