Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

Tour of Britain full route announced

Stage towns include, Bristol, Exeter, Bath, Llandudno, Worcester & Brighton

The route of the 2014 Tour of Britain was unveiled this evening at Canary Wharf in London. As well as the Stage 1 circuit in Liverpool, revealed this morning, the race will also be visiting Bath and Brighton on an eight-day journey round the country that culminates in a double-header final day in London with an individual time trial followed by a road stage, as happened in 2011.

We'll bring you more later, but to start with, as the race raises its profile — this year, for the first time, it has UCI 2.HC status — there will be three hours of live TV coverage every day on ITV. Now that is something to look forward to.

Race director Mick Bennett says: "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.”

Jonny Clay, director of cyclesport at British Cycling, 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.”

Organisers have agreed with Transport for London that the Tour of Britain will finish in London for the next five years.

Here's the route:

Stage 1 Sun 7 Sep Liverpool
Stage 2 Mon 8 Sep Knowsley to Llandudno
Stage 3 Tue 9 Sep Newtown to the Tumble
Stage 4 Wed 10 Sep Worcester to Bristol
Stage 5 Thu 11 Sep Exmouth to Exeter
Stage 6 Fri 12 Sep Bath to Hemel Hempstead
Stage 7 Sat 13 Sep Camberley to Brighton
Stage 8a Sun 14 Sep London individual time trial, presented by TfL
Stage 8b Sun 14 Sep London circuit race, presented by TfL

 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

81 comments

Avatar
crazy-legs | 10 years ago
0 likes
Quote:

what peeves me is that it always has to finish in london, why ?

Other than the traditional finish in Paris for the Tour, the other GT's dont always finish in the capital and neither do a lot of other country based tours.

Er, maybe because they've got an agreement with DfT/London to finish there for the next 5 years?

And you're talking rubbish, the Vuelta always finishes in Madrid (well OK, it has done for the last 20 years), the Giro has mostly always finished in Milan and there are loads of other week long Tours that have a dedicated finish town.

Celebrate it - 3 hrs of live coverage plus highlights every day. The fact that Britain, 10 years ago didn't even have a national tour, now it's the highest UCI classification, it's been won by British riders! So it doesn't pass your front door - that doesn't mean it's because of back handers or shady deals, it's just the logistics of running it. You can't take it everywhere every year.

Avatar
Stumps replied to crazy-legs | 10 years ago
0 likes
crazy-legs wrote:
Quote:

what peeves me is that it always has to finish in london, why ?

Other than the traditional finish in Paris for the Tour, the other GT's dont always finish in the capital and neither do a lot of other country based tours.

Er, maybe because they've got an agreement with DfT/London to finish there for the next 5 years?

And you're talking rubbish, the Vuelta always finishes in Madrid (well OK, it has done for the last 20 years), the Giro has mostly always finished in Milan and there are loads of other week long Tours that have a dedicated finish town.
.

OK i hold my hands upto the Vuelta, other than this year - Santiago de Compostela, its Madrid, Giro - no, it doesn't finish in Rome, tour de Suisse - no, Tour of Poland - no. I'm not talking rubbish i'm simply making a point.

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 10 years ago
0 likes
Quote:

Other than the traditional finish in Paris for the Tour, the other GT's dont always finish in the capital

La Vuelta traditionally finishes in Madrid, no? So that would leave the Giro that traditionally finishes in Milan for other reasons....

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 10 years ago
0 likes

Just wondering whether the ToB locations have been designed to fit around TdF visiting Yorkshire and Giro visting Ireland and why o why, all of a sudden, does Scotland want to be a part of Britain?  4

Avatar
TrimmDich | 10 years ago
0 likes

Tour of Britain, shafting the places that helped support the race and get it upgraded.

Avatar
WolfieSmith | 10 years ago
0 likes

Gawd help us. I wonder if Brittany folk look at the TDF map each year and complain? I agree that the NE has been overlooked in recent years but the Lakes and Scotland have both had a pretty good deal over the past 3 years and it is still North Wales's turn.

