Tour of Britain cycle race to return to Yorkshire for the first time since 2009

Britain’s leading cycle race will return to Yorkshire for stage four on Wednesday September 7.

It was last in the area in 2009, when York welcomed the opening day’s finish, and before that in 2008 when Dalby Forest hosted a stage finish.

North Yorkshire’s communities are well known for their wholehearted embrace of major cycling events, from the Tour de France Grand Départ to the Tour de Yorkshire and UCI Road World Championships, so large crowds are anticipated for this stage, which will begin in Redcar and Cleveland and promises to be a must-watch.

County Council leader Cllr Carl Les said: “We are delighted to once again welcome major competitive cycling to North Yorkshire. The route the race will take within the county is currently being finalised to provide a thrilling ride while maximising opportunities for people to enjoy the race.

“As soon as the details are announced, I’m sure our communities will want to begin planning how they will welcome and celebrate the event and cycling fans across the county and beyond will be able to plan how they will watch.

“We will work closely with our partners and, with experience gathered through the management of major races over the best part of a decade, will play our part in ensuring the event runs smoothly to guarantee maximum enjoyment and minimum disruption to everyday life.”

The host regions for this year’s Tour of Britain, which will take place from September 4 to 11, combine a return to areas familiar to the Tour with others that break new ground.

The Tour will visit the following regions:

Stage one Sunday 4 September Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

Stage two Monday 5 September South of Scotland

Stage three Tuesday 6 September North East of England and Sunderland

Stage four Wednesday 7 September Redcar & Cleveland and North Yorkshire

Stage five Thursday 8 September Nottinghamshire

Stage six Friday 9 September Gloucestershire

Stage seven Saturday 10 September Dorset

Stage eight Sunday 11 September Isle of Wight

Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: “Announcing the locations of the Tour of Britain stages is always a day I look forward to greatly, as I know how much people want to watch the race from their own doorsteps!

“We are thrilled to be returning to North Yorkshire with the Tour of Britain and know what a warm welcome the race will receive. Together with our partners at North Yorkshire County Council, we are working to create a fantastic route and engage all of the communities along it, resulting in what will no doubt be a memorable stage of the Tour.”

ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a nightly highlights show. The race will also be shown in more than 150 countries, in part thanks to the event’s partnerships with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network.

Last year’s star-studded race was won by Belgian rider Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo – Visma), with reigning world road race champion Julian Alaphilippe finishing third overall.

A roadside crowd of more than one million spectators resulted in the Tour of Britain generating £29.96m of net economic benefit for the UK economy, according to research by Frontline.

The race is a finalist in the Sporting Event of the Year category at the Event Production Awards, which takes place in London next Thursday (February 17).

While spectators can watch all the action by the roadside for free, race day hospitality packages offer guaranteed prime views of stage starts and finishes, complete with fine dining experiences. Visit sportsbreaks.com/Cycling for more information.