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Tour of Britain 2024 Stages and Routes

The first details of the 20th edition of the modern race will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Following the cancellation of the 2021 edition owing to the death of Her Majesty The Queen, organisers SweetSpot will continue to work with the local authorities who were due to host stages to explore opportunities to host the race in the future.

One of the most highly anticipated professional cycling events in the United Kingdom is all set to kick off in the first week of September. The Tour of Britain is gearing up for its 2021 edition, which will also be the 14th edition since the reincarnation of the event with several changes in 2004. The cycling Tour of Britain route was unveiled back in February 2021 with the addition of a time trial stage. It now means that the Tour of Britain 2021 has nine stages compared to 8 in recent years. Even those eight Tour of Britain stages were a bump up from the five stages the event used to have in 2004.

The Surprising Route

Tour of Britain 2021 race director Mick Bennett unveiled the cycling Tour of Britain route in the hope of keeping up with the recent momentum of popularity gathered by the event. Several changes to the Tour of Britain stages over the last few years have made it more competitive and brought it to the levels of Tour de France or Vuelta a Espana. Attracting the best riders in the world to the United Kingdom is one of the sole objectives of this event.

George Square in Glasgow will form the location for the start of the 2021 edition. The nine Tour of Britain stages will see riders cover just over 1300 km from September 4 to September 11. This will certainly take its toll on the riders, but there is a consensus that the 2021 edition will be slightly easier than the 2015 edition. Furthermore, there is an opportunity for riders to make use of every Tour of Britain stage to prepare well for the upcoming World Championships in Qatar. This reason alone is expected to increase general interest amongst riders in the competition.

Tour of Britain 2021 – Challenging Parts

The upcoming competition brings a lot of aspects like challenging races and sprint finishes. These are aspects which will have a lot to do at the World Championships. Glasgow last played host to the start of the event back in 2008. It provides a sprint finish to the Castle Douglas since there is no prominent climbs along the way. Stage two goes through various sections of the enchanting Lake District, which may not offer anything out of the blue for experienced riders. The Lake District has been a standard fare of the Tour of Britain in recent years. Even though much of the route will be familiar, riders will have to be prepared for the climb from Ambleside towards the end of the stage.

Stage three at the Congleton marks the beginning of the tough stages. As expected, the stage four takes its toll since it is the longest. As the competition enters into the final stages, riders go through Wales and Bath before a time trial event near London. The final stage will be a replica of the final stage in 2015, which received a lot of rave reviews. Each stage is tough and this will be on the minds of punters when it comes to Tour of Britain bet online.

The growing popularity of the event has also resulted in a number of punters looking for good Tour of Britain bet online opportunities. These opportunities are presented because of the Tour of Britain 2021 odds, which are once again leaning towards the favourites like Alberto Contador. Even though it makes a lot of sense to make an early judgement, Tour of Britain 2021 odds at a later stage will provide a more accurate picture about the favourites for the title.

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Tour of Britain 2023 route map: Stages list, road closures, TV coverage and where to watch stage 2 today

Dutch rider olav kooij sprinted to victory in stage 1, ahead of his belgian jumbo-visma teammate wout van aert.

The 2023 Tour of Britain is taking place this week, with Wrexham in north Wales playing host to stage 2 on Monday.

It is the first time the tour has visited Wrexham in eight years, and will be the second shortest point-to-point road stage in tour history, beating only the finale of the 2006 race.

Dutch rider Olav Kooij sprinted a stage 1 victory on Sunday, ahead of his Belgian Jumbo-Visma teammate Wout van Aert.

Ireland’s Sam Bennett was third, with Britain’s Tom Pidcock, who is one of the main contenders for the title, finishing safely in 12th.

What is the Tour of Britain route today?

The 109.9km route both begins and ends in Wrexham. The route comprises a clockwise loop that passes across the border into Cheshire, before returning to Welsh soil after Threapwood.

Passing the famous Beeston Castle and the Peckforton Hills, the route heads back into Wales via Malpas, looping through Bangor-on-Dee and Ruabon before heading back into Wrexham for the thrilling sprint finish on Chester Street.

The finish is the same as that used when Wrexham last hosted the race in 2015, when Elia Viviani won a three-way sprint against André Greipel and Mark Cavendish in front of an estimated 10,000 spectators.

Here is the route breakdown, with approximate timings:

• Wrexham, Chester Street – 11.45am
• Llay – 12.06pm
• Gresford – 12.10pm
• Rossett – 12.15pm
• Holt – 12.25pm
• Malpas – 1.14pm
• Bangor-on-Dee – 1.30pm
• Penley – 1.52pm
• Overton – 2.00pm
• Eyton – 2.10pm
• Johnstown – 2.15pm
• Ruabon – 2.17pm
• Rhos – 2.24pm
• Wrexham, Chester Street – 2.37pm

You can find the full, detailed stage 2 timetable, including road closures, here .

Tour of Britain stage schedule Grand Depart  | Sunday 3 September | Greater Manchester: Altrincham > Manchester Stage 2  | Monday 4 September | Wrexham > Wrexham Stage 3  | Tuesday 5 September | Goole > Beverley Stage 4 | Wednesday 6 September | Sherwood Forest > Newark-on-Trent Stage 5  | Thursday 7 September | Felixstowe > Felixstowe Stage 6  | Friday 8 September | Southend-on-Sea > Harlow Stage 7  | Saturday 9 September | Tewkesbury > Gloucester Stage 8  | Sunday 10 September | Margam Country Park > Caerphilly

How can I watch the Tour of Britain?

ITV4 is broadcasting all eight stages of the 2023 Tour of Britain in their entirety. A one-hour highlights show will also be shown each evening.

ITV4 is available on Freeview (channel 25), Freesat (channel 117), Sky (channel 120), Virgin Media (channel 118) and the ITV X (online) in the UK.

