Originally published on Cyclingnews.
The Tour of Britain was once seen as filler on the international stage – a race sandwiched somewhere between the Tour de France and the Worlds – as it clashed with the Vuelta a Espana and lacked a clear purpose.
However, in the last few years the race has transformed massively, and, bolstered by the growing success of home-grown riders, has established itself as one of the premier events on the racing calendar. It may still clash with the Vuelta, which traverses across August and September, but the Tour of Britain has become an important race in its own right and a key step in rider preparation ahead of the World Championships.
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The eight-day race starts in Glasgow this year and dips into the Lake District, Wales, Bristol and Bath, before the finale on the streets of London. With summit finishes, a time trial, and a world-class field, the 2016 edition of the race is shaping up to be the best one yet.
Tour of Britain Key Facts:
- 9 stages split over 8 days visiting Scotland, Wales and England
- 15-kilometre individual time trial on penultimate stage
- Summit finish at Haytor
- Complete live coverage of the race on Cyclingnews and Tour Tracker
- Line-up includes Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Rohan Dennis and Tom Dumoulin
The Tour of Britain race route
The Tour of Britain begins on Sunday, September 4 with a grand depart in Glasgow and a finish in Castle Douglas. On paper the 168-km stage should end in a bunch sprint, with a relatively flat run-in to the line. However race profiles and predictions are a messy affair at the Tour of Britain and the mid-stage cluster of category 3 climbs, coupled with unpredictable weather could rip the race apart. Martin Pedersen (2006) and Nick Nuyens (2005) won stages between Glasgow and Castle Douglas over similar terrain.
Full list of stages
- Stage 1, Sunday, September 4: Glasgow to Castle Douglas 168km
- Stage 2, Monday, September 5: Carlisle to Kendal 195km
- Stage 3, Tuesday, September 6: Congleton to Tatton Park, Knutsford 182km
- Stage 4, Wednesday, September 7: Denbigh to Builth Wells 217km
- Stage 5, Thursday, September 8: Aberdare to Bath 205km
- Stage 6, Friday, September 9: Sidmouth to Haytor, Dartmoor 150km
- Stage 7a, Saturday, September 10: Bristol Stage Individual Time Trial 15km Stage 7b, Saturday, September 10: Bristol Stage Circuit Race 76.5km Stage 8, Sunday, September 11: London Stage presented by TfL 100km
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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