Tour of Britain 2022: how to get the best seats in the house for Britain's biggest bike race

Since it restarted back in 2004, the Tour of Britain has been the undisputed highlight of the British road cycling calendar, with some of the biggest names in world cycling converging to race through these isles’ most picturesque – and challenging – landscapes.

For cycle fans, it provides a chance to see your heroes up close. This year it offers even more spectators the opportunity to enjoy the competitive carnival, with the race revisiting the hallowed roads of Yorkshire for the first time since 2009, and heading into Dorset for the first time ever. Over eight days, from Aberdeen in the north, to the Isle of Wight in the south, there are literally endless roadside spectating spots to see the race in person.

But… well, standing on the roadside is all very good, but it does require hanging round all day for a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ experience of the race. Surely there must be a more fulfilling way to see the race?

Thanks to Destination Sport Experiences and Sportsbreaks.com there is. 

Whether you want VIP treatment at the start line, or you’d like to follow the race on the road, or you dream about even riding across the finishing line alongside a legend of pro cycling, this year every Tour of Britain fantasy can be made real. 

Here’s how…

Tour of Britain 2022 schedule 

• ​Stage 1 / Sunday 4th September: Aberdeen – Glenshee Ski Centre
• Stage 2 / Monday 5th September: Hawick – Duns
• Stage 3 / Tuesday 6th September: Durham – Sunderland
• Stage 4 / Wednesday 7th September: Redcar – Dunscombe Park, Helmsley
• Stage 5 / Thursday 8th September: West Bridgford – Mansfield
• Stage 6 / Friday 9th September: Tewkesbury – Gloucester
• Stage 7 / Saturday 10th September: West Bay – Ferndown
• Stage 8 / Sunday 11th September: Ryde – The Needles

How to be a start line VIP – Join the Start Line Club for £60

Be there to witness the beginning of the day’s battle with a perfect view of the start line.

By joining the Start Line Club for a stage, you’ll have exclusive access to a prime location close to the start where you can enjoy the team presentations and rider interviews. In addition, to fuel you for the day ahead, there’s a complimentary locally-produced continental style breakfast, a selection of hot and cold beverages and – as if you’ll need any help remembering the experience – a swag bag of goodies all contained in a traditional cycling musette!

For more information, click here.

How to get closer to the action on the road – Spend a day in an official ToB car for £500

If you want to catch all the drama of a Tour of Britain stage from start to finish, the only really practical answer was to watch it on telly. But now there is another truly exclusive up-close-and-personal option: how about watching an entire stage from the seat of an official Tour of Britain car?

You’ll begin a full day of VIP hospitality at the Start Village before joining an experienced Tour of Britain driver in a ToB car to follow the race just behind the main peloton (but ready to move into the gap if there is a breakaway!). There will be a complimentary picnic lunch laid on mid-stage, then you can unwind after all the excitement in the VIP hospitality venue. It’s quite simply a race experience unlike any other. 

For more information, click here.

How to get a front row view of the excitement at the finish – Book the finish line Tour enclosure for £156

Enjoy incredible VIP hospitality at the finish line of each stage, watching the approaching peloton on big screens while indulging in a complimentary buffet lunch with a free-flowing open bar serving a choice of beers, wines and soft drinks. Then, when the riders reach the climax of their day’s work, you’ll have a prime viewing point for the spectacle of the finish and the celebrations on the podium. And if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also get to experience an insight into the life of a pro rider with a Q&A session with recently-retired double Tour de France stage winner – and former Tour of Britain fourth-placed overall finisher – Dan Martin.

For more information, click here.

Still want more? – Cross The Finish with Dan Martin Experience £299

If Dan’s stories and recounts of his experiences as a pro rider during the Q&A aren’t enough, how about joining him on the road and riding across that stage’s real finish line?

This ultimate experience for the active cycling fan will see you meet Dan at the stage finish venue before riding out 15 or 20km and then heading back on the actual race route, complete with official Tour of Britain support car, to cross the finish line. You’ll get to stand on the podium and have your photo taken, and then watch the pro riders battle it out live at the finish line from the VIP hospitality area. Truly a Tour of Britain experience of a lifetime.  

For more information, click here.

So how are you going to experience the Tour of Britain this September? With Destination Sport Experiences and Sportsbreaks.com make sure this year’s race is one to remember.