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Tour of Britain 2023: Route details, startlist and jerseys guide

The Tour of Britain 2023 begins on Sunday September 3 - here's all you need to know

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After a truncated edition in 2022 due to police having to head off to administer the Queen's funeral, Britain's biggest race - the Tour of Britain - returns for (hopefully) a full run in 2023. 

It's a much more compact edition this year with the race taking place mostly in the middle of the country so if you're anywhere south of Manchester and north of Reading you have precious few excuses for not getting to the roadside to cheer on your favourite rider.

Among the riders set to light up the race are previous winner Wout van Aert and 2022 second place finisher Tom Pidcock , who'll hope to go one better in 2023.

Tour of Britain overview

Tour of britain 2023 route.

Stage 1,   Sunday 3 September

Route: Greater Manchester to Altrincham 

Today's route is near identical to the final stage of the 2019 tour, starting in Altrincham and travelling to Manchester in an anti-clockwise direction taking in the surrounding area’s undulating terrain, including the category two climb of Grains Bar (2.4km at 5.8%) and category one Ramsbottom Rake (1.3km at 8.8%). Those climbs might not sound like much, but together with a number of unclassified rises were enough to significantly reduce the peloton to just a few dozen riders after Ineos Grenadiers applied the pressure. 

The race did eventually culminate in a reduced bunch sprint won by Mathieu van der Poel, but not before we were entertained by a relentless flurry of attacks as teams struggled for control.

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Expect a similar type of rider to triumph today.

Stage 2, Monday 4 September

Route: Wrexham to Wrexham

At just 109.9km, this is a remarkably short stage by any standards, and as a result could witness some atypical racing. Shorter stages tend to produce more intense racing, with riders able to attack earlier on in the knowledge that they won't have to sustain their efforts for as long.

So although the route doesn’t offer many springboards to launch attacks, travelling westwards across the border and into Cheshire rather than eastwards towards the hills of the Clwydian Range to the west, expect riders to try their luck regardless.

Most important of all will be the Eyton Hill, the category three climb summited with just 18.5km left to ride. It’s close enough to the finish for attackers to fully commit themselves, but will the shallow gradients (averaging only around two and three percent) be enough to establish meaningful gaps?

Stage 3, Tuesday 5 September

Route: Goole to Beverley

Setting off from the small market town of Goole, the riders will head north-eastwards to Bridlington, from where they will travel southwards along the coast and then inland again for a finish in Beverley. For the residents of Beverley, this will be a chance to witness a stage finish after the minster town had previously hosted the beginning of Tour de Yorkshire stages in 2016 and 2018, the former won by Harry Tanfield from a successful break, the latter by Dylan Groenewegen in a sprint.

Much like the course of the town’s famous racecourse, the parcours today before arriving at Beverly is mostly flat, but there are a few potential obstacles to overcome if this is to be a sprint finish. The category three hills up Towthorpe Lane and Langtoft must both be climbed during the first of the stage, and after that comes a stretch of about 35km near the coastline which could, if the wind blows strong and in the right direction, cause echelons. But this should in theory be the most nailed-on stage for the sprinters so far.

Stage 4, Wednesday 6 September

Route: Sherwood Forest to Newark-on-Trent

After setting off from Edwinstone in Sherwood Forest, famous for its association with Robin Hood, the riders face the first to the day’s two category three climbs, Kilton Hill, just 15km into the stage. Then, after briefly crossing into Yorkshire and riding through Haworth, where a monument to Tom Simpsons can be found, they will travel southwards again to tackle the next climb, Red Hill Lane.

There’s a whole 85km between the top of Red Hill Lane and the finish, so plenty of time for the race to settle down for a bunch sprint.

Stage 5, Thursday 7 September

Route: Felixstowe to Felixstowe

Perhaps to make up for the lack of any difficult terrain, the organisers have rendered stage five less straightforward than it would otherwise have been by extending it to a total of 192.4km. That makes it by far the longest stage of the race, and could prevent this from being the predictable sprint stage it looks on paper.

Small undulations in the road that would otherwise have been passed over without a second though will sting the legs of the weaker riders, and being so close to the coast a crosswind could encourage a strong team to the front on any exposed roads.

Stage 6, Friday 8 September

Route: Southend-on-Sea to Harlow

Today’s stage is likely to be the last chance for the sprinters to compete for a stage win. And it should be about as nailed-on for them as any stage in the year’s race — there is only one official climb to be overcome, and it’s only a mild category three one tackled with 46km left between its summit and the finish for the peloton to bring back any optimistic attackers who try to use its shallow gradients to get away.

Stage 7, Saturday 9 September

Route: Tewkesbury to Gloucester

The organisers have made the most of the lumpy terrain of the Cotswolds to devise a route that should be selective, and one of the most important days in the GC race.

There is one climb up the category two Winchcombe Hill just 20km after the roll-out in Tewksbury, but the real action will be reserved for the final 30km. First the category two Crawley Hill, which features a nasty ramp at over 20%, then an uncategorized yet deceptively hard 3km rise to the village of Edge, which includes a similarly sharp ramp of 15%.

Stage 8, Sunday 10 September

Route: Margam Country Park to Caerphilly

The climbs to be taken on might not be especially different than those that have preceded them earlier in the week, but there is still a notable upgrade in terms of severity.

That’s clear when the race heads up to the outskirts of Bannau Brycheiniog (formerly Brecon Beacons) national park to take on the first two climbs of the day, Rhigos and Bryn Du, which have both been designated the maximum difficulty racing of category one.

And after a 35km south-easterly trek from the top of the latter comes a double-ascent of the day’s most important climb, and the one on which the entire fate of the Tour of Britain could be decided — Caerphilly Mountain.

