Date: 10th February 2022
Never before will the Tour of Britain have started so far north than when Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire hosts the race’s Grand Départ on Sunday 4 September, one year on from the region welcoming the final stage of the 2021 race.
The Tour will start in the city of Aberdeen, where a full weekend of activities to run alongside the race, including the Scottish National Criterium Championships will take place. The stage will finish in spectacular style in Aberdeenshire, taking a different route to the one raced in 2021, which will bring the event into the heart of brand new communities.
This year’s Tour of Britain will visit the following regions:
Stage one Sunday 4 September Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Stage two Monday 5 September Scotland
Stage three Tuesday 6 September North East of England and Sunderland
Stage four Wednesday 7 September Redcar & Cleveland and North Yorkshire
Stage five Thursday 8 September Nottinghamshire
Stage six Friday 9 September Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire
Stage seven Saturday 10 September Dorset
Stage eight Sunday 11 September Isle of Wight
For the third edition running, Scotland will host multiple days of the race as a part of the country’s continuing commitment to hosting world-class racing ahead of the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds, with more details and the location of the second stage to be announced in due course. The Tour’s first foray into England comes on stage three, which will take in the North East and Sunderland. While a new venue to the modern race, Sunderland has recent experience welcoming cycling events, having hosted a round of the Tour Series domestic racing event last year.
The race’s fanbase will be buoyed by the news that the Tour will return to Yorkshire for stage four (Wednesday 7 September) for the first time since 2009, when York welcomed the opening day’s finish. A hotbed of cycling in the UK, a large crowd is anticipated for this stage, which will begin in the seaside town of Redcar, before finishing in North Yorkshire, and promises to be a must watch event.
Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: “Announcing the locations of the Tour of Britain stages is always a day I look forward to greatly, as I know how much people want to watch the race from their own doorsteps! The 2022 race is shaping up to be another unforgettable edition of the race, particularly since we’re mixing familiar regions, with new areas, places we’ve never fully explored and those we’ve been unable to visit for many years. Hopefully today’s announcement whets the appetite while we finalise the routes of the eight stages – rest assured we’ve got some more surprises to come!”
Nick Rennie, Scottish Cycling Chief Executive, agreed: "It's fantastic to see the Tour of Britain returning to Scotland once again, and after hosting the finish in 2021, I have no doubt Aberdeen will make fantastic hosts of the grand depart. Having this great race start in the granite city also means we have been able to host our own Criterium Championships on closed, city centre roads the day before, alongside a number of other cycling activities for all the family, which should make for an amazing weekend of cycling.
“Events like this, and the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, continue to put Scotland on the map as a great cycling nation, and are vital for us as we try and inspire people to get on a bike and take part in our wonderful sport.”
Brian Facer, British Cycling chief executive, added: “I’m really excited to see the regions which will be hosting the Tour of Britain later this year. The race will go through both existing heartlands of the sport, along with other areas of the country which will give us the opportunity to introduce cycle sport and British Cycling to new people of all ages. Meanwhile those regions, from the north of Scotland to the Isle of Wight, will have a showcase which will be watched by a global TV audience.
“Over the last few years the Tour of Britain has become one of the world’s leading races, with global superstars coming to compete in our country. It has also given our up-and-coming young British riders the opportunity to test themselves against the best. 2022 will be no different, and it will be a brilliant eight days of racing in September.”
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. The race will also be shown in over 150 countries worldwide, in part thanks to the event’s partnerships with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network.
Last year’s star-studded race was won by Belgian rider Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo – Visma), with reigning world road race champion Julian Alaphilippe finishing third overall.
A roadside crowd of over one million spectators resulted in the Tour of Britain generating £29.96m of net economic benefit for the UK economy, according to research by Frontline. The race is a finalist in the Sporting Event of the Year category at the Event Production Awards, which takes place in London next Thursday (17 February).
With the cycling industry enjoying a continued boom in the UK, there are hundreds of thousands of new and returning cyclists taking to two wheels with the Tour of Britain, the nation’s flagship race. A number of partnership opportunities remain available in 2022 including the coveted naming rights title sponsorship of the Tour of Britain, and prestigious jerseys and daily awards.
