Peloton power Cycle stars will showcase county on race stage
THE Tour of Britain will bring a host of music and entertainment to the county when the best cyclists in the world race through.
Stage six of this year’s event will star ttomorrow, (September 9), in Church Street, in Tewkesbury, before finishing on Southgate Street in Gloucester.
The race will start at 11am with Tewkesbury’s hand cyclist and paratriathlete Mel Nicholls, who competed at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympics games, in attendance to send off the riders.
Dan Martin, a Tour de France stage winner, will then be on hand to welcome them at the finish from around 3pm.
A range of entertainment is planned from 11am until 5pm in Gloucester. Fans will also be able to watch the race on a big screen in Gloucester’s Mariners Square.
There will also be a BMX stunt team showcasing their skills in the city, as well as a team of smoothies bikes which challenge riders to use pedal power to blend their smoothie.
Young children will be able to race around a track and try out balance bikes courtesy of Action Wheels.
Follow My Lead will run a balance circus workshop, allowing children to try out balance bikes. In addition, there will be a host of community cycling stands at both the start and finish.
The crowds will able to enjoy live music before welcoming riders into the finish. Street entertainers, including Thomas Trilby, will be appearing in Tewkesbury before the stage start and at the finish in Gloucester.
The start and finish of both races will be separated by a little over ten miles, allowing fans to easily attend both on race day.
This year’s Tour of Britain stage is sponsored by Gloucestershire County Council.
It will be the first time the race has held a stage start and finish in the county.
Councillor David Gray, cabinet member responsible for the environment at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “The Tour of Britain provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase our beautiful county to the world.
“Events at the start and finish will feature a wide variety of bike-based entertainment and activities that crowds can engage with.
“I would encourage residents across the county to take the opportunity to come and cheer on some of the world’s best cyclists as they pass through our county, whether this be on the route or at the start and finish.”
For more information on the Tour of Britain in Gloucestershire, including stage timetables for when the race will be in your area, visit gloucestershire. gov.uk/transport/cycling/womenstour-and-tour-of-britain-in-gloucestershire/
The Tour of Britain provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase our beautiful county to the world.
Councillor David Gray