2015 Friends Life Tour Of Britain Launches Route
The 2015 Friends Life Tour of Britain has officially launched with a route that includes what is set to be the race’s toughest ever summit finish, an upgraded final stage in central London and the event’s first ever Grand Depart for Wales.
Other firsts for the country’s largest annual free-to-spectate sporting event include a stage start in the Scottish capital Edinburgh and two stages taking place in Northumberland and the north east of England.
Wales will play host to the opening stage for the first time in the modern race’s history, with a stage which will take in all six regions of North Wales as it heads from Anglesey to Wrexham. It will also be the first time that the race has started on an island. A total of 11 venues will welcome the Friends Life Tour of Britain for the first time in 2015.
The final stage of the event, which will be held in London and presented by Transport for London, will feature a new route which starts and finishes on Regent Street St James and will also take in Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the Strand and Whitehall.
Commenting on this year’s Friends Life Tour of Britain route, Mick Bennett, race director, said: “Overall we are absolutely delighted with the course for the 2015 Friends Life Tour of Britain and believe it offers something for everybody across eight very different stages.
“Our hope and intention is to again encourage eight days of aggressive, uninhibited racing, the sort of action that we hope is becoming the trademark of the race.
“We want our national Tour to reflect the tough terrain which is part and parcel of our cycling scene in the UK, and to showcase both the race and the British countryside to spectators at the roadside and to the television audience both at home and around the world.”
Bob Howden, president, British Cycling, added: “At British Cycling, we measure the success of our major events strategy by the number of people who watch and are then inspired to participate in our sport and, as our national stage race and the biggest event of the year, the growing popularity of the Friends Life Tour of Britain is further proof that in this country cycling has never been in better health.
“This year’s route will excite any fan of cycling and further boosts the Friends Life Tour of Britain’s reputation as one of world cycling’s must-watch races, but it will also give people all over Britain a chance to see some of the world’s best riders in action and encourage them to get out on their bikes.”
ITV will screen three-hours of live coverage of every stage, starting on ITV for the opening Wales stage before reverting to ITV4 for stages two to eight.
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