Tour of Britain 2024 stage could pass through South Yorkshire

Cyclists racing to the finish line in Beverley in 2023

Plans for the UK's biggest cycling race to pass through South Yorkshire have been proposed.

This year's Tour of Britain will start in Glasgow on 1 September and finish in London seven days later.

While the exact route has yet to be finalised, Barnsley Council has expressed an interest to host a stage of the race.

It said it would consider spending £130,000 on the plan, which would boost the area's "perception and reputation".

The Tour of Britain is a multi-day cycle race on the roads of Great Britain, first held in 1945 and is televised nationally and internationally, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Organisers said more details of the 20th edition would be revealed in coming weeks, but Barnsley Council was hoping to host a "significant part" of the stage should the race pass through South Yorkshire.

The proposed stage would start in Sheffield and see cyclists travel through Rotherham and Doncaster before finishing in Barnsley.

'Wonderful' landscape

Matt O'Neill, executive director for growth and sustainability, said: "Our intention in proposing this investment is to attract visitors to Barnsley and showcase our borough to a wide audience, as the event is televised internationally.

"The Barnsley Town Board includes representatives of businesses and other organisations across Barnsley, and they will discuss in detail all the benefits and potential impacts of the race before coming to a decision."

Mr O'Neill said the borough's "wonderful" landscape and key tourist attractions would be highlighted as part of the route and would, according to a council report, lead to "improved perception and reputation" of the area.

Last year, East Yorkshire played host to an entire stage of the Tour of Britain for the first time.

An earlier version of this article stated the Tour of Britain would pass through South Yorkshire, but Barnsley Council has since clarified this information had not been confirmed and was published in error.