2022 Tour of Britain (route)

jimmythecuckoo

I think this is big enough a discussion each year to be outside of the smaller races thread.




https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/race/2022-tour/

Not much for us in the fens of course... 1992 Milk Race and a Tour of Britain stage to Sandringham in 2012 (I think) the only times I remember it heading my way.

However, for us Dorsetites, that penultimate stage has set my pulse racing.

Dorset_Boy

Oh bollocks, 10th Sept is supposed to be our Hill Climb. I think we might have to postpone by a week!

shirley_basso

I am keen for the abz stage. May try and sneak up for a long weekend with some pals and the bike.

Pross

Isle of Wight should be a nice addition. Wales missed completely, I should get on my high horse like that poster last year who was moaning it ignored England when half the stages were in England. Stage 6 should be good for me though.

RichN95.

Mark Drakeford has kept Welsh independence quiet

flite

Sad that the Pennines and Cumbria miss out after the reception the race gets, but I see the point in visiting new areas.
Perhaps we need a longer race?

Dorset_Boy

Dorset could be a really lumy stage if they want. Start in Lyme Regis and send them up and over every valley heading east towards Weymoth, then inland to climb Batcombe hill to Lyons Gate (hits 30%!) do a couple of different routes up Bulbarrow before a finish in Shaftesbury.
It could even come past my front door!

blazing_saddles

Doesn’t look to be the hilliest of routes, to say the least.

andyrac

A fair route - and they've replied to all the naysayers on Twitter explaining how they go about picking routes, etc
I'm sure they do the same thing every year but too many people can't get it; they can't visit every region every year.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Can't see route info for IOW, can't see them going up the Ventnor esplanade to Down Lane climb, as the stage finish.

pblakeney

Dorset_Boy said:

Dorset could be a really lumy stage if they want. Start in Lyme Regis and send them up and over every valley heading east towards Weymoth, then inland to climb Batcombe hill to Lyons Gate (hits 30%!) do a couple of different routes up Bulbarrow before a finish in Shaftesbury.
It could even come past my front door!

Must admit that was a hard start to the day following a full English while touring. 🤣
Made it to Swanage but that was a lumpy day including cove visits.

phreak

Pross said:

Isle of Wight should be a nice addition. Wales missed completely, I should get on my high horse like that poster last year who was moaning it ignored England when half the stages were in England. Stage 6 should be good for me though.

Given the relatively limited space to work with (all the way round is only 100km), I fear they may follow the Tour series and just make it a seaside crit, which would be a bit of a waste.

phreak

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

Can't see route info for IOW, can't see them going up the Ventnor esplanade to Down Lane climb, as the stage finish.

It's hard to see main roads being shut for the race, so I sadly suspect it will be a crit race around Ryde sea front. The local press seems to be focusing on Ryde rather than anything more picturesque (and challenging) on the south of the island.

andyp

Rumour has it that the IoW stage will include some gravel.

bm5

Near enough to my house on 2 days!

gsk82

Looks like there's going to be a few stages finishing very close to where they started. Unless host towns only means starts?

thegreatdivide

I suspect the Aberdeen stage will be last year’s final stage in reverse which will take in the long side up Cairn o Mount. Stage 2 looks like a badly placed dot over Glasgow, so maybe a route test of the 2023 Worlds course which could attract a few big hitters to the ToB.

No_Ta_Doctor

It doesn't come past my house 😡
Guess I'll just have to cry into the mountain of TdF tat I'm sure to pick up as some other race comes very close this July. 😭

mrb123

Don't know if it comes past my house or not as they don't seem to have thought about the North East stage yet.

First.Aspect

The Gorbals and the East end of Glasgow will look great on telly again. Awesome advert for Scotland as a progressive and prosperous independent country.

Pross

When did Aberdeen become independent of Scotland?

First.Aspect

Pross said:

When did Aberdeen become independent of Scotland?

It has an independent economy, that is certain.

me-109

It might not come past my house during the race, but the 3 to 4 transfer will. So either 2 possible days to watch racing (or miss because work) or an overnight stop to knock off the support bus and get some upgrades. So who's on SRAM this year?

jimmythecuckoo

Dorset_Boy said:

Dorset could be a really lumy stage if they want. Start in Lyme Regis and send them up and over every valley heading east towards Weymoth, then inland to climb Batcombe hill to Lyons Gate (hits 30%!) do a couple of different routes up Bulbarrow before a finish in Shaftesbury.
It could even come past my front door!

Finish it at the Lobster Pot on Portland.

Cross winds on the Fleet, break it up through Fortuneswell and then smash them to bits on the way out to the lighthouse.

alan_a

So… I own a comedy club in Aberdeen for night before stage 1
I own a comedy club in Glasgow for stage 2
I own a comedy club in Leeds for transfer between stage 4&5
I own a comedy club in Bristol for after stage 6

Anyone got anything for me to do on Isle of Wight ?

Any of the teams want some on the road entertainment 😂

www.thecomedycabaret.club

bm5

Routes are out.

Dorset_Boy

Stage 7 looks ok for a first attempt at a Dorset stage. A lumpy start heading West Bay to Weymouth aand over to Dorchester, then flat to the Purbecks. Couple of reasonable climbs as they head back in;and but probably too far from the finish though. The climb over Okeford Beacon hits 20%+, but is only about a mile bottom to top.

vincesummerskRoxcBTr

Stage 2 is cyclable from my house.

carbonclem

Stage 6 is pretty much my ‘hood.

flite

Great - day 3 gets to the North Pennines, and over Chapel Fell, one of the highest through roads in England, and exposed to the wind. Shame about the urban stuff either end of the stage.

thegreatdivide

Stage 1 is a belter.