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103-638: The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race , conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time. The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after the Second World War. Since then, various different events have been described as the Tour of Britain, including the Milk Race , the Kellogg's Tour of Britain and

206-617: A handicap ) and race to a set finish point; and time trials , where individual riders or teams race a course alone against the clock. Stage races or "tours" take multiple days, and consist of several mass-start or time-trial stages ridden consecutively. Professional racing originated in Western Europe, centred in France, Spain, Italy and the Low Countries . Since the mid-1980s, the sport has diversified, with races held at

309-883: A British version of the Tour de France . The first multi-day stage race in Britain was the Southern Grand Prix in Kent in August 1944. It was won by Les Plume of Manchester . The first stage was won by Percy Stallard , the organiser of the Llangollen-Wolverhampton race in 1942. The experience encouraged the BLRC to run a bigger race, the Victory Cycling Marathon, to celebrate the end of

412-434: A bar on the screen decreases towards zero. The race must be abandoned if the cyclist is completely exhausted, however touching the milk bottles that frequently appear by the side of the road can restore energy reserves. There is the clock issue in addition to the energy issue. A timer counts down on several of the time trial stages. The race again ends early if the course isn't finished before the timer reaches zero. Each stage

515-428: A competitor's wheel, forcing the other person to do a greater share of the work in maintaining the pace and to potentially tire earlier. Drafting is not permitted in individual time trials. A group of riders that "breaks away" (a "break") from the peloton has more space and freedom, and can therefore be at an advantage in certain situations. Working together smoothly and efficiently, a small group can potentially maintain

618-417: A distinctive jersey (yellow in the Tour de France ) and generally maintains a position near the head of the main mass of riders (the peloton), surrounded by team members, whose job it is to protect the leader. Contenders for the general lead may stage "attacks" to distance themselves from the leader in "breakaways". The general leader's vulnerability to breakaways is higher when the escaping rider(s) trail by

721-649: A farm bike that weighed 35 kg. The only woman to finish within 24 hours was the self-styled Miss America , in reality an unknown English woman who, like several in the field, had preferred not to compete under her real name. The increase in organised cycle racing led to the development of national administrative bodies, in Great Britain in 1878, France 1881, the Netherlands 1883, Germany 1884 and Sweden 1900. Sometimes, as in Great Britain, cycling

824-487: A financial dispute; it was reported that SweetSpot was alleged to owe British Cycling £700,000 in unpaid licencing fees. In January 2024, SweetSpot entered liquidation, and the race was removed from the 2024 calendar. In February, British Cycling stated its intention to take on the organisation of both the Tour of Britain and the Women's Tour, which was renamed to the Tour of Britain Women . Both Tours were eventually re-added to

927-403: A good spectacle for spectators at the finish). Races over short circuits, often in town or city centres, are known as criteriums . Some races, known as handicaps, are designed to match riders of different abilities and/or ages; groups of slower riders start first, with the fastest riders starting last and so having to race harder and faster to catch other competitors. Individual time trial (ITT)

1030-412: A handful of UCI ProTeams, four British-registered UCI Continental Teams and a Great Britain national squad which often comprises riders from British Cycling's Senior Academy programme. The 2004 Tour of Britain was the first edition of the modern incarnation of the race. It took place over five days between Wednesday 1 – Sunday 5 September, organised by Surrey-based SweetSpot Group in collaboration with

1133-405: A higher speed than the peloton, in which the remaining riders may not be as motivated or organized to chase effectively. Usually a rider or group of riders will try to break from the peloton by attacking and riding ahead to reduce the number of contenders for the win. If the break does not succeed and the body of cyclists comes back together, a sprinter will often win by overpowering competitors in

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1236-578: A major event on the Olympic programme ... Like many other sports it has undergone several changes over the years. Just as there used to be track and field events such as the standing high jump or throwing the javelin with both hands, cyclists, too, used to compete for medals in events which today have been forgotten; for example in Athens in 1896, they attempted a 12-hour race, and in London, in 1908, one of

1339-611: A race-long battle with Italian rider Matteo Trentin ( Mitchelton–Scott ). Together with compatriot Dylan Groenewegen , van der Poel won three stages of the race, including the Greater Manchester finale on day eight – one that started in Altrincham and visited all 10 boroughs of the metropolitan county before finishing along Deansgate . While the 2019 Tour was the first edition of the race since 2012 that did not visit London, Glasgow and Newcastle both featured along

1442-641: A result of a stomach bug. The tenth edition, the 2013 Tour of Britain , took place from Sunday 15 to Sunday 22 September comprising eight stages. Wiggins won in what proved to be Team Sky's only general classification victory in the race, beating IAM Cycling 's Martin Elmiger by 26 seconds, having put 54 seconds into the Swiss rider during the stage three individual time trial around Knowsley, Merseyside . The race notably featured its first hill-top finish, which took place upon Haytor , Devon, on stage six. Riding for

