Isle of Wight's Tour of Britain stage revealed
The 148-kilometre ride is the final part of this year's event
More details have been revealed about the Isle of Wight stage forming part of this year's Tour of Britain cycling race.
Riders will contest three intermediate Sprints at Sandown (on Culver Parade opposite the beach), Yarmouth (on Bouldnor Road approaching the viewing point car park), and Cowes (along the sea front on Queen’s Road).
For the first time the Tour of Britain will finish with an uphill finish and a categorised King of the Mountain climb, with the two-kilometre climb – the final 400 metres of which feature an average gradient of 9.6% - up to the National Trust’s Needles Battery on Tennyson Down.
Three other climbs will come at Brading Down above Sandown, Cowleaze Hill after Shanklin, and the famous Zig Zag Road in Ventnor.
In all, riders will cover 148 kilometres from the start in Ryde to the finish.
Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, Cabinet member for regeneration, business development and tourism at Isle of Wight Council, said:
“This year’s Tour of Britain will be a great opportunity for us to showcase the Island and our beautiful scenery while at the same time providing a stern test for the riders in what will be a challenging stage.
“A particular highlight will be the steep spiralling hills in and out of Ventnor. Fast hair pin declines down to the beach and almost vertical corkscrew climbs back out of the town, often with gradients of 25%, will see riders tested to their very limits and provide captivating viewing.
“The race will culminate with a two-kilometre climb up to Tennyson Down, the final 400 metres of which average a gradient of 9.6%, making it the toughest ending to any Tour of Britain in modern history.
“There are still fantastic opportunities for partners to get involved in the event, so why not join us and be a part of what will be an unforgettable weekend and a fantastic celebration of cycling!”
The stage, which takes place on September 11th, is the eighth and final on this year's tour.
The race, which features Olympic, world and Tour de France champions, gets underway in Aberdeen a week before on September 4th.