In truth it’s more of a hill than a mountain, lasting just 1.3km, but that’s still enough road for its viscous average gradient of 10% to really sting and force a selection.

Tour of Britain startlist

Movistar Team 

DS Max Sciandri 

1 Gonzalo Serrano ESP

2 Will Barta USA

3 Imanol Erviti ESP

4 Max Kanter GER

5 Gregor Mühlberger AUT

6 Óscar Rodríguez ESP

INEOS Grenadiers 

DS Roger Hammond / Ian Stannard 

11 Tom Pidcock GBR

12 Carlos Rodriguez ESP

13 Luke Rowe GBR

14 Connor Swift GBR

15 Josh Tarling* GBR

16 Ben Turner GBR

Bingoal WB 

DS Alessandro Spezialetti 

21 Floris de Tier BEL

22 Johan Meens BEL

23 Davide Persico* ITA

24 Dimitri Peyskens BEL

25 Lennert Teugels BEL

26 Kenneth van Rooy BEL

Great Britain  

DS John Herety / Matt Brammeier 

31 Ethan Vernon GBR

32 Jack Brough* GBR

33 Josh Giddings* GBR

34 Noah Hobbs* GBR

35 Oliver Wood GBR

36 Stephen Williams GBR

BORA hansgrohe 

DS Jens Zemke / Heinrich Haussler 

41 Sam Bennett IRL

42 Patrick Gamper AUT

43 Nils Politt GER

44 Max Schachmann GER

45 Ide Schelling NED

46 Danny Van Poppel NED

Bolton Equities Black Spoke Cycling  

DS Franky Van Haesebroucke / Greg Henderson 

51 Jacob Scott GBR

52 Matt Bostock GBR

53 James Fouche NZL

54 James Oram NZL

55 Mark Stewart GBR

56 Rory Townsend IRL

Global 6 Cycling 

DS James Mitri / Luis Gerrado 

61 Nicolas Sessler BRA

62 Giacomo Ballabio ITA

63 Tomoya Koyama JPN

64 Ivan Moreno ESP

65 Callum Ormiston RSA

66 Tom Wirtgen LUX

Jumbo Visma 

DS Arthur van Dongen / Maarten Wynants 

71 Wout van Aert BEL

72 Edoardo Affini ITA

73 Steven Kruijswijk NED

74 Olav Kooij* NED

75 Jos van Emden NED

76 Nathan van Hooydonck BEL

Equipo Kern Pharma 

DS Pablo Urtasun 

81 Roger Adrià ESP

82 Igor Arrieta* ESP

83 Iñigo Elosegui ESP

84 José Félix Parra ESP

85 Ibon Ruiz ESP

86 Danny van der Tuuk NED

Saint Piran 

DS Steve Lampier / Julian Winn 

91 Alexander Richardson GBR

92 Harry Birchill* GBR

93 Finn Crockett GBR

94 Zeb Kyffin GBR

95 Jack Rootkin-Gray* GBR

96 Bradley Symonds GBR

Team dsm - firmenich 

DS Matt Winston 

101 Tobias Lund Arnesen DEN

102 Patrick Eddy* AUS

103 Enzo Leijnse* NED

104 Niklas Märkl GER

105 Tim Naberman NED

106 Casper van Uden* NED

Q36.5 Pro Cycling 

DS Aart Vierhouten / Rik Reinerink 

111 Mark Donovan GBR

112 Damian Howson AUS

113 Kamil Malecki POL

114 Nicolò Parisini ITA

115 Joey Rosskopf USA

116 Szymon Sajnok POL

TDT - Unibet 

DS Rob Harmeling / Julia Soek 

121 Harry Tanfield GBR

122 Joren Bloem NED

123 Davide Bomboi BEL

124 Jordy Bouts BEL

125 Abram Stockman BEL

126 Hartthijs de Vries NED

Team Flanders - Baloise 

DS Hans De Clerq / Andy Missotten 

131 Kamiel Bonneu BEL

132 Sander De Pestel BEL

133 Milan Fretin* BEL

134 Elias Maris BEL

135 Ward Vanhoof BEL

136 Aaron Verwilst BEL

Trinity Racing 

DS Peter Kennaugh / Jon Mould 

141 Luke Lamperti* USA

142 Robert Donaldson* GBR

143 Luksas Nerukar* GBR

144 Finlay Pickering* GBR

145 Ollie Reese* GBR

146 Max Walker* GBR

Uno-X Pro Cycling 

DS Gino van Oudenhove / Arne Gunnar Ensrud 

151 Alexander Kristoff NOR

152 Frederik Dversnes NOR

153 Tord Gudmestad* NOR

154 Tobias Halland Johannssen NOR

155 Ramus Tiller NOR

156 Martin Urianstad NOR

* Denotes eligibility for the young rider jersey as under-23 

TOUR of Britain PAST WINNERS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS

2012: Nathan Haas (Aus)

2013: Bradley Wiggins (GBr)

2014: Dylan van Baarle (Ned)

2015: Edvald Boasson Hgen (Nor)

2016: Steve cummings (GBr)

2017: Lars Boom (Ned)

2018: Julian Alaphilippe (Fra)

2019: Mathieu van der Poel (Ned)

2020: No race

2021: Wout van Aert (Bel)

2022: Gonzalo Serrano (Esp)

Tour of Britain jersey guide

Blue: GC leader jersey

The best overall rider in the race calculated by the cumulative time they take on each stage.

Green: cottages.com sprints jersey

The first 10 riders each day get points as follows: 25, 18, 12, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Intermediate sprint points are awarded to the first five riders on a 10, 7, 5, 3 ,1 basis.

Black: Pinarello KOM jersey

First-category climbs give the first 10 riders points in descending order from 10. Second-cat climbs work the same for the first six riders, the first getting six points, while third-cat climbs see the first rider get four points.

