St Ives is gearing up to welcome the Tour of Britain cycle race, which starts from Cornwall on Sunday 5th September, with a 180km stage through the county.
Starting from Penzance, competitors will arrive in St Ives from St Just, then travel onwards to Carbis Bay, Lelant, and Hayle, before heading towards Redruth via Gwithian and Carnhell Green.
British Cycling and organisers SweetSpot will use each stage of the Tour to celebrate Britain’s key workers and community heroes. Each day will play host to a special cycle ride at the start and finish, giving the chance to show appreciation to the unsung members of Britain’s cycling community.
ITV4 will broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a nightly highlights show. And the Cornwall-based Saint Piran cycling team will be among those taking part. The direct economic boost to Cornwall is conservatively estimated at £3m.
French star and reigning UCI road world champion, Julian Alaphilippe, will return to the Tour of Britain for the first time since winning the race in 2018.
Alaphilippe will lead the Belgian Deceuninck – Quick-Step team in the Tour of Britain, alongside home favourite Mark Cavendish, whose participation in the eight-day race was announced earlier this summer.
The direct economic boost to Cornwall is conservatively estimated at £3m, but beyond calculation is the kudos of hosting a world-class event. Cornwall’s Business Improvement Districts are engaged, and the Council’s arms-length company Cornwall Development Company has been securing private sponsorship for the event.
Leader of Cornwall Council, St Ives councillor Linda Taylor, said: “In terms of economic impact, this is like having the London Marathon running through our villages, and it stirs again the pride we felt when the 2012 Olympic torch relay started at Land’s End. Cornwall is a welcoming place and we love playing host.
“The only inconvenience for those who live or trade directly on the route will be a rolling road closure, which could last as little as 40 minutes. And at some pinch-points vehicle owners will need to park elsewhere to keep competitors and spectators safe. Not much to ask for having the UK’s largest free sporting event pass your front door.”
Top tips for spectators
- Check before you travel! Take note of the route, road closures, and estimated times of arrival that may be affecting you
- Grab a safe spectator spot early and enjoy the build-up to the Peloton arriving
- If you can’t get to a start or finish location, check out where your nearest sprints or ŠKODA king of the mountains climbs points are along the route
- Do not obstruct the riders in any way. Keep children and animals back from the roadside
- The whole stage is live on TV. ITV4 will be showing flag-to-flag live coverage of the entire stage plus a nightly highlights programme at 8pm
Follow the build-up and race
Keep up to date with the latest race new at tourofbritain.co.uk and cornwalltourofbritain.co.uk
Follow on Twitter @tourofbritain @CornwallToB and using the hashtag #TourofBritain
