Tour of Britain: 2023 edition to finish in Wales as part of four-year deal
- Published
Wales hosted two stages of the 2022 Women's Tour of Britain, including a Black Mountain stage finish won by Elisa Longo Borghini
The 2023 men's Tour of Britain will finish in Wales as part of a four-year deal between the organisers and the Welsh government.
The agreement will also see the 2025 men's race start in Wales, while it will also host the Women's Tour opening stage in 2024 and its finale in 2026.
The Tour of Britain is the UK's biggest professional cycle race.
Welsh Cycling chief executive Anne Adams-King hopes the deal will increase the popularity of the sport in Wales.
"It's great news that the Tour of Britain will visit Wales again for 2023 and that the race and the Women's Tour have secured a longer-term partnership with Welsh government," said Adams-King, who will be succeeded as chief executive by Caroline Spanton in January.
"We hope this news will help boost the popularity of cycling in Wales and help inspire the younger generation to take up their bikes."
Two of six stages on the 2002 Women's Tour took place in Wales, which previously hosted the race finale in 2019.
Since the men's Tour of Britain returned to the cycling calendar in 2004, a total of 15 stages have taken place in Wales.
In that time the two events have visited 18 of the 22 local authority regions in the country, which organisers Sweetspot said had generated an impact to the Welsh economy running into tens of millions of pounds.
Welsh government economy minister Vaughan Gething said: "We're looking forward to welcoming the Tour of Britain back again next year - and to our longer-term partnership with the Tour.
"Wales' credentials for hosting cycling events are now well-established. The Tour of Britain and Women's Tour are the perfect showcase for our landscape and the welcome we provide to the competitors and spectators, and we look forward to working with our local authority partners as the Tour of Britain continues to reach all points of Wales."
The 2023 edition of the race will get under way on Sunday, 10 September with details of the Welsh opening stage set to be announced early in the new year.