Cycle race set to bypass Exmouth

The Tour of Britain cyclists and their support teams rode right through Sidmouth on Tuesday and are pictured heading along the seafront. Photo by Simon Horn. Ref shsp 1535-37-10SH Archant

This year’s Tour of Britain cycle race will miss out Exmouth and the western-side of East Devon entirely following a race stage finishing in the town in 2011.

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Tour organisers and county hall last week announced that Devon will host Stage Six from Sidmouth to Haytor in Dartmoor National Park on Friday, September 20.

Devon will be making history as the first stage of The Tour of Britain to host a summit finish when the nation’s premier cycle race returns to the county to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

It will be the seventh consecutive year that The Tour will have visited Devon. In that time it has brought in more than £21million to the local economy and showcased the county to a worldwide audience.

Last year alone generated more than £7.3million in Devon in a record breaking year.

This year’s Devon Stage will start on the Jurassic Coast in Sidmouth and will cover around 85 miles (137 km) of the county before finishing in Dartmoor National Park.

The route will also see 96 of the world’s top cyclists race through Honiton, Cullompton, Tiverton, Exeter, Moretonhampstead, and Bovey Tracey before the challenging climax in Dartmoor National Park.

Councillor Iain Chubb, East Devon District Council’s environment champion, said: “This will give the people of East Devon and our visitors a fantastic spectacle to enjoy as world-class riders bring the colour and the excitement of international cycling to one of our coastal resorts and also to one of our market towns.”