By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
West Bridgford and Mansfield will play key roles as the Tour of Britain returns to Nottinghamshire in September.
Some of the world’s top cyclists will race through the county on Thursday, September 8, with the fifth stage of the event beginning on Central Avenue, West Bridgford, and ending outside Mansfield’s Civic Centre on Chesterfield Road South.
It marks the return to Notts of one of the biggest annual events in the sport, four years after the county last hosted a stage.
And it has now been confirmed the event, which has previously appeared in Nottinghamshire in 2017 and 2018, will pass through several towns and villages on a 190km route announced today.
The 2022 Nottinghamshire stage will pass through East Leake, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Calverton, Southwell, Retford and Worksop, as well the recently-opened Colliery Way – formerly known as the Gedling Access Road.
The route, which works out at about 118 miles, will also take in some of the county’s key landmarks including the legendary Sherwood Forest and the iconic Trent Bridge cricket ground.
Ashfield and Broxtowe will miss out, however, with the route not to pass through both areas having visited them in previous stages.
The Nottinghamshire stage attracted thousands of spectators to the county in 2018 to mark what Nottinghamshire County Council described as the biggest sporting event in the county’s history.
Stage two of the 2012 event also started in Nottingham city centre before heading into Derbyshire, and attracted huge crowds to the start line outside Nottingham Castle.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service ahead of the 2022 stage’s confirmation, Councillor John Cottee (Con), chairman of the communities committee, said the county will be “buzzing” when the event returns.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I’m a big sports fan and it’s one of the biggest events we’ve ever held.
“2018 was a bumper year, bringing in a large amount of tourism to us and a record number of people out on the streets cheering it on.
“To see it’s coming back again this year, after all the trials and tribulations of Covid, I can’t wait to see it happen. It’s really going to be buzzing.
“It means hotels bring used, it means people coming for the day who all want something to eat, to find a nice spot to see it all.
“Some of the villages it’s going through will put on community events and will be working with primary schools to make sure they have a good day.
“I’m buzzing for it, it’s one of the best things that happens in Nottinghamshire.”
Cllr Cottee was joined at County Hall by members of the Ribble Weldtite cycling team, including Nottinghamshire-based cyclists Ross Lamb and Ollie Peckover.
Ollie told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The route goes through the village I live in, it starts three miles down the road from where I live and I’ve been to watch the start before myself.
“It’s going to be mad to be actually riding along these roads. When [the Tour] has been through the region before, everyone comes out to watch and will have banners out.
“It creates a really good environment for you to go through and the crowds here are among some of the best I’ve seen.”
The event in September will be the second time a stage has started in West Bridgford and culminates in Mansfield, having followed a similar route in 2018. The tour also started a stage in Mansfield in 2017.
Andy Abrahams (Lab), Mansfield’s mayor, welcomed the return of the event and said there will be a “festival finale”.
He said: “Mansfield was keen to support Nottinghamshire County Council and district councils to secure the Tour of Britain for a third time, and the opportunity to host a stage finish once more in our district.
“With support from the Towns Fund, we will be able to have a festival finale at the Civic Centre.
“We’re looking forward to giving the tour the warmest of Mansfield welcomes again.”
The eight-stage 2022 tour starts in Aberdeen on Sunday September 4 before heading through Scotland, the north east, north Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Gloucestershire and Dorset, finishing on the Isle of Wight on Sunday, September 11.
Live TV coverage of the event, which could include Tour de France stage winners, Olympians and world champions, will be aired on ITV4 and around the world.
