The locations of the SKODA King of the Mountains and sprint points for this year’s Isle of Wight stage of the Tour of Britain, the UK’s most prestigious cycle race, have now been revealed.
Riders will contest three intermediate Sprints at Sandown (on Culver Parade opposite the beach), Yarmouth (on Bouldnor Road approaching the viewing point car park), and Cowes (along the sea front on Queen’s Road).
Mountain climbs
For the first time the Tour of Britain will finish with an uphill finish and a categorised SKODA King of the Mountain climb, with the two-kilometre climb – the final 400 metres of which feature an average gradient of 9.6 per cent – up to the National Trust’s Needles Battery on Tennyson Down rounding out the week.
Three other SKODA King of the Mountains climbs will come at Brading Down above Sandown, Cowleaze Hill after Shanklin, and the famous Zig Zag Road in Ventnor.
See the interactive map below.
Jones-Evans: A great opportunity for us to showcase the Island and our beautiful scenery
Cllr Julie Jones-Evans, Cabinet member for regeneration, business development and tourism at Isle of Wight Council, said,
“This year’s Tour of Britain will be a great opportunity for us to showcase the Island and our beautiful scenery while at the same time providing a stern test for the riders in what will be a challenging stage.
“A particular highlight will be the steep spiralling hills in and out of Ventnor. Fast hair pin declines down to the beach and almost vertical corkscrew climbs back out of the town, often with gradients of 25%, will see riders tested to their very limits and provide captivating viewing.
“The race will culminate with a two-kilometre climb up to Tennyson Down, the final 400 metres of which average a gradient of 9.6%, making it the toughest ending to any Tour of Britain in modern history.
“There are still fantastic opportunities for partners to get involved in the event, so why not join us and be a part of what will be an unforgettable weekend and a fantastic celebration of cycling!”
Myles: This thrilling finale is one not to be missed
Will Myles, MD at Visit Isle of Wight, said,
“After a week of racing in the Tour of Britain cycle race, we are looking forward to what will be a spectacular climax on the Isle of Wight.
“As well as gentle valleys and stunning coastline routes, the Isle of Wight has some incredibly challenging hills, where teams will be working hard for the extra points in the SKODA King of the Mountains at Brading Down, Cowleaze Hill near Luccombe, Zig Zag Road at Ventnor and the impressive final stretch of the day’s racing to the National Trust’s Needles Battery.
“Coupled with the sprint points at Sandown, Cowes and Yarmouth, this thrilling finale to the Tour of Britain is sure to be one not to be missed and we look forward to welcoming cycling fans to the Isle of Wight in September.”
As well as serving as popular viewing locations for spectators, the points on offer at each location go towards determining the outcome of the hotly-contested SKODA King of the Mountains (KoM) and sprint jerseys.
Alongside the additional route information timings for the Isle of Wight stage have also been confirmed, with stage eight due to start from Ryde Esplanade at 11am on Sunday 11th September.
The 148-kilometre (92-mile) stage is expected to take riders around four hours to complete with the finish at The Needles scheduled for between 2.26pm and 3.08pm
Watch in ITV4
ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage and nightly highlights show, allowing fans in the UK to watch wherever they are.
The race will also be shown in over 150 countries worldwide, thanks to the event’s partnerships with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network.
Image: © SWpix