1545-613: A second time. The 12th edition of the modern race, held between Sunday 6 and Sunday 13 September, was sponsored by Aviva following their acquisition of Friends Life in April 2015. In another first, Anglesey hosted the Grand Départ, becoming the first of Britain's small islands to welcome the Tour. The race visited the cities of Edinburgh (stage four start), Stoke-on-Trent (stage six start) and Nottingham (stage six finish), as well as smaller towns such as Prudhoe (population of 11,675 in

1648-436: A small time difference in the general ranking, and as number of remaining stages diminishes. Riders, who finish in the stage ranking behind the general leader, increase their cumulative time disadvantage. Whereas those who finish ahead of the general leader decrease their time disadvantage and may even gain sufficient time to unseat the general leader. After each stage, the racer with the lowest cumulative time becomes (or remains)

1751-444: A specified percentage of the winner's finishing time, to be permitted to start the next day's stage. Often, riders in this situation band together to minimize the effort required to finish within the time limit; this group of riders is known as the gruppetto or autobus . In one-day racing, professionals who no longer have any chance to affect the race outcome will routinely withdraw, even if they are uninjured and capable of riding to

1854-414: A strong domestique in a breakaway (rather than the designated team leader). If the domestique is a good chance to win if the breakaway is not brought back, it places the onus on other teams with favoured riders to expend energy chasing the breakaway, impeding their efforts to assist their leader in the final stages of the race. For instance, in the 2012 London Olympics men's road race the outright favourite

1957-959: A three-week stage race principally through France and ending in Paris, the Giro d'Italia in Italy, and the Vuelta a España in Spain. Each of these races is considered a " Grand Tour ". Professional racing is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale . In 2005 it instituted the UCI ProTour (renamed UCI World Tour in 2011) to replace the UCI Road World Cup series. While the World Cup contained only one-day races,

2060-497: A title sponsor for the first time since 2013 following the conclusion of a sponsorship agreement with Aviva in June of that year. Glasgow hosted the race's Grand Départ for the first time in 10 years; as per the 2006 Tour, Castle Douglas also welcomed the first finish of the race, won by André Greipel . Cummings formed the basis of his overall victory by placing second on Kendal 's steep Beast Banks climb on stage two, before moving into

2163-510: A white jersey with colored bands (often called "rainbow bands") around the chest. In Australia, due to the relatively mild winters and hot summers, the amateur road racing season runs from autumn to spring, through the winter months, while criterium races are held in the mornings or late afternoons during the summer. Some professional events, including the Tour Down Under , are held in the southern summer, mainly to avoid clashing with

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2266-461: Is an event in which cyclists race alone against the clock on flat or rolling terrain, or up a mountain road. A team time trial (TTT), including two-man team time trial, is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock. In both team and individual time trials, the cyclists start the race at different times so that each start is fair and equal. Unlike individual time trials where competitors are not permitted to 'draft' (ride in

2369-580: Is commonplace for amateur cyclists to own bicycles that are identical to those used to win major races. Clothing worn for road racing is designed to improve aerodynamics and improve rider comfort. The rider's shorts contain padding to improve comfort, and materials are chosen to manage rider temperature, manage sweat, and keep the rider as warm and dry as feasible in wet conditions. Cycling jerseys were originally made of wool; modern jerseys are made of synthetic fabrics such as lycra . Bicycle helmets were made mandatory for professional road racing in 2003, after

2472-505: Is not long enough to let the drafting effect (which is then working at full power again) make the bunch catch up, making a climb escape even more attractive. Wind conditions can also make otherwise routine sections of a course potentially selective. Crosswinds, particularly, alter the position of the "shadow" when drafting a rider, usually placing it diagonally behind the lead rider, forming a line of riders called an echelon . To take advantage of this, an attacking rider rides at high speed at

2575-448: Is the first person to cross the finish line that day or the time trial rider (or team) with the lowest time on the course. The overall winner of a stage race is the rider who takes the lowest aggregate time to complete all stages (accordingly, a rider does not have to win all or any of the individual stages to win overall). Three-week stage races are called Grand Tours. The professional road bicycle racing calendar includes three Grand Tours –

2678-402: The 2011 United Kingdom census ) and Fakenham (population: 7,357). London again hosted the final stage, however the Tour used a new circuit centred around Regent Street and Piccadilly as opposed to its traditional Whitehall loop, versions of which featured in seven editions of the race between 2004 and 2014. German rider André Greipel , riding for Lotto–Soudal was first across the line but