White: young rider's jersey

Awarded to the best placed GC rider who is also under-23.

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Stephen Puddicombe is a freelance journalist for Cycling Weekly , who regularly contributes to our World Tour racing coverage with race reports, news stories, interviews and features. Outside of cycling, he also enjoys writing about film and TV - but you won't find much of that content embedded into his CW articles. 

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Tour of Britain 2024

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Tour of Britain

• Dates 1 Sept - 8 Sept
• Race Length 0 kms
• Race Category Elite Men

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Latest News

1 Tour of Britain Women route revealed, with curtailed 2024 edition set to expand in coming years

2 Rod Ellingworth named as Tour of Britain race director

3 Four-day Tour of Britain Women appears on UCI calendar for 2024

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Tour of Britain 2023 Route stage 4: Sherwood Forest - Newark-on-Trent

The route is mostly undulating. Two sections are rendered KOM-worthy – Kilton Hill early in the race (500 metres at 4.4%) and Red Hill Lane (800 metres at 2.4%) around the midway marker. In between the two category 3 climbs the riders pass the Tom Simpson Memorial in Haworth.

There is still 85 kilometres of predominantly flat roads remaining after the top of Red Hill Lane. So, a bunch sprint is the most likely outcome on Victoria Street in Newark-on-Trent, close to the banks of the River Trent and the town’s castle with its enchanting gardens.

Is Fernando Gaviria going to triumph again? The Colombian sprinter powered to victory in Newark-on-Trent six years ago, besting Elia Viviani, Alexander Kristoff and Dylan Groenewegen in a close finish.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 4 .

Another interesting read: results 4th stage 2023 Tour of Britain.

Tour of Britain 2023 – stage 4: route, profile, more

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Tour of Britain

•   »  

Sprint | Cowbridge (46.6 km)

Points at finish, kom sprint (1) rhigos (97.5 km), kom sprint (1) bryn du (116.2 km), kom sprint (1) caerphilly mountain (154.4 km), kom sprint (1) caerphilly mountain (161.7 km), youth day classification, best british rider classification, team day classification, race information.

• Date: 10 September 2023
• Start time: 11:25 (12:25 CET)
• Avg. speed winner: 43.005 km/h
• Race category: ME - Men Elite
• Distance: 166.8 km
• Points scale: 2.PRO.Stage
• UCI scale: UCI.WR.Pro.Stage
• Parcours type:
• ProfileScore: 145
• Vert. meters: 2525
• Departure: Margam Country Park
• Arrival: Caerphilly
• Race ranking: 78
• Startlist quality score: 286
• Won how: 12.8 km solo
• Avg. temperature: 22 °C

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Routes revealed for opening stages of 2024 Tour of Britain Women

Today we can publish the routes for the opening two stages of the 2024 tour of britain women in wales, ahead of the grand départ in welshpool in just 34 days..

The opening stages will see the world’s top riders tackle some of Wales’ most iconic roads and climbs, with thousands expected to line the streets to welcome the race.

Stage 1: Welshpool – Llandudno (142.5km, 2,276m ascent)

Departing from Welshpool’s Broad Street in the heart of mid-Wales, the riders will face a formidably challenging opening stage, with 2,276m of climbing to endure. The stage will also feature one sprint and two Queen of the Mountains segments. 

Heading out through Berriew, the peloton will take in the challenging Llangynog climb at the 65km mark, known locally as the Berwyn Pass, which is 6km in length with an average gradient of 5.4%. 

The route also passes through the market towns of Llanfyllin and Bala, touching the shores of the expansive Llyn Tegid, before passing through the picturesque village of Cerrigydrudion.

A series of punchy climbs with 10km to go are likely to whittle down the bunch as it enters Llandudno, passing Conwy Castle before a spectacular finish on the promenade. 

The stage will start at 11:15, with riders expected to reach the finish in Llandudno at around 15:10.

Councillor David Selby, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys, said:

“It’s exciting that Powys has been chosen to host the Grand Départ from Welshpool for this year’s Tour of Britain Women. It will provide a great opportunity for both residents and visitors to watch some of the world’s top cyclists in action as they race through the north of the county and for us to showcase the beauty of our natural surroundings to a national and international audience.”

Councillor Aaron Wynne, Conwy’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said: 

“We’re thrilled that Conwy has been chosen to stage part of the first day of the Tour of Britain Women. Competitors will travel through our beautiful county, taking in iconic sights heading north for the stage finish in Llandudno. We can’t wait for the excitement of seeing these elite cyclists compete on our roads before sprinting for the line. Again, I’m proud that major events like this are coming to our county, supporting our economy, and showcasing us as a destination to the wider world.”

Download the PDF here

Stage 2: Wrexham – Wrexham (140.2km, 1,570m ascent)

The race’s second stage will start and finish on Chester Street in Wrexham’s city centre and will take in some of the breathtaking scenery in Denbighshire, West Cheshire and Chester, with a further one sprint and two Queen of the Mountains segments along the way.

The peloton will travel north out of Wrexham, crossing into West Cheshire after just 20km, where the route ramps up alongside the Peckforton Hill Range, part of the Mid-Cheshire Ridge. 

The route will then cross back into Wrexham, taking in the villages of Bangor-on-Dee and Overton, before the sprint will be decided in Johnstown. The race will then continue along a scenic stretch of the Llangollen Canal. 

Riders will have less climbing to contend with on this stage, however big crowds will be expected on the iconic Horseshoe Pass, which arrives at a pivotal point of the stage with around 30km to go.

The ensuing descent will set up a fast run-in to Wrexham for the stage finish to conclude the race’s journey in Wales, passing through Minera and Rhostyllen, before a short hop back over the border to Warrington for stage three.

