Edinburgh set to host penultimate stage of Tour of Britain

Some of the world’s best cyclists will grace the streets of Edinburgh once more, as the Tour of Britain is set to return to the capital for the first time in four years.

The city last hosted the race in 2017, when the ‘Grand Depart’ - the start of the tour - was commenced from the Royal Mile in front of a huge crowd.

Now, the organisers, Surrey-based events company Sweetspot, are planning on bringing a stage of the tour back to the capital.

The eight-stage race will begin in Penzance on September 5 in what will truly be a cross-country event, as the final stage will start in Stonehaven and finish in Aberdeenon12september.

Edinburgh will host the penultimate stage, which will start in the Borders and finish in Holyrood Park on September 11.

The event is set to be free to attend, and Edinburgh City Council and Police Scotland will implement a system of rolling road closures as the stage enters the city.

The council is also set to allocate £70,000 from its 2021/22 events budget to help host the tour.