2781-555: The 2018 Tour of Britain was watched by over 1.5 million roadside spectators and featured the likes of Chris Froome – his first participation in the event since 2009 – and that year's Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas . Fittingly for Thomas, the race started in Wales, with the other seven stages taking place in England. Outlining the event's innovative nature, the race's first-ever team time trial stage took place on day five of

2884-676: The Auto-Cycle Union – the body for motorcycle racing – and the flags used by them were taken as a guide to what was needed. Kain recalled the precarious budget: "£44 entry fees and £130 of my own money and £16 when I went round with the hat after the Bradford stage." The writer Roger St Pierre said: The BLRC was not recognised by the world governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale and so it recruited its French riders from another rebel organisation,

2987-608: The General Classification . The 2005 race was run as a UCI 2.1 category in six stages starting in Glasgow on Tuesday 30 August and finishing in London on Sunday 4 September. British rider Roger Hammond took victory in Blackpool on stage two, becoming the first home rider to win a stage of the modern race . However, the overall title was won by Belgian rider Nick Nuyens, who is only one of two riders to have led

3090-473: The Movistar Team (men's team) , moved into the race lead after forming part of a three-man breakaway on stage six between Bath and Hemel Hempstead. However, he lost the lead after the following day's stage between Camberley and Brighton, and went on to finish eighth overall. Edvald Boasson Hagen made more history at the 2015 Tour of Britain when he became the first rider to win the modern edition for

3193-581: The Netherlands , Portugal , Spain and Switzerland after World War II . However, as the sport grows in popularity through globalization, countries such as Kazakhstan , Australia, Russia, Slovakia , South Africa , Ecuador , New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Poland and the United States continue to produce world-class cyclists. The first women's road championships were held in France in 1951 . A women's road race discipline

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3296-636: The PruTour . The most recent version of the Tour of Britain began in 2004 as part of the UCI Europe Tour . From 2014, the race was rated 2.HC by the UCI. The race became part of the new UCI ProSeries in 2020. The Tour of Britain has its origins in a dispute between cyclists during the Second World War. The British administrative body, the National Cyclists' Union (NCU), had feared since

3399-528: The Tour of Flanders (1913). They provided a template for other races around the world. Cycling has been part of the Summer Olympic Games since the modern sequence started in Athens in 1896 . Historically, the most competitive and devoted countries since the beginning of 20th century were Belgium, France and Italy, then road cycling spread in Colombia , Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg ,

3502-693: The Transcontinental Race and the Indian Pacific Wheel Race . The related activity of randonneuring is not strictly a form of racing, but involves cycling a pre-determined course within a specified time limit. The most commonly used bicycle in road races are simply known as racing bicycles . Their design is strictly regulated by the UCI, the sport's governing body. Specialist time trial bicycles are used for time trial events. Bicycles approved for use under UCI regulations must be made available for commercial sale and it

3605-833: The UCI calendar. Although British Cycling initially intended the 2024 Tour of Britain Men to consist of eight stages, it was reduced to six, with the intention being also to extend the Tour of Britain Women to six stages in 2025, equalising the men's and women's tours. In May, Lloyds Bank agreed with British Cycling to become title partner of both the men's and women's Tours, a deal reportedly worth around £20 million over five years. The Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men began in Kelso , Scottish Borders , on Tuesday 3 September, and concluded in Felixstowe , Suffolk on Sunday 8 September. The men's tour

3708-465: The overall and King of the Mountains classification, respectively. Mark Cavendish ( T-Mobile Team ) won the points classification and Johan van Summeren ( Davitamon–Lotto ) the sprints classification. Like Nuyens in 2005, Pedersen topped the overall standings from start to finish. The race's final stage, held between Greenwich Park and The Mall, was televised live on BBC's Grandstand , making it

3811-561: The peloton in the Lake District , and in the case of the PruTour a police motorcyclist being killed in a collision with a motorist near Worcester . After a five-year hiatus, the Tour of Britain returned in 2004. It began as a five-stage race before increasing to six days in 2005, seven in 2007 and eventually an eight-stage race in 2008. It is a professional men's race, typically attracting between 10 and 12 UCI WorldTeams, as well as

3914-512: The slipstream of the rider in front. Riding in the main field, or peloton , can save as much as 40% of the energy employed in forward motion when compared to riding alone. Some teams designate a leader, whom the rest of the team is charged with keeping out of the wind and in good position until a critical section of the race. This can be used as a strength or a weakness by competitors; riders can cooperate and draft each other to ride at high speed (a paceline or echelon ), or one rider can sit on

4017-537: The 19th century that massed racing on the roads would endanger all racing, including early-morning time trials and, originally, the very place of cyclists on the road. A race organised from Llangollen to Wolverhampton on 7 June 1942, in defiance of the NCU, led to its organisers and riders being banned. They formed a new body, the British League of Racing Cyclists (BLRC), which wanted not only massed racing but

