The Tour of Britain cycling race returns to Cheshire East next month, including passing by Bunbury near Nantwich.
The race featuring many of the UK’s top cyclists will include a full stage in the northern part of Cheshire East.
It will start at 11.45am on Sunday September 3 in Altrincham, and the first stage will see the field travelling at speeds of more than 30mph, negotiating hump-back railway bridges and testing bends through Ashley and Mobberley.
It will follow a 12-mile route through Cheshire East starting from the border with Trafford at Ashley, then heading south into Mobberley, before turning northeast to travel through Wilmslow, Dean Row and onto Stockport.
The field could include former winners of the Tour of Britain Gonzalo Serrano (2022) and Wout van Aert (2021).
Competitors head off to Wrexham the following day.
This stage of the tour will also take them into Cheshire East, as they head east to Peckforton, then south to Malpas, mainly following B roads and briefly the A534 close to Spurstow and Bunbury.
Spectators are asked to make sure they watch the race in safety, especially on narrow lanes and arrive early so that they can take the opportunity to visit some of the borough’s popular towns and villages.
The Tour of Britain’s Peter Hodges said: “Cheshire East offers challenging roads for both leisure and competition cycling and it’s great that the Tour is once again visiting the borough, where we received a fantastic reception and support from thousands of spectators in 2016.”
Road closures and spectator safety measures will be controlled by police and Tour of Britain marshals, and full details of the event can be found on the Tour of Britain website.
The Tour last came to Cheshire East in 2021, during the Covid pandemic, but in 2016 the borough hosted an entire stage of the event, with an official start in Congleton and a spectacular finish in Tatton Park.
It is broadcast live on ITV4 and transmitted to 170 countries.
Cllr Mark Goldsmith, Cheshire East Council chair of the economy and growth committee, said: “While the Tour’s excursion into Cheshire East may be brief, a major international event such as the Tour of Britain has to be good for the borough’s economy, as indeed it was in 2016.
“Cheshire East will be part of the opening stage of the race, which starts in Altrincham.
“So, hopefully, we can expect to see some benefits from that in terms of the visitor economy, knowing that this is an event that is extremely popular with cycling fans and members of the public who want to see the stars of this sport on our local roads.”
Cllr Chris Hilliard, Cheshire East Council’s walking and cycling champion, said: “Events such as the Tour of Britain manage to inspire many others, particularly young people to take up cycling, of all forms.
“This is the third occasion in recent years that the tour has come to Cheshire East, and we hope that these two legs are as successful and as popular with the crowds as the event has proved in the past.
“It gives us a chance to show off our fantastic countryside, local towns and villages people can visit by popping on a bike. Cheshire East is a great place to cycle.”
Full details of the event can be found at Tour of Britain | 2023 Tour
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