Men's Tour of Britain race held in county for first time

Cyclists battle to get in front at a previous Tour of Britain

For the first time, Northamptonshire will host part of the 2024 Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men's cycling competition.

Stage five will take place on 7 September starting from the University of Northampton and finishing with a sprint into the town centre by the Guildhall.

The rest of the 91-mile route will see riders cycle through Daventry and nearly 30 villages.

Daniel Lister, cabinet member for local economy, culture and leisure at West Northamptonshire Council, said he was "incredibly excited" and that the event would "showcase [Northamptonshire] to a global audience."

West Northamptonshire Council wanted the event to "bring the community together"

Relaunched in 2004, the event is held annually across six stages in September.

While it is the first time the men’s tour has come to Northampton, the town hosted the first-ever stage finish of the women’s tour in May 2014, and Daventry has twice hosted the women’s race, in 2017 and 2018.

During this year's race, the men's route will go through Daventry, followed by a loop south of the town through villages including Abthorpe, Wappenham, and Helmdon.

Cyclists will then go through Culworth, Byfield and Hellidon, before looping around Northampton via Watford, West Haddon, Naseby, Kelmarsh and Brixworth for the approach to the finish via Sywell and Ecton.

'Always exciting'

Race director Rod Ellingworth said because the majority of participants would be "unfamiliar with the roads", the race through the county would be "always exciting".

The race begins in the Scottish Borders on 3 September followed by stages in the Tees Valley, South Yorkshire and East Midlands.

Following the West Northamptonshire stage, the race concludes in Suffolk on 8 September.