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Tour Of Britain's Isle Of Wight Route Revealed

The Isle of Wight's leg of this year's Tour of Britain will be "the toughest ending" to the event in modern history, organisers say.

Riders are being welcomed to the Island for the conclusion of the cycling event on September 11.

Stage eight will see riders start in Ryde before embarking on a 150-kilometre route to The Needles.

Not only will the route showcase the Island to a worldwide TV audience, fans will be able to catch the race in multiple locations owing to the way it loops around the Island.

Among the towns featuring will be Newport, as well as Cowes, Sandown, Shanklin, Totland, Ventnor and Yarmouth.

The final 20 kilometres will take the peloton along the stunning Military Road, which offers stunning panoramic views out across the English Channel, towards The Needles Landmark Attraction.

This year’s race culminates 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.

Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: 

“As promised when we unveiled the Tour of Britain’s host regions in February, this year’s race features a number of surprises, none more so than hill-top finishes to start and end the eight days of world-class competition.

"Creating a route that encourages aggressive racing and brave tactics from day one will enhance the reputation of the race, leave the one million plus spectators watching on in person for free with long-lasting memories, showcase the stunning beauty of our host venues, and repeatedly entertain a worldwide audience. 

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.

This year’s Tour of Britain will comprise the following stages: 

Stage one       Sunday 4 September              Aberdeen to Glenshee Ski Centre

Stage two       Monday 5 September             Hawick to Duns

Stage three    Tuesday 6 September            Durham to Sunderland

Stage four      Wednesday 7 September       Redcar to Duncombe Park, Helmsley

Stage five       Thursday 8 September           West Bridgford to Mansfield

Stage six        Friday 9 September                Tewkesbury to Gloucester

Stage seven   Saturday 10 September          West Bay to Ferndown

Stage eight    Sunday 11 September            Ryde to The Needles

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