4120-461: The 2010 Tour finale took place around ExCeL London owing to a clash with the Pope's visit to London, which meant that the centre of the city was out of bounds to the race on the orders of the police and security services. The 2011 Tour of Britain was held from Sunday 11 to Sunday 18 September. Stage two, scheduled to take place between Kendal and Carlisle, was cancelled due to bad weather. It remains

4223-443: The 2016 season. Within the discipline of road racing, from young age different cyclists have different (relative) strengths and weaknesses. Depending on these, riders tend to prefer different events over particular courses, and perform different tactical roles within a team. The main specialities in road bicycle racing are: In a stage race a stage ranking is drawn up at the end of each stage, showing for each participating rider

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4326-586: The BCF ( British Cycling Federation ). It was the first Tour of Britain to be held since 1999. SweetSpot MD Hugh Roberts and race director Mick Bennett, who were behind the event's return, are still involved with the race in 2020. Sponsored by the Regional Development Agencies, it attracted teams such as T-Mobile and U.S. Postal Service . It was designated a 2.3 category race on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) calendar. Highlights of

4429-511: The Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España. Ultra-distance cycling races are very long single stage events where the race clock continuously runs from start to finish. Their sanctioning bodies are usually independent of the UCI. They usually last several days and the riders take breaks on their own schedules, with the winner being the first one to cross the finish line. Among

4532-499: The Great Britain national team, future Vuelta a España winner Simon Yates – then aged just 21 – took a famous victory. The eleventh edition, the 2014 Tour of Britain , consisted of eight stages between Sunday 7 and Sunday 14 September. For the first time, it was categorised as a UCI 2.HC race and featured a title sponsor: Friends Life Group . It began in Liverpool and finished in London, with two stage finishes in Wales, three in

4635-519: The MMB to pay for "Drink more milk" to be embroidered on the jersey of every semi-professional, or independent, rider in the country. The MMB could then advertise that races had been won because of the properties of milk and the winner would receive a £10 bonus as a result. Orford met the MMB's publicity officer, Reg Pugh, at the board's headquarters in Thames Ditton , west of London. Orford said: "At

4738-728: The Parc de St-Cloud inspired the Compagnie Parisienne and the magazine Le Vélocipède Illustré to run a race from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to the cathedral in Rouen on 7 November 1869. It was the world's first long-distance road race and also won by Moore, who took 10 hours and 25 minutes to cover 134 km. The runners-up were the Count André Castéra, who had come second to Moore at St-Cloud, and Jean Bobillier, riding

4841-464: The Tour. Starting in Cockermouth , the 14 km uphill stage finished at Whinlatter having climbed the western side of the fell. The following day's stage also finished atop Whinlatter, albeit after two ascents of its eastern side. The 2019 Tour of Britain , the first edition of the race to be run from Saturday to Saturday since 2010 (7 to 14 September), was won by Mathieu van der Poel after

4944-687: The World Tour includes the Grand Tours and other large stage races such as Critérium du Dauphiné , Paris–Nice , Tour de Suisse and the Volta a Catalunya . The former UCI Road World Cup one-day classic cycle races – which include all five " Monuments " – were also part of the ProTour: Milan–San Remo (Italy), Tour of Flanders (Belgium), Paris–Roubaix (France), Liège–Bastogne–Liège (Belgium) and Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands) in

5047-455: The back of Bradley Wiggins ' victory in that summer's Tour de France and the London 2012 Olympic Games, the final two hours of each stage during the 2012 race were shown live on ITV4 and Eurosport . Jonathan Tiernan-Locke originally won the event, the first British rider to do so since its relaunch. In 2014, following investigation for biological passport irregularities, Tiernan-Locke

5150-604: The best-known ultramarathons is the Race Across America (RAAM), a coast-to-coast non-stop, single-stage race in which riders cover approximately 3,000 miles (4,800 km) in about a week. The race is sanctioned by the UltraMarathon Cycling Association (UMCA). RAAM and similar events allow (and often require) racers to be supported by a team of staff; there are also ultra-distance bicycle races that prohibit all external support, such as

5253-565: The communist Fédération Sportive et Gymnastique du Travail, using French café-owners in Soho , London, as their link. The Victory Cycling Marathon was run on what little money the BLRC could raise. Riders stayed in cheap boarding houses and officials used their own cars. In 1947, the News of the World gave £500 to the race, by then called Brighton-Glasgow. Within a year it pulled out again, concerned by

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5356-415: The completion time of the stage. The one with the lowest completion time wins the stage. At the same time a general ranking shows the cumulative finishing times of all prior stages for each participating rider. A rider who does not complete any of the stages within its respective time limit is disqualified. The one with the lowest total cumulative time is the general leader. The general leader typically wears

