September 19th will mark 10 years of the prestigious Tour of Britain road race and organisers have announced that this year’s race will have the largest ever field, with 114 riders in total making up the 19 six-man teams. As Britain’s biggest professional cycle race, Tour of Britain is a great event to continue the summer of cycling fun – following on from Brit Chris Froome’s success at this year’s 100th Tour de France.
An 8 stage cycling event, the Tour of Britain starts in Peebles, Scotland, and then the tour runs throughout Britain covering everywhere from Stoke-on-Trent and Caerphilly, Wales, before the final stage in London. Riders of the Tour of Britain will complete over 1,000 km between Sunday 15th September and Sunday 22nd September.
With four jerseys to win, it is the instantly recognisable IG Gold Jersey that every Tour of Britain rider seeks to pull on during this competition. The IG Gold Jersey is presented to the rider who leads the tour.
The Tour of Britain is the nation’s largest free-to-spectate sporting event. If the cycling events of this summer’s Tour de France and the upcoming Tour of Britain have encouraged you to take up road racing or even just cycling in general, here are a few tips to get you started:
- The first thing you will need to take up cycling is a bike. If you fancy giving the trails a go then take a look at the different mountain bikes available, for road racing you will need to check out Scott road bikes. Not sure what bike to go for? Hybrid bikes are ideal all-round bikes for taking on a variety of surfaces – making them great for those morning commutes.
- Safety is crucial wherever you cycle, so don’t head out on your bike without essential safety gear such as a bike helmet.
- If you are an experienced cyclist ready to give competitive road racing a try, you will need to obtain a full racing license from British Cycling.
- A good way of training for road racing is to join a road racing club, this will help you to learn how to ride in the company of other riders while building your performance.
- If you are ready to challenge yourself, why not try out a spot of circuit racing. British Cycling offer a calendar on their website so that you can keep updated with events to enter.
- Road racing isn’t the only way of getting into cycling events, triathlon events are also held up and down the country – ideal for riders wanting to take to their triathlon bikes for the ultimate endurance challenge.
Whether you are interested in road racing or you simply enjoy those leisurely bike rides with the family, make sure you continue your love of cycling by supporting our cyclists at this year’s Tour of Britain.