Stage two will start at 11:15, with riders expected to return to Wrexham for the stage finish at approximately 15:15.

Councillor Nigel Williams, Lead member for Economy and Regeneration, Wrexham said: 

“I’m once again really pleased to see a nationally important event such as the Tour of Britain Women being hosted in Wrexham, giving people the opportunity to see elite cyclists in a major competition. 

“The race will give many the opportunity to witness and cheer on the cyclists, be that in the city centre for the start and end stages or as they pass through our communities. Please come to show your support and give them a warm Welsh welcome.”

Tour of Britain Race Director, Rod Ellingworth, said:

“Working with our partners we’ve been able to plot out two really challenging and entertaining stages in Wales to open the race, with some iconic climbs and opportunities for the sprinters too.

“We wanted the Tour of Britain Women to show off the very best of Britain’s roads and scenery, and having spent a lot of time out driving the routes I’m absolutely certain that we’ve delivered.

“Finalising the routes in such a short timeframe has been a huge challenge, and only made possible thanks to the support of colleagues in Welsh Government, Conwy County Borough Council, Powys County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council, who deserve enormous credit for the commitment to the race and women’s cycling more broadly.”

Media can now apply for accreditation for the Tour of Britain Women here .

Tour of Britain Women 2024:

• Stage 1 – Thursday 6 June 2024: Welshpool to Llandudno 
• Stage 2 – Friday 7 June 2024: Wrexham 
• Stage 3 – Saturday 8 June 2024: Warrington 
• Stage 4 – Sunday 9 June 2024: National Cycling Centre to Leigh, Greater Manchester 

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Routes revealed for opening stages of 2024 Tour of Britain Women

WREXHAM is set to host a stage of the 2024 Women's Tour of Britain. 

The prestigious cycling event will return to Wrexham after the men's tour was held in the Welsh city last summer. 

It has been confirmed that the women's event will have two stages in Wales next month and now the routes have been announced. 

The Grand Départ will take place in Welshpool on June 6 and the opening stages will see the world’s top riders tackle some of Wales’ most iconic roads and climbs, with thousands expected to line the streets to welcome the race.

Stage 2 of the event will involve a 140.2km ride starting and ending in Wrexham on June 7 . 

The race’s second stage will start and finish on Chester Street in Wrexham’s city centre and will take in some of the breath taking scenery in Denbighshire, West Cheshire and Chester, with a further one sprint and two Queen of the Mountains segments along the way.

The peloton will travel north out of Wrexham, crossing into West Cheshire after just 20km, where the route ramps up alongside the Peckforton Hill Range, part of the Mid-Cheshire Ridge.

The route will then cross back into Wrexham, taking in the villages of Bangor-on-Dee and Overton, before the sprint will be decided in Johnstown. The race will then continue along a scenic stretch of the Llangollen Canal.

Riders will have less climbing to contend with on this stage, however big crowds will be expected on the iconic Horseshoe Pass, which arrives at a pivotal point of the stage with around 30km to go.

The ensuing descent will set up a fast run-in to Wrexham for the stage finish to conclude the race’s journey in Wales, passing through Minera and Rhostyllen, before a short hop back over the border to Warrington for stage three.

Stage two will start at 11:15, with riders expected to return to Wrexham for the stage finish at approximately 15:15.

Councillor Nigel Williams, Lead member for Economy and Regeneration, Wrexham said: “I’m once again really pleased to see a nationally important event such as the Tour of Britain Women being hosted in Wrexham, giving people the opportunity to see elite cyclists in a major competition.

“The race will give many the opportunity to witness and cheer on the cyclists, be that in the city centre for the start and end stages or as they pass through our communities. Please come to show your support and give them a warm Welsh welcome.”

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Tour of Britain Race Director, Rod Ellingworth, said: “Working with our partners we’ve been able to plot out two really challenging and entertaining stages in Wales to open the race, with some iconic climbs and opportunities for the sprinters too.

“We wanted the Tour of Britain Women to show off the very best of Britain’s roads and scenery, and having spent a lot of time out driving the routes I’m absolutely certain that we’ve delivered.

“Finalising the routes in such a short timeframe has been a huge challenge, and only made possible thanks to the support of colleagues in Welsh Government, Conwy County Borough Council, Powys County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council, who deserve enormous credit for the commitment to the race and women’s cycling more broadly.”

Tour of Britain Women 2024:

• Stage 1 – Thursday 6 June 2024: Welshpool to Llandudno
• Stage 2 – Friday 7 June 2024: Wrexham
• Stage 3 – Saturday 8 June 2024: Warrington
• Stage 4 – Sunday 9 June 2024: National Cycling Centre to Leigh, Greater Manchester

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Local routes revealed for opening stages of 2024 Tour of Britain Women

The routes for the opening two stages of the 2024 Tour of Britain Women in Wales have been revealed, ahead of the Grand Départ in Welshpool next month.

The Tour of Britain Women is a women's cycle stage race held in England and Wales, as part of the UCI Women's World Tour.

The opening stages will see the world’s top riders tackle some of Wales’s most iconic roads and climbs, with thousands expected to line the streets to welcome the race.

Riders on the first stage will set off from Welshpool on Thursday, June 6.

Powys County councillor, David Selby, said: “It’s exciting that Powys has been chosen to host the Grand Départ from Welshpool for this year’s Tour of Britain Women.

"It will provide a great opportunity for both residents and visitors to watch some of the world’s top cyclists in action as they race through the north of the county and for us to showcase the beauty of our natural surroundings to a national and international audience.”

Stage two will take place the following day from Wrexham.

Wrexham councillor, Nigel Williams, said: “I’m once again really pleased to see a nationally important event such as the Tour of Britain Women being hosted in Wrexham, giving people the opportunity to see elite cyclists in a major competition.

