Nottingham will host another major cycling event as it prepares to welcome the Friends Life Tour of Britain this autumn. Residents and visitors to the city will get the chance to experience professional cycling first-hand as the world’s cycling elite come to Nottingham.

Nottingham adds the Tour of Britain to its calendar of cycling events, including the Milk Race and Cycle Live, which reflects the city’s cycling heritage as the home of Raleigh.

The Tour of Britain is the UK’s biggest professional cycle race and the country’s largest free-to-view live sporting event, taking place every September and, while the full line-ups are yet to be announced, some familiar names and veterans of the race will be competing, including it is hoped the famous name of Team Raleigh – GAC.

The Tour of Britain 2015 takes place 6 – 15 September, and Nottingham will host a stage finish on 11 September. After a 198km journey from Stoke – Nottingham (via Derbyshire) cyclists will compete to finish first in front of cheering crowds on the Central Promenade of the Forest Recreation Ground on Friday 11 September, between 3.30 and 4.30pm.

The action will be broadcast live on ITV4, and there will also be a free afternoon of activities on the Forest Recreation Ground to encourage families and others to remain in the area.

Around 120 of the world’s top professional cyclists will take part, forming 20 teams who will compete over 9 stages to win a place on the podium.

Councillor Jon Collins, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “The Tour of Britain announcement is more great cycling news for Nottingham – along with the news that the Milk Race and Cycle Live will also return this summer, and the recent announcement of a £6.1million investment into cycling infrastructure.”

“I am delighted that we will welcome The Tour of Britain through Nottingham this September and it is an honour for the organisers of this great sporting event to have chosen our city to form part of the tour route – we’re looking forward to hosting another top sporting event, and giving residents a visitors a reason to come into the city.”

Mick Bennett, Race Director of Friends Life Tour of Britain organisers SweetSpot said; “Stage Six will not be an easy stage at all for the riders, and may well be the toughest of the entire 2015 Friends Life Tour of Britain. We have an exciting and very scenic route joining two cities both with a rich cycling heritage, which is sure to play a part in shaping the overall race for the Friends Life Yellow Jersey.”

Businesses are being asked to get involved in the exciting sponsorship opportunities for the Tour. For more information, contact the Sponsorship and Advertising team on 0115 8763360.

Stage One        Sunday 6 September                 Beaumaris, Anglesey to Wrexham

Stage Two        Monday 7 September                Clitheroe to Colne

Stage Three      Tuesday 8 September                Cockermouth to Floors Castle, Kelso

Stage Four        Wednesday 9 September           Edinburgh to Blyth

Stage Five        Thursday 10 September             Prudhoe to Hartside Fell

Stage Six          Friday 11 September                 Stoke-on-Trent to Nottingham

Stage Seven     Saturday 12 Septmber               Fakenham to Ipswich

Stage Eight       Saturday 13 September             London stage presented by TfL

 

The Friends Life Tour of Britain

Re-launched in 2004 after a five year absence from the calendar, the Friends Life Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their doorstep. The Friends Life Tour of Britain is the UK’s biggest professional cycle race and the country’s largest free-to-watch sporting event.

Upgraded to 2.HC level by the UCI, the sport’s governing body, for 2014, the Friends Life Tour of Britain attracts the world’s top cyclists, including Olympic and World Champions and Tour de France stage winners, to compete on British roads each September, with three-hours of live coverage a day on ITV4.

For details of the Friends Life Tour of Britain, go to www.tourofbritain.co.uk

For media images, please visit www.flickr.com/thetourcycling

For further media information, including logos, please visit www.thetour.co.uk/press