TOUR BRITAIN 2017 STAGE GUIDE

As the race draws near, we look at the routes of the eight stages the riders will face…

Words Paul Robson Photography Getty With eight stages and four countries to cover the Tour of Britain is never going to be able to visit every one every year. Nevertheless, this year’s race visits three of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom, and looks like being a fast one.

“This is the flattest Tour of Britain route we’ve ever put together,” explains route director Andy Hawes. “It wasn’t an intentional thing, but has come about as a result of geography – the areas we are visiting simply aren’t hilly. I can locate a sprint point anywhere, but I can’t do that with a KOM: I need a hill!

“On the flip side, though, I’m anticipating that this will be the fastest edition of the race that has ever been run, purely as a result of the parcours.

“The time trial has traditionally been an important stage at the Tour of Britain over the years – we’ve seen the specialists hold back to focus their efforts on it – and this year I think it will be pivotal because it’s going to be very hard to succeed in a breakaway on these stages.”