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Madonna in Rio: Behind the Scenes of the Negotiation for One of the Biggest Shows in History

The pop icon will finish her Celebration Tour with a free concert at Copacabana Beach on May 4. This is how it came to be.

By Billboard Brasil

Billboard Brasil

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Imagine the scene: One of the greatest pop artists in history is in the middle of the Palais Garnier, the imposing house of the Paris Opera. Then, with her blue eyes fixed on the camera, she says an entirely off-script phrase: “ Brazil , I’m coming.”

How to Watch Madonna’s ‘Celebration in Rio’ Concert Online for Free

But back then, in November 2023, there was nothing certain, not even close, for Madonna to take her Celebration Tour to Brazil . On the contrary, it was rumored that this would be an almost impossible mission due to technical reasons.

Trending on Billboard

 It was up to the bank to pull strings to make it happen. But they were running out of time.

“The day after the shoot, we watched her show in Paris and realized that the structure would be complicated to adapt to a large crowd like the one we wanted. Because of this, Guy Oseary [the singer’s manager] poured cold water on us,” Smith says.

The following week, legendary businessman Luiz Oscar Niemeyer from Bonus Track, a “key player” in the process, appeared on the scene. Niemeyer is a pioneer in the international concert market in Brazil, responsible for Paul McCartney’s record attendance at Maracanã in 1993 (and for all of McCartney’s subsequent visits to Brazil) and the performance by The Rolling Stones on Copacabana Beach, among many other historic events.

So there were two players: the biggest bank in Latin America that already had a close relationship with Madonna, and an experienced producer used to dealing with the biggest names in showbiz. But destiny sometimes plays tricks.

“I had already tried to bring Madonna in 2006, without success, and I had already been talking to Live Nation, responsible for the Celebration Tour, but Madonna had that health problem last year, and the tour was postponed,” explains Niemeyer, or “LON” for those closest to him.

In mid-February (just over two months before the show date), negotiations intensified with Niemeyer back on track. “We became very close [to Niemeyer] and exchanged lots of info, like a task force to make this show possible, because Itaú had a contract with Madonna and Bonus Track, with Live Nation,” says Smith. “It was Saturday, Sunday, sometimes 3 am, and Luiz Oscar and I were in meetings with teams from outside Brazil.”

And the teams for everything related to Madonna, of course, are quite rigorous. “We have to deliver a show complying with the level of production that it presents around the world, naturally adapted for a much larger space. Only when we had the resizing of this structure, sponsorships, television broadcasting and technical issues approved was the deal finally closed,” explains Niemeyer, stressing that leaks about the show that took over the Internet in the weeks before the official announcement did not interfere in the negotiations.

According to him, from the beginning, the idea was that the show at Princesinha do Mar would close the Celebration Tour as “a great gift for Brazilian fans.” “It was a great choice – a Saturday, we have a holiday in the middle of the week, and more people can visit the city,” says Niemeyer.

–This article was written by Liv Brandão for Billboard Brasil

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Tour of Romandie win is career-best title for Carlos Rodriguez through rain-slicked final stage

The winner of the Tour de Romandie, Carlos Rodriguez, right, from Spain of team Ineos Grenadier, celebrates on the podium after the fifth and final stage, a 150,8 km race between Vernier and Vernier at the 77th Tour de Romandie UCI World Tour Cycling race, in Vernier near Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

The winner of the Tour de Romandie, Carlos Rodriguez, right, from Spain of team Ineos Grenadier, crosses the finish line of the fifth and final stage, a 150,8 km race between Vernier and Vernier at the 77th Tour de Romandie UCI World Tour Cycling race, in Vernier near Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

The winner of the stage, Dorian Godon from France of team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, crosses the finish line to win the fifth and final stage, a 150,8 km race between Vernier and Vernier at the 77th Tour de Romandie UCI World Tour Cycling race, in Vernier near Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

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VERNIER, Switzerland (AP) — Carlos Rodriguez protected his yellow jersey through a rain-soaked final stage Sunday to win the six-day Tour of Romandie for the biggest race victory of his career.

Four previous winners in the French-speaking region of Switzerland went on to win that season’s Tour de France, including Chris Froome in 2013. Rodriguez placed fifth in cycling’s marquee event last year and won a stage.

Rodriguez started Sunday’s flat stage that looped round the suburbs of Geneva — won in a sprint finish by Dorian Godon — with a seven-second lead he took by placing third in a mountain stage Saturday.

The 23-year-old Ineos Grenadiers rider kept that winning margin over runner-up Aleksandr Vlasov, the 2022 Romandie winner. Third-placed Florian Lipowitz was third, trailing Rodriquez by nine seconds.

Godon sealed his second stage win this week, edging Simone Consonni with Dion Smith third.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Tour of Britain 2022 Preview - A hilly profile for home favourite Pidcock

Day one summit finish could prove to be GC decider, with mix of sprints and hills throughout the week

The 18th edition of the modern Tour of Britain kicks off with its northernmost start on Sunday, with 108 riders setting off from Aberdeen ahead of eight stages that will culminate in a first-ever visit to the Isle of Wight.

There's no time trial at this year's race but an opening day summit finish, as well as several hilly stages including the final day, look set to determine the destination of the new-look leader's jersey.

Chief among the contenders for that red jersey will be Ineos Grenadiers, the home team who boast what is on paper easily the strongest squad at this year's race. The Tour of Britain marks the final race of Richie Porte 's career. The 37-year-old, who has Paris-Nice, the Tour de Suisse, and the Critérium du Dauphiné among his career palmarès, is part of a powerful lineup this week.

Tom Pidcock will lead the British team. The 23-year-old, who won on L'Alpe d'Huez at the Tour de France, is among the major favourites for the overall win at the race. As well as Porte, he'll be able to rely on Amstel Gold Race winner Michał Kwiatkowski and Brabantse Pijl winner Magnus Sheffield in his bid for glory.

