Exact route cyclists will take through Essex for Tour of Britain 2023
A popular cycling event will return to the streets of Essex this autumn as the Tour of Britain heads along the coast before darting through the centre of the county. Some of the world's best cyclists will race across Essex when the tour visits Southend for the first time.
This year's tour begins in Greater Manchester on September 3 and will conclude eight stages later in South Wales on September 10. Along the way, riders will race through Wrexham, East Riding, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk.
Stage six of the tour will begin on Western Esplanade in Southend (11:45am) before heading towards Rochford (12:10), Battlesbridge (12:30), Ingatestone (14:18), North Weald Bassett (14:47) and Broadley Common (15:03). It will conclude on Third Avenue in Harlow at around 15:07.
A rolling road closure will be enforced on each of the stages. This means roads on and around the race route will be closed to traffic for a short period in which it takes the race to pass by – usually about 10 to 15 minutes around the estimated time of arrival and indicated by police escort vehicles.
The route will also be marked with yellow advanced warning signs, prohibiting people from parking on the route on the day. If required, vehicles might have to be removed.
Organisers expect more than one million people to line the entire route of the tour as it travels across the UK. Whilst Southend has not hosted the Tour of Britain before, its connection with cycling is well-established having hosted stages of the Milk Race in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s - a stage of the Women's Tour also ran from Shoeburyness to Southend in 2021.
Councillor Daniel Nelson (Cons.), Southend-on-Sea City Council cabinet member for economic growth and investment, said: "I am delighted to announce that once again Southend-on-Sea will welcome world-class cycling[2], having hosted stage four of the Women’s Tour in 2021. The Tour of Britain is a prestigious event and will bring over 100 of the world’s best cyclists here to our city.
"The Woman’s Tour was a massive boost to our city’s local economy with an increase in bookings for local hotels and restaurants and look forward to a similar economic uplift with the men’s Tour. We cannot wait to welcome the riders to the city as part of this fantastic event that we hope will encourage a new generation of cyclists in the area."
Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: "We are delighted to be building upon our relationship with Southend-on-Sea City Council by bringing the men’s Tour of Britain to Essex for the first time since 2017.
"We look forward to the crowds turning out on a Friday morning to see the world’s top cyclists in Southend-on-Sea, which, in the year that the great Southend Wheelers turn 100, is a fitting tribute to the club and city."
References
- ^ Leigh-on-Sea mum of 3 who could only afford toast for dinner now runs website to help families through cost of living crisis (www.essexlive.news)
- ^ Southend-on-Sea will welcome world-class cycling (www.essexlive.news)