THE Cycling Tour of Britain is set to visit the Cotswolds next month 

Stage six of the elite cycling Tour of Britain will be coming to Gloucestershire, road closures planned to allow the race to go ahead safely.

On Friday, 9 September, the 170.9km race will begin in front of St Mary’s Abbey Church on Church Street, in Tewkesbury, and head east into the Cotswolds before heading south.

The riders will then race north through the Stroud valleys before finishing on Southgate Street in Gloucester.

In addition to Tewkesbury and Gloucester, the riders will race through Winchcombe, Cirencester, Tetbury, Wotton-under-Edge, Dursley and Stroud.

Cllr David Gray, cabinet member responsible for the environment at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “The Tour of Britain will put the spotlight on Gloucestershire and showcase our fantastic county on the national and global stage.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the related road closures, but would encourage residents across the county to take the opportunity to watch as some of the world’s best cyclists race through our county.”

Residents are encouraged to cheer the riders on at the roadside as it passes by their doorstep. 

To minimise disruption to communities, most of the race will operate a rolling road closure, which means roads will only be closed for around 30 minutes while the race passes through.

The Tour of Britain comes to the county just months after the Women’s Tour raced from Tewkesbury to Gloucester, via the Forest of Dean.

The race will be broadcast live on ITV4 in the UK and around the world by Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network (GCN), with an hour-long highlights show on ITV4.

The race begins in Tewkesbury at 11am with events in the town before the start, and is estimated to finish in Gloucester at around 3pm.

More information on the Tour of Britain in Gloucestershire, including stage timetables for when the race will be in your area, can be found on the council’s website.