The other major name in contention for the red jersey is Israel-Premier Tech newcomer Dylan Teuns , who undertakes his first stage race for the team since his mid-season transfer. The Belgian, who won Le Flèche Wallonne this spring, has three race days under his belt since the August 5 move.

Having won the Tour de Pologne, Tour de Wallonie, and Arctic Race of Norway in the past, Teuns is well-suited to this style of race and will be a major contender for the win. Climber Michael Woods is also on the ISN team following his early Vuelta a España abandon, with the duo set to make a formidable pairing as the team searches for valuable UCI points.

Bora-Hansgrohe are the next of the five WorldTour teams lining up at the race. 2019 Tour of Turkey winner Felix Großschartner lines up as the leader at the German squad, the pair also among the favourites for overall glory on the Isle of Man.

Shane Archbold, Jordi Meeus, and Marco Haller will spearhead the team's lead-out train, while Nils Politt is another option to contest for stage victories.

At Team DSM, sprinter Cees Bol will be looking to add to his five-win haul during his time at the squad, which is set to come to a close with him moving on for 2023. The 27-year-old is among the strongest sprinters on the start list and will be confident of a victory, while Chris Hamilton is an option on the hilly stages among a young squad.

Movistar, meanwhile, come equipped with the versatile Matteo Jorgenson , who finished fourth at the Tour de la Provence and was a breakaway staple at the Tour de France. He and Oscar Rodríguez will lead the team's charge as they seek a UCI points haul to stave off the relegation threat.

Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè will be led by the highly rated Filippo Zana, who moves to BikeExchange-Jayco next year, while Sacha Modolo is their man for the sprints. Uno-X have young duo Anthon Charmig and Anders Halland Johannessen to rely on for an overall bid. Trinity Racing, meanwhile, will be led by Thomas Gloag , the young British climber soon to turn pro with Jumbo-Visma.

Walls, Bol, and Modolo are among the top sprinters at the race, look out too for Jake Stewart (Great Britain), Kenneth Van Rooy (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), and Eduard Prades (Caja Rural-Seguros SGA) in the bid for the blue points jersey.

With red and blue taken, those hoping to compete for the mountain classification will be taking aim at green, while the white intermediate sprint jersey is something extra for the breakaway men to fight for.

Those riders and the rest of the peloton will be doing battle on a varied terrain over the next week, starting with the queen stage of the race in a bold move from the organisers. The opener, 181.3km from 2021 finish host Aberdeen to the Glenshee Ski Centre, will take in three smaller hills before a long drag towards the final climb.

There, the GC hopefuls should do battle on the 8.3km, 3.1% slopes. The toughest test of the day, though, and likely the best place to watch the riders suffer, is the Suie Hill climb at 82.5km. The peloton will be taking on double-digit gradients on the 1.9km, 8.6% hill.

Stage 2 brings more hills, with a cluster of them coming towards the end of the 175.2km run from Hawick to Duns in the Scottish Borders. The day will be marked by rolling roads for the most part, before packing three third-category climbs into the final 25km, the last of which comes just 6km from the line. A day for punchy sprinters and the hilly specialists.

The next day brings the peloton into England for the first time as the race loops around the north-east from Durham to Sunderland. The first-category climb of Chapel Fell (4.1km at 7.8%) is the biggest challenge of the day, but the 163.6km stage is set to be one for the sprinters with a rolling run to the line.

Stage 4 moves further down the North Sea coast as the peloton heads 149.5km from Redcar to Duncombe Park. Despite two first-category climbs along the way – including the Robin Hood's Bay climb lifted from the Tour de Yorkshire – before a downhill run over the last 10km which could suit any late attackers who jump away on the road to the late final intermediate sprint of the day.

The race's fifth stage to Mansfield is set to play host to another sprint finish, with just two third-category climbs dotted along the route of the 186.8km stage. Once again, there are some small lumps and rises in the final kilometres, but not enough to provoke any race-altering attacks.

The peloton races around the south-west of England on stage 6 as they head 170.9km from Tewkesbury to Gloucester. Three small classified climbs are placed throughout the stage but none are close enough to the finish to launch any major attacks. One unclassified 2.2km, 5.7% climb lies 10km from the line, though, which is a chance for someone to disrupt the sprinters.

It's another day, another sprint on stage 7. The race to Ferndown near Bournemouth on the south coast. Again, there are three classified climbs on the route, but none look set to affect the finish, which features the flattest run-in of the race ahead of an uphill dash to the line.

As the race started with a summit finish, it's only right that it concludes with another uphill test. Though not as tough as the Glenshee Ski Centre climb, there are some harsh double-digit gradients on the 400-metre uphill run to The Needles on the Isle of Wight.

The 148.9km stage on the historic first visit to the island criss-crosses all over the Isle of Wight and brings two first-category and two second-category hills (including the finish) as the race draws to a close. The mountain classification could be decided on this final day and, if the GC race is close, that could be settled on the challenging finish at The Needles, too.

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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Prior to joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.

Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.

As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Dani also oversees How to Watch guides and works on The Leadout newsletter throughout the season. Their favourite races are Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix and their favourite published article is from the 2024 edition of the latter: 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix

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At a Taylor Swift Concert? Time to Propose.

At the Eras tour, love takes center stage as couples orchestrate their own declarations of commitment against the backdrop of the star’s grand performances.

By Madison Malone Kircher

Madison Malone Kircher witnessed a proposal on Night 6 of the Eras Tour in Los Angeles. It made her cry just a little bit.

