Wrexham will welcome the return of the UK’s most prestigious cycle race, the Tour of Britain, for the first time in eight years this September.
Over 100 of the world’s best riders will be heading to the city, which has been confirmed as the finish location of stage two on Monday 4 September.
Wrexham last featured in the Tour when it co-hosted the race’s Grand Départ in 2015. Italian sprinter and former European champion Elia Viviani sprinted to victory that day, ahead of home favourite Mark Cavendish, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 spectators.
More recently, the city hosted a stage start of the Women’s Tour, the Tour of Britain’s sister event, last June.
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Since its return in 2004, the Tour of Britain has become a cornerstone of the UK sporting calendar. Over 15 million people have watched the event in person, with the race generating over £330m for the UK economy to date.
Full details of stage two – including the start location, route and timetable – will be announced in due course.
Councillor Nigel Williams, Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Economy, said: “Hosting the stage two finish of the Tour of Britain will once again put the spotlight on the county borough, and will add to the incredible excitement and buzz about Wrexham at the moment.
“We’re Wales’ newest city, we have an amazing football club, we’re making friends and attracting visitors from all over the world – and now we’ve been named as a key location in the one of the most prestigious sporting events in world cycling.
“It doesn’t get better than that, and the event will bring huge benefits to the local economy – helping to raise Wrexham’s profile as a location for exciting events, and increasing footfall into the city centre.
“This is fantastic news for Wrexham.”
Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Wrexham back to the Tour of Britain after a seven-year absence. The city is definitely getting used to having the eyes of the sporting world on it now, so we’re hopeful that people will once again line the streets in their thousands for what promises to be a fast and thrilling race to the finish on Monday 4 September!
“Having worked with Wrexham last year to deliver a fine stage of the Women’s Tour cycle race in the city, I’m thrilled that we’re able to team up once again in 2023 and help create more lasting memories for local people.”
The Tour of Britain 2023 will begin in Greater Manchester on Sunday 3 September and culminate eight stages later in South Wales (Sunday 10 September). Along the way the riders will race through East Riding of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Essex, creating an unforgettable sporting spectacle that is free for all to watch.
More details of this year’s race, including full stage routes and competing teams, will be announced in the coming weeks.
ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a nightly highlights show, allowing fans in the UK to watch the action unfold wherever they are.