5459-436: The death of cyclist Andrey Kivilev . A number of tactics are employed to reach the objective of a race. This objective is being the first to cross the finish line in the case of a single-stage race, and clocking the least aggregate finish time in the case of a multi-stage race. Tactics are based on the aerodynamic benefit of drafting , whereby a rider can significantly reduce the required pedal effort by closely following in

5562-406: The descent, as going downhill alone allows for more maneuvering space and therefore higher speeds than when in a bunch. In addition, because the bunch riders are keeping more space between them for safety reasons, their drafting benefits are again reduced. If this action takes place relatively close to the target (e.g. another bunch ahead, or the finish), the ride over flatter terrain after the descent

5665-539: The end of the discussion he stated that the MMB would prefer to sponsor a major international marathon. So the Milk Race, the Tour of Britain, was born, starting in 1958 and lasting for 35 years, the longest cycle sponsorship in the UK ever." A tie-in video game, Milk Race , was released in 1987. The first two races were open to semi-professionals but from 1960 until 1984 it was open only to amateurs. From 1985 until 1993 it

5768-557: The equivalent of about sixteen months' pay for a French manual worker. The first international body was the International Cycling Association (ICA), established by an English schoolteacher named Henry Sturmey , the founder of Sturmey-Archer . It opened in 1893 and held its first world championship in Chicago, United States, the same year. A new organisation, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI),

5871-402: The event were shown as part of BBC'S Grandstand programme a week after the final stage. The tour climaxed with a 45 miles (72 km) criterium in London, where an estimated 100,000 spectators saw a long break by Bradley Wiggins last until the penultimate lap, before Enrico Degano of Team Barloworld took the sprint on the line. The Colombian Mauricio Ardila , of Chocolade Jacques , won

5974-411: The events was a sprint for 603.49 metres (659.98 yards)." The Olympic Games has never been as important in road cycling as in other sports. Until the distinction ended, the best riders were professionals rather than amateurs and so did not take part. Law enforcement always escort the athletes to ensure they are kept safe during the cycling events, especially the road races. The success of the races in

6077-408: The final sprint to the finish line. Across a long stage race, such as a Grand Tour, the winner's average speed is usually near 40 km/h. In more organized races, a SAG wagon ("support and gear") or broom wagon follows the race to pick up stragglers. In professional stage racing riders who are not in a position to win the race or assist a teammate, will usually attempt to ride to the finish within

6180-555: The final stretch. Teamwork between riders, both pre-arranged and ad hoc, is important in many aspects: in preventing or helping a successful break, and sometimes in delivering a sprinter to the front of the field. To make the course more selective, races often feature difficult sections such as tough climbs, fast descents, and sometimes technical surfaces (such as the cobbled pavé used in the Paris–Roubaix race). The effects of drafting are reduced in these difficult sections, allowing

6283-425: The finish. While the principle remains that the winner is the first to cross the line, many riders are grouped together in teams, usually with commercial sponsors. On professional and semi-professional teams, team names are typically synonymous with the primary sponsors. As an example, some prominent professional teams of the last 30 years have been Team Telekom , Rabobank , ONCE , Mapei and Lampre . The size of

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6386-401: The finishing line. The player's bike moves from side to side to avoid potholes or other riders during the cycling race, which is conducted on a path that scrolls horizontally. The rider topples upon making contact with any danger, and valuable time is lost while he remounts. There are 12 gears on the bike, and as higher speeds are selected, the speed increases. The cyclist's energy is reduced as

6489-721: The first and only stage to enjoy such coverage between 2004 and 2011. The 2007 Tour of Britain was extended to seven days, with the extra day being used to run a stage in Somerset for the first time. Instead of finishing in London, the 2007 race started in London and finished in Glasgow , which used the event to boost its bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games . French rider Romain Feillu won overall by just 0.49 seconds over Spaniard (and stage four winner in Bradford) Adrián Palomares. His victory margin remains

6592-572: The first time since 2009 and was scheduled to pass through Dorset for the first time. The final three stages were cancelled, and the race declared completed, due to the death of Elizabeth II . The 2023 race began in Manchester on 3 September and finished in Wales on Sunday 10 September. Full details of the route were announced in summer 2023. In late 2023, British Cycling terminated its agreement with race organiser and promoter SweetSpot due to

6695-404: The foundations of his victory by winning in Swansea on stage three; that day's route included two ascents of the city's famed Constitution Hill, a 300-metre cobbled climb that averages a gradient of 19.3%. Team Sky made their race debut in the 2010 Tour, winning stage two in Stoke-on-Trent with New Zealander Greg Henderson . While the race finished in London for the fifth time in seven editions,

