Tour of Britain will generate £3m for Cornwall's economy
Tourism bosses say the race also showcased our great inland towns
Last updated 6th Sep 2021
It is hoped that the Tour of Britain will have generated over £3 million to the Cornish economy.
The first stage of the famous cycle race took place on Sunday (5th September), and was held in the Duchy for the first time ever.
Cyclists rode 111 miles through Cornwall, from Penzance to Bodmin, visited lots of towns and villages along the way.
Thousands of people lined the streets to watch, cheer, clap and encourage the riders on their way.
Celebratory events have also been held right across the Duchy.
Planning permission has now been granted for a new £7m Cornwall Cycle Hub, which would be based near Newquay.
Officials say it would provide a Tour of Britain legacy for the Duchy and are now trying to secure the funding.
Malcolm Bell from Visit Cornwall told us: "The event will generate around £3m of spend but far more importantly it will showcase 110 miles of Cornwall and our great inland towns and areas outside the traditional tourist hotspots."
Councillor Jeremy Cooper is the Mayor of Bodmin. He hopes the race leaves a lasting legacy.
He told us: "Everybody's responded really well, the children have been decorating bikes and placing them around the town to create that festival atmosphere, everybody wants a lift after Covid.
"The reason we want to attract more cyclists is because we're not a seaside town but we are in Cornwall.
"We're at one of the best tourist destinations in the country and cycling is part of the experience of coming to Bodmin, where you can explore the wider countryside and the cycle routes that we've got in town."
Stephen Rushworth is the Cornwall Council cabinet member for the economy.
Speaking to us at the race finish line in Bodmin, he said they are trying to improve the existing cycle paths in the county too.
He said: "It's a top area for cycling, we've got the Camel Trail and all the other trails, we're expanding them and getting the support of Boris behind us to do that financially, and this is a real big kick start.
"In the fight against climate change, the roads are getting very congested and we want to try and keep people off the roads.
"And really get people fit again, we've had this terrible two years of people being locked at home, we've really got to get people cycling and exercising more, and improving their wellbeing."