Get set to welcome cycling’s elite

PEOPLE living in southern Oxfordshire will get a rare chance to see some of the world’s best cyclists, including Sir Bradley Wiggins, on their doorstep when the Friends Life Tour of Britain passes through the area.

Wiggins and Cavendish pictured during this year’s Tour of California – Image courtesy of cyclingweekly.co.uk

On September 12, the sixth stage of the tour will enter Oxfordshire near Wantage and head through Blewbury, where there will be a mid-stage YodelDirect Sprint, and then on to a category two, King of the Mountains climb at Chinnor Hill.

Due to take part in the tour this year are Team Sky, being led by Wiggins as the former Tour de France winner aims to retain his crown, and the Great Britain National Team alongside many of the world’s top teams including BMC Racing and the world No.1 squad Movistar Team.

Also confirmed, just this Monday, is World-class sprinter, Mark Cavendish who will ride in this year’s Tour of Britain for the Omega Pharma-QuickStep team. He is making a comeback after crashing out of the Tour de France back in July on the opening stage, resulting in surgery for a shoulder injury.

Communities along  the route are being to encouraged to come out and see the event, and come up with their own ideas to mark the occasion.

The race will be covered  live by ITV4 and British Eurosport, with three hours of live coverage daily, plus a one-hour highlights programme each evening.

The stage goes from Bath to Hemel Hempstead, will see riders enter the county at lunchtime via Chain Hill, skirting Wantage at around 1pm then on via the A417 passing West Hendred, Harwell, and Blewbury.

They will continue along the A329 past the edge of Cholsey up to Crowmarsh Gifford, then via the A4130 to Nettlebed before moving on to the B481, via Christmas Common up to Chinnor, and leaving Oxfordshire shortly after 2pm.

More information about the event, including a full route of the stage, and ETAs, can be found on the tour’s website; www.tourofbritain.co.uk. Stage ETAs here: http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/files/documents/Stage_6_Bath_-_Hemel_Hempstead_ETA_v2.0.pdf  including Cop Hill, Kingston Hill and Station Road, Chinnor locally.

County Councillor David Nimmo Smith, Cabinet member for transport, said: “We are delighted that the tour will be visiting Oxfordshire, having spent many months working in collaboration with the organisers to decide the route, in what promises to be a wonderful day. We are proud to be supporting cycling in south Oxfordshire, having invested a great deal in the local area, improving the cycling network and increasing the opportunity for people to gain access to bicycles.”

Cllr Elaine Ware, Cabinet Member for Economy, Leisure and Property at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “We have a great cycling community across southern Oxfordshire so it will be a real treat for us to see this race first hand. With big investments being made to the cycling infrastructure around Science Vale this event will really help to highlight the role cycling can play both as an exciting international sport and as part of our day to day lives.”

Cllr Bill Service, Cabinet Member for Leisure at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “We are delighted that this international event will be visiting southern Oxfordshire. Not only will it be a great chance for us to see world class cycling on our door step but it will also be a great chance to show the area off to a large audience. We encourage as many people as possible to get out and see the race and mark the occasion in their own communities.”

Image courtesy of http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/