6798-665: The front of the peloton, on the opposite side of the road from which the crosswind is blowing. Following riders are unable to fully shelter from the wind. If such tactics are maintained for long enough, a weaker rider somewhere in the line will be unable to keep contact with the rider directly ahead, causing the peloton to split up. As well as exceptional fitness, successful riders must develop excellent bike handling skills to ride at high speeds in close quarters with other riders. Individual riders can reach speeds of 110 km/h (68 mph) while descending winding mountain roads and may reach 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph) level speeds during

6901-408: The general leader. The general leader does not generally react to breakaways by riders who trail substantially in cumulative time. Such escapes usually achieve other goals, such as winning the stage, collecting sprinting or mountain points, or just creating air time for their team sponsors as a dedicated camera bike typically accompanies the escape. Notable cycling races include the Tour de France ,

7004-402: The governing body of pro cycling, voted to phase in a ban on the use of team radios in men's elite road racing. However, after protests from teams, the ban introduced in 2011 excluded races on the top-level men's and women's circuits (the UCI World Tour and UCI Women's Road World Cup ) and in 2015 the UCI reversed its stance, allowing race radios to be used in class HC and class 1 events from

7107-504: The internal arguments that had bedevilled the BLRC from the start. The 1950 race was sponsored by Sporting Record , another newspaper, followed by the Daily Express in 1951. The cycling official John Dennis said in 2002: Sponsorship was taken up by the makers of Quaker Oats in 1954, and then in 1958 by the Milk Marketing Board . The Milk Marketing Board (MMB) was a sales monopoly for dairy farmers in England and Wales. A semi-professional cyclist from Derby , Dave Orford, asked

7210-482: The last professional race of Bradley Wiggins ' cycling career before he retired from the sport. He placed 105th overall, riding for the eponymous WIGGINS squad. The 2017 Tour of Britain , which took place between Sunday 3 and Sunday 10 September, was won by Dutch rider Lars Boom . The LottoNL–Jumbo rider's victory saw him become the second rider to win the modern race overall for a second time following Edvald Boasson Hagen 's wins in 2009 and 2015. This edition of

7313-412: The leader's chances, taking turns in the wind for him, refusing to chase with the peloton when he or she escapes, and so on. The goal is usually to allow the leader to have enough energy to take off at the critical point of the race and go on to victory. However, there can be many alternative scenarios depending on the strength of teams and the race situation. One example of team tactics involves placing

7416-454: The lowest cumulative time to complete all stages is declared the overall, or general classification (GC), winner. Stage races may also have other classifications and awards, such as individual stage winners, the points classification winner, and the " King of the Mountains " (or mountains classification) winner. A stage race can also be a series of road races and individual time trials (some events include team time trials ). The stage winner

7519-565: The major northern hemisphere races and allowing top professionals to compete. Milk Race (video game) Based around the internationally acclaimed event in world cycle race The Milk Race (now known as Tour of Britain ). This simulator was designed to coincide with the 1987 event, starting in Newcastle upon Tyne, through the North of England, and down through the Midlands, to London for

7622-592: The modern race from start to finish. Future Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish both made their first appearances in the race during the 2005 Tour; Thomas placed 42nd overall, Cavendish (who finished third in Blackpool on stage two and sixth in Nottingham two days later) 84th. The 2006 Tour of Britain took place from Tuesday 29 August to Sunday 3 September as a UCI category 2.1 event. Martin Pedersen and Andy Schleck of Team CSC won

7725-510: The only stage of the modern race not to run as planned. The general classification was won by Dutch rider Lars Boom . This edition of the race outlined the event's growing stature on the international cycling calendar, as Thor Hushovd became only the second reigning UCI road world champion to win a stage of the race wearing the iconic Rainbow Jersey when he triumphed in Caerphilly on stage four. Furthermore, Mark Cavendish returned to

7828-446: The professional, semi-professional and amateur levels, worldwide. The sport is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). As well as the UCI's annual World Championships for men and women, the biggest event is the Tour de France , a three-week race that can attract over 500,000 roadside supporters a day. Road racing in its modern form originated in the late 19th century. It began as an organized sport in 1868. The sport

7931-658: The race for the first time since the 2007 Tour of Britain less than two months after he won the Points classification in the Tour de France . The Manxman won the opening stage in Dumfries and London circuit race finale; he also set up HTC–Highroad team-mate Mark Renshaw to win in Exmouth on day five. The 2012 Tour of Britain was held from Sunday 9 to Sunday 16 September. With the British public's interest in cycling high off

8034-463: The race for the first time, with each stage enjoyed hour-long highlight shows presented by Ned Boulting . As per compatriot Romain Feillu in 2007, overall champion Geoffroy Lequatre claimed the victory despite not winning a single stage of the Tour. Italian rider Alessandro Petacchi and future champion Edvald Boasson Hagen both won three stages apiece; Petacchi triumphed in London (stage one), Gateshead (six) and Liverpool (eight), while Boasson Hagen

