Tour of Britain 2023 *Spoilers*

[T4tomo]

The "Central England" stage is Tewkesbury - Gloucester.

I think someone needs to get a dictionary and look up the definition of central.

It's between the dots for stages 6 & 8 on the map, what were you expecting??

 

[Supersuperleeds]

It's between the dots for stages 6 & 8 on the map, what were you expecting??

I’ve nothing against where it is, I just find it funny that someone thinks Tewkesbury is central England.

 

[fossyant]

The route plan is really late. Nothing yet for 'The Grand Depart'.

 

[mjr]

I’ve nothing against where it is, I just find it funny that someone thinks Tewkesbury is central England.

Tewkesbury is about 400km from the Scottish border, 400km from Land's End and 300km from Ness Point. Isn't that pretty central?

 

[Alex321]

Tewkesbury is about 400km from the Scottish border, 400km from Land's End and 300km from Ness Point. Isn't that pretty central?

I think so.

It is on the edge of what is normally called "the Midlands", but the Midlands isn't really the middle of England.

 

[the_mikey]

Tewkesbury is about 400km from the Scottish border, 400km from Land's End and 300km from Ness Point. Isn't that pretty central?

Indeed, I live just outside Bristol and Leeds is closer to me than Land's End..

 

[GuyBoden]

The route plan is really late. Nothing yet for 'The Grand Depart'.

Alty to Manc, It's here:
https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/stages/stage-one/

I'll ride to Ashley and see them passing.

Still waiting for Stage Two route.

 

[Alex321]

They have the route map for stage 8 (my local stage) now, but no timings yet.

Up the Rhigos fairly early, another climb or two, then finishing by going up Caerphilly mountain twice before ending at the castle.

 

[BrumJim]

The "Central England" stage is Tewkesbury - Gloucester.

I think someone needs to get a dictionary and look up the definition of central.

Was hoping it would be Birmingham, with money coming from the Mayor and that left over from the Commonwealth Games, but sadly not. Don't know if Birmingham CC running out of money had anything to do with that.

 

[Alex321]

They have the route map for stage 8 (my local stage) now, but no timings yet.

Up the Rhigos fairly early, another climb or two, then finishing by going up Caerphilly mountain twice before ending at the castle.

Just looked more closely at the route. Almost all of it until Treorchy is roads I have ridden, and they actually come right through my village. They then go up the Bwlch mountain, which isn't even a classified climb, taking the exact same route I did the last time I went up it from home (it took me an hour and a half for that 20 miles, I wonder how long it will take them).

Four KOM climbs, all cat 1 - Rhigos, Bryn Du and Caerphilly mountain x 2. All of which are in the second half of the stage.

It certainly won't be a processional final stage

 

[GuyBoden]

Just looked more closely at the route. Almost all of it until Treorchy is roads I have ridden, and they actually come right through my village. They then go up the Bwlch mountain, which isn't even a classified climb, taking the exact same route I did the last time I went up it from home (it took me an hour and a half for that 20 miles, I wonder how long it will take them).

Four KOM climbs, all cat 1 - Rhigos, Bryn Du and Caerphilly mountain x 2. All of which are in the second half of the stage.

It certainly won't be a processional final stage

That looks the best of all the stages.

 

[Alex321]

That looks the best of all the stages.

It does. And while I *could* just walk 200 yards from my door and watch them whizz past, I prefer to ride over and see them twice on Caerphilly Mountain.

 

[matticus]

Just looked more closely at the route. Almost all of it until Treorchy is roads I have ridden, and they actually come right through my village. They then go up the Bwlch mountain, which isn't even a classified climb, taking the exact same route I did the last time I went up it from home (it took me an hour and a half for that 20 miles, I wonder how long it will take them).

Four KOM climbs, all cat 1 - Rhigos, Bryn Du and Caerphilly mountain x 2. All of which are in the second half of the stage.

It certainly won't be a processional final stage

This is highly train accesible for me+bike (and a long 1 day / 2 easy day ride home). Now I've seen it goes somewhere fun/interesting .... <thinks> ...

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Tewkesbury is about 400km from the Scottish border, 400km from Land's End and 300km from Ness Point. Isn't that pretty central?

Fair enough

 

[Alex321]

This is highly train accesible for me+bike (and a long 1 day / 2 easy day ride home). Now I've seen it goes somewhere fun/interesting .... <thinks> ...

They have put the timings up since I last looked. At "standard" speed, they pass my house at 12:37, with the first ascent of Caerphilly mountain starting at 15:03. Just wondering how long before they arrive I'd need to be on the mountain, trying to decide whether to watch them whizz through my village at 40+kph before cycling over (probably take me about an hour).

I can't believe they have mad the finish loop so short - only 11 minutes between starting the first ascent and starting the 2nd ascent. If the peleton has broken up over the previous climbs, there are likely to be bigger gaps than that. And just realised they are going round that loop the opposite direction to what I expected.