Tour of Britain More Host Towns Revealed

Starting in Cornwall and finishing in Aberdeen, the Tour of Britain organisers have revealed more of the host towns and cities for the 2021 Edition, the first in 722 days (since 2019 edition)

Tour of Britain More Host Towns Revealed

This year’s race is scheduled to take place following an absence of 722 days since the culmination of the 2019 Tour of Britain in Greater Manchester due to the cancellation of the 2020 event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be the first edition of the race to be a part of the UCI ProSeries.

Cornwall will welcome the Tour of Britain for the first time in history when it hosts the Grand Départ on Sunday 5 September. Stage One, which starts in Penzance, will end with a tricky uphill finish in Bodmin some 180 kilometres later. The race will visit Devon for the 11th time in modern tour history on Stage Two (Monday 6 September). Sherford and Exeter will host the start and finish respectively, with a packed day of racing combing some of the county’s spectacular coastline with a challenging finale through Dartmoor National Park.

It is hoped that details of the two Welsh stages (Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 September) will be announced in the summer, if conditions allow, marking the first time that Wales has held two entire stages of the modern Tour of Britain.

In the north west of England Stage Five (Thursday 9 September) will start in south Cheshire, a day of racing that culminates in Warrington, which will make its event debut as a host venue, for a finish outside the town’s famous Golden Gates.

As previously announced Cumbria will welcome the return of the Tour of Britain for a third consecutive year with a stage (start location to be announced) that will finish across the Pennines in Gateshead, which hosted a stage start in the 2019 Tour.

The Tour of Britain will finish in Scotland for the first time since 2007 with the overall finish in Aberdeen, the final venue on the 2021 route to welcome the Tour for the first time. Scotland is due to host two stages of the race with Hawick hosting the Tour of Britain for the first time and the city of Edinburgh hosting its first ever stage finish of the race before the final stage begins in Stonehaven.

The full routes of all eight stages of the Tour of Britain stages will be announced in the summer including information about the ŠKODA King of the Mountains and intermediate Sprints. ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a nightly highlights show, allowing fans in the UK to watch wherever they are.

– Seven new host venues to make their debut in this year’s race
– Edinburgh to host first-ever stage finish of the race on Saturday 11 September
– Two full stages will be held in Wales for the first time in race history (subject to COVID-19 conditions)
– Unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic to be celebrated daily as part of the race’s Ride for Heroes initiative

The Tour of Britain is scheduled to take place between Sunday 5 and Sunday 12 September 2021, starting at Penzance in Cornwall and finishing in the Scottish city of Aberdeen as previously announced.

Stage One, Sunday 5 September
Start: Penzance*, Cornwall
Finish: Bodmin*, Cornwall

Stage Two, Monday 6 September
Start: Sherford*, Devon
Finish: Exeter, Devon

Stage Three, Tuesday 7 September
Wales

Stage Four, Wednesday 8 September
Wales

Stage Five, Thursday 9 September
Start, South Cheshire
Finish, Warrington*

Stage Six, Friday 10 September
Start, Cumbria
Finish, Gateshead

Stage Seven, Saturday 11 September
Start, Hawick*, Scottish Borders
Finish, Edinburgh

Stage Eight, Sunday 12 September
Start, Stonehaven*, Aberdeenshire
Finish, Aberdeen*

(*indicates new venue for the Tour of Britain)