8137-509: The race lead after the individual time trial in Bristol on stage 7a (the 2016 race was the third and, at present, last edition to feature a split stage). Team Sky enjoyed a productive week, with Ian Stannard soloing to a memorable victory at Tatton Park and Wout Poels taking victory atop a wind-swept Haytor on stage six. Poels' success followed his win on Hartside Pass in the 2015 race's hill-top finish stage. The 2016 Tour also proved to be

8240-525: The race was sponsored by OVO Energy , the first of three editions that the Bristol-based energy supply company were the title partner of. In another move that emphasised the race's status on the international cycling calendar, ITV4 broadcast each stage live in full for the first time. Julian Alaphilippe became the first Frenchman to win the Tour of Britain since 2008 when he triumphed in the 2018 edition. Held between Sunday 2 and Sunday 9 September,

8343-428: The riders and the team director, who travels in a team car behind the race and monitors the overall situation. The influence of radios on race tactics is a topic of discussion among the cycling community, with some arguing that the introduction of radios in the 1990s has devalued the tactical knowledge of individual riders and has led to less exciting racing. In September 2009, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI),

8446-480: The route. Scheduled to take place between Sunday 6 and Sunday 13 September, the 2020 Tour of Britain was due to start with its first Cornwall Grand Départ. Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen were to host the final stage, marking the furthest point north the race would have visited. The race would have formed part of the UCI ProSeries , comprising the second tier of the men's elite road cycling events, launched by

8549-565: The season depend on the hemisphere. A racing year is divided between lesser races, single-day classics and stage races. The classics include the Tour of Flanders , Paris–Roubaix and Milan–San Remo . The other important one-day race is the World Championships . Unlike other classics, the World Championships is held on a different course each year and ridden by national rather than sponsored teams. The winner wears

8652-572: The slipstream) behind each other, in team time trials, riders in each team employ this as their main tactic, each member taking a turn at the front while teammates 'sit in' behind. Race distances vary from a few km (typically a prologue, an individual time trial of usually less than 5 miles (8.0 km) before a stage race, used to determine which rider wears the leader's jersey on the first stage) to between approximately 20 miles (32 km) and 60 miles (97 km). Stage races consist of several races, or stages , ridden consecutively. The competitor with

8755-559: The smallest in modern race history. Mark Cavendish won the race's opening two stages (a 2.5 km prologue at Crystal Palace Park and in Southampton) as well as the points competition, while Yorkshire's Ben Swift won the mountains competition. The tour increased by yet another day for 2008 , with eight stages scheduled, from Sunday 7 to Sunday 14 September. The race began in London and finished in Liverpool . ITV4 broadcast

8858-697: The sport's governing body for 2020. In May 2020, the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The 2021 Tour of Britain followed the route scheduled for the 2020 edition. The men's Tour of Britain racereturned to its usual September format after the previous year's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The race started on 5 September in Penzance, Cornwall, and finished on 12 September in Aberdeen, Scotland. The race returned to Yorkshire for

8961-423: The spring, and Clásica de San Sebastián (Spain), HEW Cyclassics (Germany), Züri-Metzgete (Switzerland, until 2006), Paris–Tours (France, until 2007) and Giro di Lombardia (Italy) in the autumn season. Cycling has been a discipline in the summer Olympics ever since the birth of the modern Olympic movement. Cycling activist, co-organizer of Peace Race , Włodzimierz Gołębiewski said: "Cycling has become

9064-449: The strongest riders in the conditions to drop weaker riders, reducing the number of direct competitors able to take the win. Weather, particularly wind, is also an important discriminating factor. Climbs are excellent places for a single rider to try to break away from a bunch, as the lower riding speeds in a climb seriously reduce the drafting advantage of the bunch. The escaping rider can then further capitalize on that rider's position in

9167-401: The team varies, from three in an amateur event for club riders to eight in professional races. Team riders decide between themselves, before and during the race, who has the best chance of winning. The choice will depend on hills, the chances that the whole field will finish together in a sprint, and other factors. The other riders on the team, or domestiques , will devote themselves to promoting

9270-468: The title. In his first season as a pro, Katusha–Alpecin rider Ben Swift memorably took his maiden career victory ahead of team-mate Filippo Pozzato in Yeovil . The 2010 edition of the Tour of Britain was held from Saturday 11 to Saturday 18 September and was won by Michael Albasini . His winning margin of 65 seconds over Slovenian rider Borut Božič is the largest in modern race history. Albasini laid

9373-446: The war in 1945. It ran from Brighton to Glasgow in five stages and was won by Robert Batot of France, with Frenchmen taking six of the top 10 places, the mountains competition and best team. Chas Messenger , a BLRC official and historian, said: "No one had ever put on a stage race in this country, other than the Southern Grand Prix, and even fewer people had even seen one. So raw were they that Jimmy Kain (the organiser) even wrote to

