Cycling has never been more popular in Britain – and the evidence isn’t hard to find. It’s out there every Sunday, in the Chilterns, the Lake District and the Surrey Hills, clad in lycra.

Its rise, thanks to the likes of Wiggins, Hoy, Pendleton and Cavendish, has been startling, and numerous events have sprung up in its wake. Sportives take place across the country each weekend, this year’s RideLondon event will attract almost 100,000 keen amateurs, and Yorkshire – following the success of hosting the Tour de France’s Grand Depart – has launched its own professional race.

Now there’s another on the horizon. The Great Tour, billed as the UK’s “ultimate cycling challenge”, was launched today. The route is certainly epic – 64 consecutive days, riding at least 60 miles a day, tracing the entire coastline of Britain and taking in just about every one of its seaside towns.

Riders can sign up for the whole shebang, a single day, or anything in between. It’s not quite the mass participation event that RideLondon has become – there’s only space for around 250 riders on each leg – but organisers hope to create a lasting legacy that will encourage cyclists to tackle the route in their own time, and discover some of Britain’s most beautiful stretches of coastline.



Bealach-na-Ba (Photo: AP/Fotolia)

To help achieve that goal, there are plans for a Great Tour app in partnership with Ordnance Survey, detailing the route and the best places to stop for refreshments on the way.

It is hoped that the event will also provide a boost to numerous charities, with all riders expected to raise money for a good cause.

It kicks off on July 4, the same day as this year’s Tour de France gets underway, and concludes on September 5 (six weeks after those lazy pros reach Paris).

Below, we’ve picked out a selection of the most scenic sections of the route – whether you’ve got just a day to spare, or a whole week.

For more information on the Great Tour, see www.thegreattour.co.uk

If you've got a day to spare

Holyhead to Llandudno

Day 1 - Saturday, July 4

Where better to start? The event's opening stage is sure to be greeted with much fanfare. It begins in Anglesey - the same launching point for this year's Tour of Britain pro race. Nick Crane, the broadcaster, describes the island as "most lively at its edges, where rugged cliffs and sandy beaches form three sides of its squarish shape". Look out too for Anthony Garratt's outdoor artwork, installed this week and expected to remain in place until October. After which it's on to Bangor and past Penrhyn Castle before the day ends in the traditional resort of Llandudno, home to a Grade-II listed pier and overlooked by the imposing Great Orme headland. Put your feet up at Bodysgallen Hall, one of the country's best seaside hotels and set in 200 acres of woodland.

Read more: Britain's best islands



Anthony Garratt's outdoor artwork

Alnwick to Hartlepool

Day 28 - Friday, July 31

Beginning in Alnwick, home to Britain's second largest inhabited castle and Alnwick Garden, recently revitalised by the Duchess of Northumberland, this route rolls along the picturesque coastline of England's most sparsely populated county before reaching the Tyne. From there it's south along Durham's Heritage Coast, a stretch of rugged beauty that belies its grim industrial past. The stage finishes in Hartlepool, but you might want to continue on to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, where you'll find one of Britain's finest beaches and piers, or Staithes, one of Yorkshire's greatest hidden gems.

Read more: Durham and the legacy left by King Coal



The Durham coast (Photo: AP/Fotolia)

Burnham Market to Southwold

Day 33 - Wednesday, August 5

This long but relatively gentle stage links two of East Anglia's most popular seaside spots. Burnham Market is a classic brick-and-flint village, with Georgian houses clustered around a broad, central green, while Southwold, has colourful beach huts and a smart pier (be sure to visit the quirky Under The Pier Show, which its bizarre home-made contraptions). On the way you'll see pretty Blakeney, which is bordered by a wildlife sanctuary - look out for common and grey seals, which sprawl lazily by the water’s edge - Sheringham, Cromer, and The Broads.

Read more: the best Norfolk hotels



Southwold (Photo: AP/Fotolia)

Rye to Brighton

Day 39 - Tuesday, August 11

Beginning in Rye, with its cobbled streets, painted wooden houses and English rose gardens, this stage takes in historic Hastings, Eastbourne and the Sussex Heritage Coast, where the stars of the show are Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters. A little inland is Alfriston, one of England's finest villages and home to thatch-and-timber Clergy House - the first building to be acquired by the National Trust, in 1896, for a purported £10. The day finishes in Brighton, where there are no shortage of trendy bars in which to celebrate - see our expert's pick of the best.



Beachy Head (Photo: AP/Fotolia)

Ryde to Southampton

Day 41 - Thursday, August 13

Step back in time with a circuit of the Isle of Wight, a pocket version of southern England, with chalk downs dipping to leafy chutes, empty salt marshes and ancient woodland. The stage starts in Ryde and visits the traditional seaside resorts of Seaview, Bembridge, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor (consider a detour to Osborne House, the former summer residence of Queen Victoria), before tackling the hilly south coast. After which it's all stunning sea views until the ferry crossing back to the mainland and a dash along the Solent to Southampton.

Read more: the best Isle of Wight hotels



Ventnor (Photo: AP/Fotolia)

Or a whole week

Western Scotland – Campbeltown to Scourie

Days 12 to 18 - July 15 to 21

Beginning in Campbeltown, the self-styled whisky capital of the world, this route is sure to be glorious, with loch, mountain and island views at every turn. Day two involves a ferry crossing to Mull, where you can spot white-tailed and golden eagles soaring over the dramatic countryside, while day four is sure to appeal to keen amateurs, finishing as its does with the crossing of Bealach-na-Ba to the town of Applecross. It is described in Simon Warren's wonderful 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs as the "toughest and wildest" in the whole of Britain - with a difficulty rating of 11/10.



Mull (Photo: AP/Fotolia)

Cornwall - Dartmouth to Clovelly

Days 45 to 51 - August 17 to 23

Cornwall is defined by its magnificent coastline, 300 miles of dunes and cliffs, medieval harbours and oak-forested creeks. It is also notoriously hilly, so this is a week that's bound to test the legs. Highlights include the South Devon Area of Natural Beauty and the real picture-postcard treasure of Polperro (day one), the Roseland Peninsula (day three), Land's End and St Ives (day five), foodie capital Padstow and the glorious beaches of Constantine Bay, Harlyn, and Trevone (day six), as well as Tintagel Castle and the cobbled, traffic-free Clovelly (day seven).



Polperro (Photo: AP/Fotolia)

Wales – Pendine to Holyhead

Days 58 to 64 - August 30 to September 5

The event's final stretch explores 200 miles of national park coastline, with rugged cliffs, unspoilt golden beaches and wildlife the reward. The route skirts St Brides Bay and heads through the tiny cathedral city of St David's before turning north towards Aberystwyth. Riders will enjoy Snowdonia views for the final push to Anglesey, via Caernarfon and the wonderfully named Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.