Living just north of Liverpool with a cycle magazine to
fill I'm very happy. Straight out of bed to the race start both days and a lift back from Llandudno on stage 2. Suits us sir!

That brown envelope full of cash we slipped to Mick last year seemed to do the trick.

Avatar
Stumps replied to WolfieSmith | 10 years ago
0 likes
MercuryOne wrote:

Gawd help us. I wonder if Brittany folk look at the TDF map each year and complain? I agree that the NE has been overlooked in recent years but the Lakes and Scotland have both had a pretty good deal over the past 3 years and it is still North Wales's turn.

Living just north of Liverpool with a cycle magazine to
fill I'm very happy. Straight out of bed to the race start both days and a lift back from Llandudno on stage 2. Suits us sir!

That brown envelope full of cash we slipped to Mick last year seemed to do the trick.

Dont get me wrong mate, the North East no more deserves it than any other area selected, what peeves me is that it always has to finish in london, why ?

Other than the traditional finish in Paris for the Tour, the other GT's dont always finish in the capital and neither do a lot of other country based tours. It's the same with football all the interntionals are at wembley. Anyway i hope its great race

Avatar
MrGear | 10 years ago
0 likes

I could have lent you a picture from last year if you couldn't find one for the article. In fact, help yourself: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rick01/9860133354/in/set-72157635732730096

Avatar
Stumps | 10 years ago
0 likes

Agree with a lot of comments, its very poor that there are no routes for the North yet london gets 2 bloody stages, the whole thing stinks of back handers.

Avatar
Luminosity | 10 years ago
0 likes

This is great news - it'll mean they finally have to fix some of the Devon roads.

Avatar
crazy-legs | 10 years ago
0 likes

Ah, the oh so predictable "nothing in [insert area of the country] therefore it's shit/it's not a Tour of Britain"

If you think you can negotiate with the dozens of parties responsible, find start and finish towns and a route that fits in with all the other myriad logistics of running the ToB, I'm sure Sweetspot would love to hear from you, there's probably a lucrative job for you.

I wonder if the TdF organisers get this in France when they announce the route of the Tour which will invariably miss out half the country...?

Avatar
Dizzy | 10 years ago
0 likes

Stage 7....Finishes in Brighton

I think I just pee'd my pants!  41

Avatar
bikecellar | 10 years ago
0 likes

Tour of Britain ? NOT!!!!!! I know that you cannot please all of the people all of the time, but we have not had TOB in the North East for some years now, disappointed again.

Avatar
edd23 | 10 years ago
0 likes

Nothing north of liverpool, what a joke, Tour of Britain, erh no it ain't !!

Avatar
kamoshika | 10 years ago
0 likes

Any news yet on which stages will be used for Tour Ride sportives this year? Really hoping for the Exeter stage, and it looks like it would be a good choice with the start and finish so close together. That's got to make the logistics easier!

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 10 years ago
0 likes

Thank heavens there's only one stage in the North West/North Wales to disrupt my work.

Avatar
gbscot1975 | 10 years ago
0 likes

Really really disappointed that there's no scottish stage this year plus nothing North of Liverpool take it the orgainisers can't remember the lake stage last year with all the people lining honister.The last 2 Scottish starts have been amazing and have showed my kids up close what dad likes to watch on the TV for hours at a time. So in all just gutted they won't be coming close enough to take the kids.

Avatar
gbscot1975 | 10 years ago
0 likes

Really really disappointed that there's no scottish stage this year plus nothing North of Liverpool take it the orgainisers can't remember the lake stage last year with all the people lining honister.The last 2 Scottish starts have been amazing and have showed my kids up close what dad likes to watch on the TV for hours at a time. So in all just gutted they won't be coming close enough to take the kids.

Avatar
joebee9870 | 10 years ago
0 likes

What no SCOTLAND????

Avatar
mrmo | 10 years ago
0 likes

interested to see how exactly they get from Worcester to Bristol, could be a day off work for that one.

Avatar
Redvee | 10 years ago
0 likes

10th & 12th September holiday request going in when I get in work tomorrow.

Pages

Latest Comments