9476-487: The west of England, and two in the south-east. The race was won by Dylan van Baarle . German sprinter Marcel Kittel won the stages in Liverpool and London just weeks after he triumphed in two of the three British stages that featured in the 2014 Tour de France ; his London victory in the Tour of Britain came on Whitehall , whereas stage three of the 2014 Tour de France finished on The Mall, London . Another British victory looked likely when Essex's Alex Dowsett , riding for

9579-553: Was added to the UCI Road World Championships at the 31st edition of the World Championships in 1958 in Reims . Professional single-day race distances may be as long as 180 miles (290 km). Courses may run from place to place or comprise one or more laps of a circuit; some courses combine both, i.e., taking the riders from a starting place and then finishing with several laps of a circuit (usually to ensure

9682-465: Was banned for two years and stripped of his 2012 title. The race was retrospectively awarded to Australia's Nathan Haas , riding for the Garmin–Sharp team. Mark Cavendish , in his last race as World Champion, won three stages including the final stage in an uphill sprint up Guildford's cobbled high street. Tour de France 2012 winner, Bradley Wiggins was forced to pull out of the Tour after stage 5, as

9785-603: Was characterised by very long hilly stages, a typical example being the Newcastle upon Tyne to Manchester stage via the Yorkshire Dales in the 1987 event. The Prudential plc -sponsored PruTour (1998–1999) ran twice. Concerns about safety during the races contributed to both events' demise through the withdrawal of sponsorship; in the case of the Kellogg's Tour this followed a member of the public driving head-on into

9888-630: Was first across the line in Stoke-on-Trent (stage four), Dalby Forest (five) and Drumlanrig Castle (seven). The sixth edition, the 2009 Tour of Britain , was also raced over eight days, Saturday 12 to Saturday 19 September. The race started in Scunthorpe and finished in London. Boasson Hagen was the dominant overall winner, claiming a record four-consecutive stage victories (in Peebles, Blackpool, Stoke-on-Trent and Bideford) en route to

9991-731: Was open to both amateurs and professionals. The Milk Race ended in 1993 because the MMB was wound up with the passing of the UK's Agriculture Act 1993 . In May 2013 the Milk Race name was revived for an annual one-day criterium in Nottingham , with elite men's and women's races. The event is organised by Race Director Tony Doyle and sponsored by the Dairy Council and the Milk Marketing Forum. The professional Kellogg's Tour of Britain ran for eight editions from 1987 to 1994. This tour, particularly in its early years,

10094-704: Was originally administered as part of athletics , since cyclists often used the tracks used by runners . This, according to historian James McGurn, led to disputes within countries and internationally. The Bicycle Union [of Britain], having quarrelled with the Amateur Athletic Association over cycle race jurisdiction on AAA premises, took issue with the Union Vélocipèdique de France over the French body's willingness to allow its " amateurs " to compete for prizes of up to 2,000 francs,

10197-465: Was popular in the western European countries of France, Spain, Belgium, and Italy, and some of those earliest road bicycle races remain among the sport's biggest events. These early races include Liège–Bastogne–Liège (established 1892), Paris–Roubaix (1896), the Tour de France (1903), the Milan–San Remo and Giro di Lombardia (1905), the Giro d'Italia (1909), the Volta a Catalunya (1911), and

10300-588: Was set up on 15 April 1900 during the Olympic Games in Paris, by several European countries and the United States. Great Britain was not initially a member, but joined in 1903. The UCI, based in Switzerland, has run the sport ever since. In its home in Europe and in the United States, cycle racing on the road is a summer sport, although the season can start in early spring and end in autumn. The months of

10403-486: Was sprinter Mark Cavendish riding for the team of Great Britain. Another favoured rider was Matthew Goss riding for the Australian team. By placing Stuart O'Grady in the breakaway, the Australian team was able to force the British team to take primary responsibility for the chase and absolve themselves of the responsibility. In professional races, team coordination is often performed by radio communication between

10506-518: Was subsequently disqualified for a dangerous sprint. In doing so, he became the first rider to be stripped of a stage win in modern race history; Elia Viviani was awarded the victory to go alongside successes in Wrexham on stage one and Floors Castle on stage three. The 2016 Tour of Britain , held between Sunday 4 and Sunday 11 September, was won by home rider Steve Cummings , who had previously finished second in 2008 and 2011. The race ran without

10609-498: Was won by Stevie Williams. The 2025 edition will take place from Tuesday 2 September to Sunday 7 September. Road bicycle racing Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling , held primarily on paved roads . Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common competition formats are mass start events, where riders start simultaneously (though sometimes with

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