Southend to make bid to host Tour de France stage

Lorena Wiebes won stage four of the Women's Tour of Britain after an uphill sprint finish in Southend

The Tour de France cycle race could be seen in south Essex as a borough looks to host more major sporting events.

Southend Borough Council is working with Rochford and Southend East MP James Duddridge to make a government bid to host it in the soon-to-be city.

Together with parts of Rochford, it hosted the fourth stage of the Women's Tour cycling race in October.

Councillor Dan Nelson said it had "proved to itself" it could hold major cycling events.

If the bid for the 2026 Grand Depart is successful, it would be the second time the Tour de France has appeared in the county after it welcomed some of the world's best cyclists in July 2014, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The route of stage three of the 2014 Tour de France, from Cambridge to London, passed through Saffron Walden, Rayne near Braintree, Chelmsford and Epping Forest.

Finchingfield welcomed stage three of the 101st Tour de France in July 2014

The Conservative councillor for Southchurch ward, Mr Nelson, said: "The government announced that it will be putting money towards bidding for more major events in the UK, including a fund to get the Tour de France to the UK.

"I'm of the view Southend proved to itself that we can hold major cycling events, and I am pleased to say that James Duddridge agrees with me and has written to the secretary of state asking them and making sure that Southend is a part of that bid, and I'm hopeful that we will be successful."

Mr Duddridge said Southend "should be looking to host even more world-class events which promote healthy lifestyles and exercise, but also bring investment and tourism to our new city".

He said he fully supported Mr Nelson's vision and had written to culture secretary Nadine Dorries to "ask that our city is included in the bid".

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