"This will definitely be the most challenging Tour of Britain yet," according to race director, Mick Bennett and looking at today's route announcement it's hard to argue.

This year's race which starts on Sunday 15th September in Peebles and finishes on Sunday the 22nd in London will take riders to Cumbria and the Lake District, Snowdonia, Dumfries and Galloway, the Devon Moors, and what's sure to be an up and down stage through Surrey on the way to a finishing circuit in Central London.

On the way they will race over the longest stage in the race's history a 225Km battle through the heart of Cumbria culminating in an uphill finish in Kendall, on stage 2. Stage 3 follows that up with the longest individual time trial the race has run in the 10 year's since British Cycling and Sweet Spot revived it. Stage 4 takes the race across the middle of the country from Stoke-on-Trent to Llanberis in Wales, before stage 5 treats racers to a double helping of Caerphilly mountain – which proved such a spectacle last year.

Stage 6 may well prove one of the most decisive of the week with last year's winner Jonathan Tiernan Locke, racing over home roads from Sidmouth in Devon to  the Tour's first ever summit finish at Haytor on Dartmoor. After that there's a 150km blast through Surrey from Epsom to Guildford which should still have enough ups and downs to keep things interesting – especially if the Guildford finish is the same as last year's before the race heads to Central London for what's always an exciting finale.

Announcing the route Bennett said that the aim was to produce a challenging race and to ensure that it stayed an open and competitive spectacle from start to finish.

“We have several unique features and are very excited about the inclusion of our first ever summit finish.  Our longest ever time trial balances the course and will ensure that for spectators at the roadside and at home on television The Tour of Britain is a thrilling battle throughout.”

The route of the 2013 Tour of Britain:

Stage One        
Sunday 15th Sept              Peebles to Drumlanrig Castle                                       201km


 
Stage Two        
Monday 16th Sept              Cumbria, The Lake District Stage, Carlisle to Kendal  225km


 
Stage Three      
Tuesday 17th Sept             Knowsley Individual Time Trial                                    16km


 
Stage Four       
Wednesday 18th Sept        Stoke-on-Trent to Llanberis                                   190.9km


 
Stage Five        
Thursday 19th Sept            Machynlleth to Caerphilly                                     177.1km

Stage Six         
Friday 20th Sept                Sidmouth to Haytor, Dartmoor                                   137km


 
Stage Seven     
Saturday 21st Sept            Epsom to Guildford                                                  150.4km


 
Stage Eight      
Sunday 22nd Sept             The London Stage, presented by TfL                           88km

To find out more visit www.thetour.co.uk