After stage one in the Scottish Borders, the world’s top cyclists will tackle a challenging stage through Tees Valley on Wednesday 4 September and you could be there to see it!

Starting in Darlington, 15 years on from the last stage start in the town, the riders will head through the North York Moors National Park to the coast at Robin Hood’s Bay, and finish in Redcar on the seafront. The 155-kilometre route includes several challenging climbs, totalling almost 2,500 metres of ascent, and one intermediate sprint.

To help you make the most out of the day, we’ve picked out the best locations along the route to catch the action and get up close and personal with some of the world’s best riders.

Start

Following a tough first day of riding, our 18 teams will depart from West Row below the Darlington clock tower, before heading east through Middleton St George and onto Eaglescliffe and Yarm.

Fans will be able to watch the teams and riders prepare for the stage in the Market Square, with riders being presented to the crowd team-by-team on the podium from 09:50 ahead of the stage start at 11:00.

If you’re cycling to the start then sheltered, lockable bike parking is available in the Town Hall plaza, just a short walk away from the start line.

Intermediate Sprints

Just 24.5 kilometres into the stage, riders will face the first and only intermediate sprint of the stage in the market town of Stokesley. Fans can see the peloton battle it out for all important points in the shadow of historic buildings, such as the St Peter and St Paul’s Church dating back as far as the 12th century.

King of the Mountains

Stage two could be a climbers paradise, with three categorised climbs in and around Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay making for a challenging portion of the stage.

The first climb of the day is Ugglebarnby, with riders expected at the summit at approximately 13:01. Averaging over 8% across its one-kilometre length, this King of the Mountains climb will come after a series of unclassified climbs around Commondale, Castleton, and Danby. As well as the action on the road, fans can expect stunning views, overlooking the North York Moors National Park.

The riders will then drop down into the picturesque Robin Hood’s Bay to tackle the second categorised climb of the day, rising up Raw Pasture Bank from almost sea level at an average of 7.5%. The route will then head past the iconic Whitby Abbey before descending into the famous North Yorkshire seaside town.

The final categorised climb of the day that faces riders is the 1.7 kilometre Lythe Bank, averaging 7.7% as it ascends from Sandsend before ultimately taking the race past Staithes into Redcar & Cleveland. Fans can expect incredible views out over the coast as the riders battle for vital King of the Mountains points.

Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Whilst not a categorised climb or intermediate sprint, Saltburn-by-the-sea is a hugely popular location on the route for fans to catch the action.

Riders will tackle the climb from the seafront up Saltburn Road twice at approximately 14:11 and 14:35 as part of a lap made up of many of the roads used in June’s Lloyds Bank British National Road Race Championships, won by Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers).

The atmosphere will certainly be lively here, with the popular ‘Beefeater Bend’ costumed fan group planning to be present on the day to cheer on the riders.

Finish

The stage finish is on Coast Road in Redcar, alongside Zetland Park, where there will be a big screen showing the ITV4 coverage of the race throughout the day so fans don’t miss out on any of the action.

After conquering nearly 2,500 metres of elevation during the stage, riders may find some respite in the final kilometres along the North Sea. Yet, the exposed nature of Coast Road means that wind could still pose a challenge in the final part of the stage.

Fans will be able to cheer the riders home and share in the celebrations of the stage victory and jersey presentations once the racing has finished at approximately 14:52.

Away from the racing the fan village will feature food, drink and entertainment, including the always popular Fat Cat Brass Band that will be keeping the atmosphere going throughout the day, while the Thingymajig Theatre will have Hieronymus the Hippopotamus, the biggest, sweetest pachyderm on wheel and propelled purely by pedal power, meeting the crowd and performing songs.

How else can I watch the action?

For fans eager to see the cycling superstars compete live at the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men, exclusive premium hospitality packages are now available through Sportive Breaks here.

If you can’t make it to Tees Valley, live flag to flag coverage will be available on ITV4 and ITVX in the UK, and around the world via other broadcasters, as well as a live stream on the British Cycling YouTube channel.