Sunderland to welcome the Tour of Britain for the first time in 2022

Sunderland will play a starring role when the Tour of Britain, the UK’s most prestigious cycle race, heads there for the first time in 2022.

The historic North East city will host the finish of stage three on Tuesday 6 September, as the eight-day event works its way down from Aberdeenshire to the Isle of Wight.

Over 100 of the world’s best riders will compete in the 18th edition of the race, with a large crowd comprising both local residents and cycling fans expected to turn out for this unforgettable, free-to-watch spectacle.

While it may be the modern race’s first visit to Sunderland, the city welcomed the Milk Race – a semi-professional forerunner of the Tour of Britain – on multiple occasions during its 35-year history. It also hosted a round of the Tour Series, Britain’s leading domestic cycle race series, in August 2021 on a circuit centered around the historic Mowbray Park.

Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said:

“Announcing the locations of the Tour of Britain stages is always a day I look forward to greatly, as I know how much people want to watch the race from their own doorsteps!

"The 2022 race is shaping up to be another unforgettable edition of the race, particularly since we’re mixing familiar regions, with new areas like Sunderland, places we’ve never fully explored and those we’ve been unable to visit for many years.

"Hopefully today’s announcement whets the appetite while we finalise the route of this stage in the North East – rest assured we’ve got some more surprises to come!”

Councillor Graeme Miller, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said:

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be welcoming the UK’s most prestigious cycle race to our city for the very first time in September.

"The Tour of Britain is a hugely popular event and hosting the tour presents the perfect opportunity for showcasing our fabulous city. The sheer spectacle of over a 100 of the world’s best riders racing through our city will truly be a sight to behold.

"It promises to be a brilliant day out for residents and visitors alike and one which we hope people will flock to see.

“We’re also hoping that seeing elite riders in action will inspire more people to take to their bikes as part of our exciting programme of swim bike run activities in the coming years.

"This is all about encouraging more people to be get active and take advantage of our wonderful city, green spaces and fantastic coastline, not to mention all the physical and mental health benefits that being active brings with it.”

The full route for stage three, including the start venue and finish location, will be revealed in due course.

Today’s announcement forms part of the race’s host region reveal, which also confirmed a much-anticipated return to Yorkshire and first-ever full stages in Dorset and Gloucestershire.

This year’s Tour of Britain will visit the following regions:

Stage one Sunday 4 September Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

Stage two Monday 5 September South of Scotland

Stage three Tuesday 6 September North East of England and Sunderland

Stage four Wednesday 7 September Redcar & Cleveland and North Yorkshire

Stage five Thursday 8 September Nottinghamshire

Stage six Friday 9 September Gloucestershire

Stage seven Saturday 10 September Dorset

Stage eight Sunday 11 September Isle of Wight

While spectators can watch all the action by the roadside for free, race day hospitality packages offer guaranteed prime views of stage starts and finishes, complete with fine dining experiences. Visit sportsbreaks.com/Cycling for more information.

ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a nightly highlights show, allowing fans in the UK to watch wherever they are. The race will also be shown in over 150 countries worldwide, in part thanks to the event’s partnerships with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network.

Last year’s star-studded race was won by Belgian rider Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo – Visma), with reigning world road race champion Julian Alaphilippe finishing third overall.

A roadside crowd of over one million spectators resulted in the Tour of Britain generating £29.96m of net economic benefit for the UK economy, according to research by Frontline.

The race is a finalist in the Sporting Event of the Year category at the Event Production Awards, which takes place in London next Thursday (17 February).