Get on your bike as this year’s Tour of Britain will begin in the market town of Altrincham as the borough of Trafford hosts the start of the Greater Manchester stage this September. The city is hosting the race’s Grand Départ, for the first time since 2004, with Altrincham set to host the start of the prestigious opening stage that will see over 100 of the world’s top riders setting off on the 19th edition of the modern Tour of Britain.
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Former Tour of Britain champions Wout van Aert and Gonzalo Serrano, alongside home fan favourite Tom Pidcock, will all compete in the race. 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.
When and where will the Greater Manchester stage of the Tour of Britain take place?
Taking place on Sunday 3 September, this year’s Tour of Britain will mark the second time that Altrincham has hosted the cycling event, having hosted a stage start in the 2019 race. The stage will start from Market Street, close to Altrincham Market in the heart of the market town which won the Great British High Street Award for England in 2018.
A sprint will take place at Hazel Grove before looping around the east of Manchester and taking on two steep climbs. King of the Mountains climbs come at the legendary Rake in Ramsbottom (a three-time host of the British Hill-Climb Championships) and Grains Bar.
The opening stage will finish on Deansgate in the centre of Manchester, where Mathieu van der Poel took the honours at the final stage of the 2019 race. On that occasion an estimated 600,000 spectators – the biggest single day crowd in race history – followed the day of racing in and around Greater Manchester.
What are the Tour of Britain Stage One timings?
Altrincham – Market Street 11:45am
Wilmslow 12:17pm
Bramhall 12:28pm
Hazel Grove 12:33pm
High Lane 12:40pm
Marple 12:48pm
Grains Bar (category two) 1:31pm
Shaw 1:38pm
Ramsbottom Rake (category one) 2:12pm
Wigan 3:09pm
Hindley 3:14pm
Tyldesley 3:26pm
Walkden 3:35pm
Manchester – Deansgate 3:53pm
For all roads featured on route and exact timings head to the Tour of Britain website here.
When will the other stages of the Tour of Britain take place?
Following the Greater Manchester Grand Départ, the Tour of Britain 2023 will race through Wrexham, East Riding of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Essex, before culminating in South Wales on Sunday 10 September. Over one million spectators are expected to line the route of this unforgettable, free-to-attend sporting spectacle.
Stage one
Sunday 3 September – Altrincham to Manchester
Stage two
Monday 4 September – Wrexham to Wrexham
Stage three
Tuesday 5 September – Goole to Beverley
Stage four
Wednesday 6 September – Sherwood Forest to Newark-on-Trent
Stage five
Thursday 7 September – Felixstowe to Felixstowe
Stage six
Friday 8 September – Southend-on-Sea to Harlow
Stage seven
Saturday 9 September – Tewkesbury to Gloucester
Stage eight
Sunday 10 September – Margam Country Park to Caerphilly
For more information, visit the Tour of Britain website here.