The full Tour of Britain route through Nottinghamshire been revealed as the race approaches. The fourth stage of the tour will start from Sherwood Forest visitor centre on Wednesday, September 6, and will pass through towns including Worksop, Retford and Southwell before the sprint for the finish line takes place in Newark 170 kilometres later.
It will also pass through several other towns and villages, including Carburton, Harworth, Sturton le Steeple, Boughton, Bilsthorpe, Caunton, Egmanton, Tuxford, Girton and Collingham. This year there will be two King of the Mountains climbs, located on Kilton Hill in Worksop and on Red Hill Lane between Wellow and Eakring.
Spectators will also be able to see some of the biggest names in cycling as they take on the sprint on Main Road in Boughton. An interactive map of the Nottinghamshire stage can be found on the county council's website.
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Councillor John Cottee, Cabinet Member for Communities at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “It is always exciting when the Tour of Britain is coming to Nottinghamshire, and the announcement of the full route is when communities can really start to get into the spirit of welcoming the tour.
“The Tour of Britain is the UK’s biggest cycling race and we are honoured that it is coming back to our great county for a fourth time this September. It is great to be able to announce the locations of the King of the Mountains climbs and the cottages.com sprints where spectators will really be able to take in some of the best action during the race.
“There’s just over eight weeks to go now before the tour arrives in Nottinghamshire and there’s plenty of ways for everyone to get involved. Our competitions for 4-11-year-olds are open until the end of this week (Friday 14 July) for your people to play a big role in the stage by designing the starting flag, the winner’s trophy and much more.”
As well as serving as popular viewing locations for spectators, the points on offer at each location go towards determining the outcome of the hotly contested King of the Mountains and sprint jerseys. The points on offer at the King of the Mountains locations is dependent on the severity of the climb; category one peaks offer 10 points for the winner down to one for the 10th-placed finisher, while category three climbs have four, three, two and one point up for grabs.
Prizes on offer at each sprint remain consistent throughout the race; three, two and one point are awarded to the leading trio across the line, all of which go towards the sprints’ classification. Those riders will also receive bonus seconds of the same denomination.
Andy Hawes, Tour of Britain route director, said: “It’s really exciting that the Tour of Britain is returning to Nottinghamshire in September. It’s possible that this the most spectacular stage we’ve ever designed in Robin Hood Country – there’s no doubt in my mind that the race will do a brilliant job of showcasing this beautiful part of Britain to its worldwide TV audience.”
The race starts in Greater Manchester, returning along the way to Nottinghamshire for the stage four finish, before this year’s champion is crowned following a final stage in South Wales. After day four of the race concludes in Nottinghamshire, a seaside trip awaits more than 100 of the world’s best cyclists when Felixstowe marks the finishing point of stage five.
