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news
Summit finish & longest TT as Tour of Britain 2013 promises to be toughest yet
"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
road.cc's founder and first editor, nowadays to be found riding a spreadsheet. Tony's journey in cycling media started in 1997 as production editor and then deputy editor of Total Bike, acting editor of Total Mountain Bike and then seven years as editor of Cycling Plus. He launched his first cycling website - the Cycling Plus Forum at the turn of the century. In 2006 he left C+ to head up the launch team for Bike Radar which he edited until 2008, when he co-launched the multi-award winning road.cc - finally handing on the reins in 2021 to Jack Sexty. His favourite ride is his ‘commute’ - which he does most days inc weekends and he’s been cycle-commuting since 1994. His favourite bikes are titanium and have disc brakes, though he'd like to own a carbon bike one day.
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24 comments
Hope they take the Mountain road through Dylife on the way out of Machynlleth. That hill is brutal.
Record breaking crowds not enough to bring the Tour back to East Anglia
At least we have a couple of rounds of the Tour Series as a consolation prize.
We could have epic stages in Britain to almost match the continental etapes through the highlands, lakes or N Wales, it's just that British Cycling and the sport in general do not have enough clout yet to organise them?
Also a typically useless set of stage maps and even more useless stage profiles, look at the TDF website for exemplars?
I don't think it's to do with 'clout'. As has already been said, if an authority isn't interested in supporting the event it's not feasible. Additionally, the logistics of transporting the whole race from the highlands to north Wales would be a nightmare. I'm sure the riders would really enjoy the transfers too.
As for the maps, the race is six months away. Are full detailed routes available on the website the TdF, which is a whole lot sooner? As with previous years (and all other races I'm aware of) the maps will be released once the route is finalised and agreed with the authorities.
Anyway, I think it looks a cracking route, can't wait to get out and see some top class riders on my doorstep.
Lake District stage should be awesome, the section along Crummock water is probably the best bit of road I've ridden in the UK. Honister should be cool too. Section along Coniston will be ace too, with a few little climbs between Ambleside and Coniston also proving some possible action. All my old riding haunts, ridden some of those roads hundreds of times when I was younger.
The stage finish on Haytor should be epic.
Anyone complaining about a region not being visited needs to lobby the relevant county council. SweetSpot go where the councils will sponsor and support a stage.
Disappointed to see the token Scottish stage once again starting in the borders. Do you think they will ever go north of Edinburgh? I won't be holding my breath.
I'd have thought that pure logistics are a reason why the Scottish stages are generally in the borders!
Unlikely to ever happen- but a truly epic mountain stage could take Drummochter and finish at Cairngorm ski area. The logisitics would be a nightmare though.
Two loops of Caerphilly mountain last year was fantastic - great to see that again this year. I would definately recommend a vist,the hill is so steep that they have to ride 'slow' - great photo opportunities are guaranteed!
Lets hope Wiggo rides again but makes it to the Caerphilly stage this time and doesn't cry off with a bad gut.
Excellent My home town has gthe Tour of Britain going through - Mold - so I'll be asking for the day off and come home for the day. Good to see North Wales get included for the first time in ages. I'm so excited they'll be riding the roads of my youth!
If they use the main Mold – Ruthin road A494 up to Gwemymynydd Then I will be there. It a good climb so should slow them down enough to get a good look.
As a Cumbrian - great to see a stage in the Lakes and Carlisle.
as a Cumbrian living in the South West - superb, yet another year without the ToB touching the Cotswolds, Mendips, any of the large cities in the region.
Apparently Bristol is the UK's first "cycling city". Unless you run the UK's only major stage race that is.
Fantastic there are some great stages and local to me too, but when will they be bringing out some proper OS maps for these stages, I need to plan my time off work and where I can go to get a good spot! The maps at the moment are lacking in detail.
'Wot no Yorkshire stage?!'
They can't afford it.
No JTL, Tony - he's lined up for his GT debut at the Vuelta
Great I live in Epsom Surrey. Bring it on
Can't wait for stage 2. With a bit of careful planning I reckon it's possible to see the riders at least a couple of times.
Yet again no stage in Yorkshire, or in actual fact ANY WHERE IN THE EAST!
And whats that? Oh yes, Stoke getting a stage AGAIN! They must have some good dirt on Tour organisers to get them back each year. How about sharing it out?!
Wot no Yorkshire stage?!
Only one l in Kendal. Is the finish in Kendal on Beast Banks? Cav won on there a few years back. Looks a decent route for the Lakes stage. And they have left plenty of passes to tick off for future visits
Yes it is
Asdfghjkl the Tour is doing the Lake District properly for once! Honister and pass of Dunmail Rise are the only proper climbs but lots of up & down along the way.
Where to go on Stage 2.
Kendal for the uphill 15% finish or Honister Pass for the 25% climb.
Great route.