Alderley Park prepares to welcome 2021 Tour of Britain

The Alderley Park science and technology hub will host the start of stage five of the 2021 Tour of Britain cycling competition on 9th September.

The fifth stage of the annual road cycling event will begin at The Glasshouse at Alderley Park before taking in a 96-mile route through Cheshire, including three King of the Mountains climbs in the Peak District, and finishing in Warrington.

The route will take in a number of Cheshire landmarks, including the Jodrell Bank space telescope, and pass through Holmes Chapel and Congleton before the Peak District climbs which include a gruelling 1.7 km ascent (6.9% average gradient) ending near to the Cat and Fiddle pub. Macclesfield, Rainow, and Adlington will all welcome the race before a second intermediate sprint at Wilmslow. The route then heads through the town of Alderley Edge and the climb of the same name and on through Chelford, Knutsford and High Legh before entering Warrington via Appleton.

Dr Kath Mackay, managing director, Bruntwood SciTech – Alderley Park, said:

Cycling is a sport renowned for innovation and pushing the realms of possibility and, as a place that is home to some of the country’s most innovative businesses, Alderley Park is a fitting host for the competition.

“The Tour of Britain is a world-class event that brings people together and we can’t wait to welcome the riders, volunteers and the local community for what is set to be a very memorable event.”

Jonathan Durling, Tour of Britain partnerships director, said:

“We’re delighted to unveil Alderley Park as the host venue for the stage five start. Alderley Park’s reputation as being a world-leading venue for innovation ties in perfectly with the Tour of Britain, as the competing teams and riders leave no stone unturned when it comes to using the best and most up-to-date equipment out there to give them that crucial performance edge. It’s incredibly exciting for us to be working with a venue that has an unwavering desire to capitalise on all of the benefits that cycling can provide.”

Rescheduled to 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Tour of Britain will be the 17th edition of the UK’s most prestigious stage race.