South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

Reading gears up for The Tour of Britain 2007

21 June 2007

Reading Borough Council has today (Monday 18th June) announced that it will be hosting the prestigious Tour of Britain Cycle Race for the first time, thanks to joint sponsorship with the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). The race will start at the Palmer Park Stadium in the centre of the city on Monday 10th September at 10.30am finishing in Southampton city centre later that day.

Rob Anderson (centre), SEEDA Board Member - at Palmer Park

The Tour of Britain, which is Britain's leading professional cycle race and the biggest live free sporting event, is seven days in length, starting in London on 9th September and finishing in Glasgow on 15th September. The 2007 race promises to be bigger and better than previous years with the route going from South to North for the first time.

The 96 riders that will be taking part in the South East stage can expect a gruelling 87 mile route, which will take the riders approximately three and a half hours to complete, at an average speed of over 25 miles per hour. The route travels via Pamber Heath (the first Sprint stage) to Whitehill, which is the first E.ON King of the Mountains hill climb, to the scenic area that provided the inspiration for Richard Adam's novel Watership Down. The route then goes to Stockbridge for the second Sprint stage and then follows the River Test valley to Kimbridge where the second E.ON Kind of the Mountains starts. The route then travels through the scenic New Forest before entering Southampton and finishing at Hoglands Park.

Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of The Tour of Britain said: "This is the second year that The Tour of Britain has visited the South East region and this route is one of the most scenic of the tour. We would like to express our gratitude to all the partners, sponsors and supporters in the region who have come together to make the event possible. We hope to reward your support with a great day of racing and entertainment for everyone who comes to watch."

The announcement that England's Southeast will play a high profile role in the Tour further strengthens the region's commitment to maximising the benefits of this major event for the region.

Rob Anderson, SEEDA Board Member, said: "As a region we have an enviable record for hosting major sporting and cultural events, bringing huge economic benefits to the region. With our support of The Tour of Britain and next months Tour de France we hope to highlight the region's potential for cycle tourism."

For further information about The Tour of Britain please log onto www.tourofbritain.co.uk.