CARLISLE GATESHEAD

Big elevation returns to the agenda with this cross-country route, taking in two great English hill ranges: the Lake District and Pennines.

There’s none of the Lake District behemoths on the menu, more a case of its foothills as we make the journey from Carlisle to Penrith, through stunning Ullswater, one of its great lakes. The meaty climbs for the peloton to get stuck into come in the Pennines – three KOMs, one after another: Hartside, Killhope Cross and Burtree Fell. From that final KOM, another 82 kilometres remain until the finish, so the peloton will likely arrive to the final in Gateshead relatively unscathed. The final 3km is a gradual rise, so it may whittle off a few tired bodies, but a sprint finish is possible.

Gateshead hosted a start in the most recent edition of the Tour of Britain in 2019, and for the finish this year it’s been moved to its most iconic location, the Angel of the North, Antony Gormley’s sculpture, and Britain’s largest.

“Gateshead was initially looking at a more central location, on the Tyne river, but our event has got so big now that putting the necessary infrastructure in a safe environment is paramount,” says Hawes. “I suggested, the Angel of the North and Gateshead soon agreed with us on that one.” With such big climbs again packed into the mid-point of the stage, it’s a tricky one to predict the likely outcome here, but the route has got enough about it to give those riders looking to eke back some lost time a carrot to chase. Killhope is on the agenda, but hope is not killed yet.