Tour of Britain : Showpiece cycle race to return
The Tour of Britain will return to the Newark and Sherwood district later this year.
Thousands of spectators turned out in September to watch some of cycling’s top names pass through towns and villages in the region, including Southwell, Collingham and Edingley.
Newark hosted the finish of Stage Four, when Fernando Gaviria claimed victory following a sprint along Farndon Road.
The 2018 event, which will run from September 2 to September 9, will be the second successive year that the county has featured as part of the tour.
Although the date and route for this year’s stage in Nottinghamshire has not yet been finalised, it has been confirmed the stage will start in West Bridgford and end in Mansfield.
To accompany last year’s event, a festival of cycling was held across the district. This included junior cyclists competing in a series of races around the Market Place in Newark and adjoining roads.
Mr Paul Beaumont, of Newark Castle Cycling Club, said bringing the tour to Newark inspired young people to take up the sport.
“Following the Tour of Britain (in Newark) and the races the evening before, we had a 35% increase in juniors (under-16s) at the club,” he said. “An event like this coming to the area really puts the sport on a pedestal.
“It is no longer treated as a niche sport and the tour helps to shine a spotlight on it.
“At the festival of cycling, I would say 40% of the children had never done any kind of cycle racing before, and some travelled from as far away as Chesterfield and Derby.”
'Showing off the district at its very best'
Mr Andy Hardy, Newark and Sherwood District Council community projects manager, said the council was pleased to be hosting the tour again.
“From last year’s experience, this is an opportunity for communities across the district to enjoy top-class sport on their doorstep,” he said.
“Thousands of the district’s residents were able to share in this celebration of cycling, along with our own Festival Of Cycling, showing off the district at its very best.”
People who visited Newark to watch the tour spent an estimated £234,524, according to a study compiled by consultancy firm Frontline.
It found that 210,000 visitors watched the stage in Notting-hamshire, 39% of whom were from outside the county.
A total of 391,000 people viewed live coverage on ITV4, with 508,000 watching the highlights and a further 47,000 the repeat.
The route through Nottinghamshire in September will be announced at the Tour of Britain launch event, expected to be next month.
