Tour of Britain cycle race to come through Dorset
The full route of the tour has been revealed
Last updated 6th Apr 2022
The full route of this year's Tour of Britain cycle race has been announced.
The eight-day event in September will take in a route between West Bay and Ferndown during Stage Seven.
It'll be the first time the event's come to Dorset.
The route through our county will over 100 of the world's best riders from West Bay, known for its striking golden cliffs, to the bustling town of Ferndown via a 180-kilometre (112-mile) route.
The course will initially parallel with the West Dorset Heritage coast before passing through Dorchester, West Lulworth and Corfe Castle, before heading inland towards Wareham, Milton Abbas and Wimborne Minster.
The noted climbs of Whiteway Hill, near East Lulworth, Bulbarrow Hill and Okeford Hill all feature along the route, which culminates on Ferndown’s Victoria Road.
Organisers will hope the route can serve up something similar to last year's race, in which Wout Van Aert edged out Britain's Ethan Hayter by six seconds overall, with world champion Julian Alaphilippe finishing third.
Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said:
“The eyes of the cycling world will be on Dorset come Saturday 10 September and I know that both the world-class riders competing and the huge TV audience the Tour of Britain attracts will be blown away by the sheer beauty of the county. But more than that, the challenging terrain will make for a thrilling day of racing, with the battle for the stage victory in Ferndown likely to be fierce!”
Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said:
“Dorset Council is excited to be working with Tour of Britain, on what promises to be a brilliant opportunity to showcase what our county has to offer to the world.
“With stage seven of the race stretching from the West to the East of Dorset, we maximise the potential benefits for as many local residents and businesses as possible, and we’re looking to forward to providing a warm welcome to both competitors and spectators later this year.”