The twangy guitar picking begins and the crowd cheers. It’s time for “Love Story,” the ninth song on Taylor Swift’s Eras tour set list. Onstage, Ms. Swift strums her guitar and sings a modified Romeo and Juliet story, one with a happy ending that closes with Romeo on bended knee and Juliet picking out a wedding dress.

It’s a Swift classic that has taken on a new and literal meaning during the Eras tour, where some fans have used the musical moment to underscore their own love stories with meticulously planned marriage proposals right there in the stadium while Ms. Swift performs.

Megan Voo and Justin Chong are two such fans. The couple, who live in Melbourne, Australia, and met as architecture students at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2017, got engaged during one of Ms. Swift’s shows in their hometown earlier this year.

Ms. Voo, 26, was in complete shock when Mr. Chong, also 26, popped the question in February, mostly because she had no idea he was even at the concert in the first place. Ms. Voo attended with her sister, but, unbeknown to her, Mr. Chong had purchased a nearby seat to surprise her. (Ms. Voo’s sister was also in on the plan.)

Mr. Chong got to the concert early and made the people seated around him aware of his plan. They helped form a human shield to keep him hidden from Ms. Voo. When the moment came, they kindly stepped out of the way so he could make his way to Ms. Voo’s seat.

“When I dropped down and said, ‘Will you marry me?’ the first thing she said was ‘how did you get a ticket?,’” Mr. Chong said. He wore a ruffled shirt as a nod to the outfit Romeo wears in the “Love Story” music video and proposed with a ring from his mother.

And while the couple didn’t capture Ms. Swift’s attention, a number of nearby attendees filmed the proposal and several shared it on social media where it quickly went viral . “My friend congratulated us, saying ‘I saw your video.’ We hadn’t even announced! This was maybe two hours after the concert,” Ms. Voo said.

After the proposal, Mr. Chong didn’t return to his original seat. “I did ask everyone else. I said, ‘is it OK if I stay here with my fiancée?’” Everyone was standing for most of the show anyway, he added.

Brittany Litzenberger, 27, had a slight suspicion her boyfriend of nearly two years, Sloan Thomas, might propose at the Eras tour. While making friendship bracelets — Swifties trade them during shows — at a party at a friend’s apartment before the concert, she saw Mr. Thomas sneakily hand one off to her best friend who would be attending the show with them.

“He had sent me a few videos of people getting engaged at Eras and I was like, ‘oh, that’s so sweet. That would be like my dream,’” Ms. Litzenberger, a behavioral technician who lives in Kansas City, Mo, said.

Last July at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Ms. Litzenberger wore a purple sequined dress, which turned out to be the perfect outfit for what was about to happen.

@sloanthomas I asked my amazing girlfriend to marry me this weekend @Taylor Swift concert in kc #erastour #taylorswift #enchanted #erastourtaylorswift #speaknowtaylorsversion ♬ original sound - Sloan Thomas

“Love Story” came and went without Mr. Thomas proposing. But a few songs later, during Ms. Swift’s “Speak Now” set, the proposal happened . Ms. Swift took the stage in a purple dress and began to play “Enchanted,” a love song about meeting someone for the very first time. Around the first chorus, Mr. Thomas tapped Ms. Litzenberger on the shoulder and handed her the mysterious friendship bracelet.

Mr. Thomas’ song choice was particularly meaningful, Ms. Litzenberger said. “After our first date, I got in my car and plugged in my Spotify and shuffled my Taylor and ‘Enchanted’ played,” she said.

“The friendship bracelet that he gave me said, ‘marry me,’” Ms. Litzenberger said. “Then I turn around and he’s down. He got a purple ring box. She was singing in the background, the chorus, which was just perfect timing. Everybody around me is screaming. I’m crying.”

She had a hard time focusing on the next few songs, she said. “But in a good way, you know, it made everything really exciting.” (Ms. Litzenberger’s friend who hosted the bracelet making party also got engaged during the concert.)

Carmen Castillo also said she could not remember the song that played after her now-fiancé, Vernon Chamorro, proposed during “Love Story.”

@car_swiftness13 💍🫶🏼I got my love story moment at my first Taylor Swift concert. I almost died in the process….too many emotions. Her right there, him on one knee❤️ @Taylor Swift @Taylor Nation #tstheerastourtampa #tstheerastour #fyp #tampa #proposals #taylorswift ♬ original sound - Carmen’s Version 🦋🪩🌌

“He later told me he was afraid to propose at the Eras tour because he was afraid I was going to die of a heart attack because of all the emotions and excitement,” she said. The couple, who live in Barcelona, Spain, traveled to Tampa, Fla., in April 2023 to see Ms. Swift perform.

Ms. Castillo and Mr. Chamorro, who have been together for six years, have set a wedding date for Dec. 14 in Ms. Castillo’s home country of Nicaragua.

“I wanted it to be the 13, but that’s a Friday,” Ms. Castillo said, referencing Taylor Swift’s birthday.

Madison Malone Kircher is a Times reporter covering internet culture. More about Madison Malone Kircher

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Keeping Friendships Intact: The soon-to-be-married couple and their closest friends might experience stress and even tension leading up to their nuptials. Here’s how to avoid a friendship breakup .

‘Edible Haute Couture’: Bastien Blanc-Tailleur, a luxury cake designer based in Paris, creates opulent confections for high-profile clients , including European royalty and American socialites.

Reinventing a Mexican Tradition: Mariachi, a soundtrack for celebration in Mexico, offers a way for couples to honor their heritage  at their weddings.

Something Thrifted: Focused on recycled clothing , some brides are finding their wedding attire on vintage sites and at resale stores.

Brand Your Love Story: Some couples are going above and beyond to personalize their weddings, with bespoke party favors and custom experiences for guests .

Going to Great Lengths : Mega wedding cakes are momentous for reasons beyond their size — they are part of an emerging trend of extremely long cakes .