Monmouthshire is gearing up for its third major cycling event this summer as preparations are well underway for the UK’s biggest professional cycle race, The Tour of Britain, to hit the county’s roads next month (9th September).
The Tour of Britain takes the best riders from across the world around the country in an eight stage race. This year, culminating in a time trial and circuit race through the streets of London.
As the stars of stage three, Monmouthshire will host a dramatic summit finish that will challenge world-class riders to climb the Tumble, just outside Abergavenny. Classed as a category one climb to reflect its difficulty, The Tumble is well-known in the cycling world as being one of the toughest ascents in the UK and is expected to be one of the major highlights of the entire race. Rising 512 metres (approx. 1600 feet) above sea-level, the Tumble will test riders on a 6km climb over a steady gradient of 10%.
Alongside Abergavenny, spectators will have the opportunity to line the streets of Monmouth and watch the race as the town features along the official route.
The Tour is the country’s largest free-to-spectate sporting event and welcomed more than 1.5 million spectators last year. Ian Saunders, Head of Tourism, Leisure and Culture said:
“Bringing The Tour of Britain to Monmouthshire is a major coup for the county. Not only will it bring an influx of cycling fans and other visitors through our doors, it will also open us up to the rest of the world.
“The race will be broadcast live on TV and global reach last year hit more than 280 million homes. Having the opportunity to showcase our beautiful county on that sort of scale is unheard of.”
The Tour of Britain starts on 7th September in Liverpool and ends in London on 14th September. Detailed information about the route can be found at www.tourofbritain.co.uk.
