Route

The Tour of Britain begins in the North West of England for the first time since its inaugural event in 2004, when The Tour opened with a stage beginning and ending in Manchester. This year’s opening stage of The Tour features roads and climbs that have featured in countless cycle races over the years, with the highlight being the central section of the stage that takes the peloton through the Forest of Bowland and over the climbs of Trough of Bowland and Westfield Towers, before the fast run in to the finish on Blackpool Promenade.

2010 sees cyclists depart from Rochdale Town Centre and immediately begin heading uphill through Norden and past the Ashworth Moor Reservoir to Edenfield.

The Tour of Britain’s first King of the Mountains climbs comes after just over 22 kilometres as the road climbs up from Waterfoot to Deerplay Moor in the Forest of Rossendale, an ancient designation since the area is now open and unwooded moorland.

After descending to Padiham and crossing the River Calder the stage skirts the foot of Pendle Hill, notorious for the story of the Pendle witches, and crosses the Ribble Valley, bisecting the route of last year’s North West stage of The Tour of Britain near Great Mitton.

This is where the day’s serious climbing will begin as The Tour enters the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, passing through Dunsop Bridge, close to the geographical centre of Great Britain and home to BT’s 100,000th payphone in 1992!

A narrow, steep-sided valley then takes the race to the foot of the King of the Mountains climb of Trough of Bowland, popular amongst cyclists from across the region and sure to attract a large crowd when the race passes through just after 12’o’clock on Saturday 11th September.

Once over the climb riders are straight into the day’s final King of the Mountains at Westfield Towers. If the weather’s good riders and spectators will be able to see Blackpool Tower away to their left, indicating the final destination of the stage.

Descending off the Lancashire Fells, The Tour heads out towards the Fylde Coast, with Sprints coming in quick succession at Cockherham and Stalmine as the race nears Blackpool. These Sprints will help decide the destination of the first Sprints jersey of the 2010 Tour, so action is sure to be fast-paced at both locations.

From Stalmine the route loops round to the south of Blackpool to bring The Tour in from the south, as in 2009, heading along Squires Gate Lane to reach the seafront, before turning right for the long straight final two kilometres past the world-famous Pleasure Beach to the finish line.

A firm fixture on the route of The Tour of Britain since its rebirth in 2004, Stage One will be Blackpool’s third Tour stage finish. In 2005 Roger Hammond won, while last year Edvald Boasson Hagen added his name to the list of people to have taken the honours on Blackpool Promenade.

This year’s finish will also see the first yellow jersey of the 2010 Tour crowned, so be sure to stick around for the podium presentations, around ten minutes after the stage finish.

(All timings approximate)