Preparations are in full swing for the Tour of Britain’s visit to Bristol on Saturday 10 September.

The Tour, the country’s largest cycling event and biggest free spectator sport, will arrive in Bristol for a full day of competition with the world’s top cyclists.

Starting in Glasgow on 4 September, the winners of the Tour could well be decided at this penultimate Bristol stage.  The day will feature two different races, starting off with an Individual Time Trial in the morning (10am-12.30pm) followed by a five lap 75km Circuit Race in the afternoon (2.30-4:30pm). The day promises to be an incredible spectacle for all the family.

With the tour taking centre stage around the city, a number of roads around the Downs, the Avon Gorge and the Cumberland Basin will be closed for some or all of the day.  This includes the Clifton Suspension Bridge, large sections of the Portway and the entire length of Cumberland Road, all of which will be closed from 5am-8pm on the Saturday. (See notes to editors for a link to full road closure information, including times and road names).

To mitigate travel disruption, residents and visitors are being asked to avoid car travel though the centre on the day and use the Portway, Long Ashton and Brislington Park and Ride services for journeys into Bristol.  The Park and Ride services will be operating all day and following diversion routes, where required, to avoid any road closures.

The council is still looking at other measures that will help residents and visitors move around with minimum disruption.  Announcements of these will follow nearer the time.

All residents who live near the route or in the surrounding areas are now being contacted with details of nearby road closures and the council will respond to any travel concerns that are raised.  The Tour organisers have also been in touch with local and regional businesses and major attractions to help them make plans for the impact of road closures. 

The Tour of Britain previously visited Bristol in 2014 and TV footage was broadcast to over 200 million homes around the world.  It was estimated that the stage visit was responsible for over £240,000 worth of investment in local shops and hotels*.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “It is great to see that the Tour of Britain is returning to Bristol for a whole day of racing.  Not only will it bring visitors and income to the city but it also brings a free-to-watch global sporting spectacle right to the doorsteps of Bristolians.  Bristol is an active city which is full of passionate people and I’m sure we will see huge crowds lining the route come September. 

“I am committed to making cycling more accessible for people of all ages and backgrounds.  Having the world’s top cyclists battle it out on our streets will be a great source of inspiration for any budding cyclist.

“Obviously with an event of this size, travel disruption is highly likely.  I urge residents to think carefully about how they travel on the 10 September and to plan ahead wherever possible to avoid unnecessary delays.” 

Colin Sexstone, Chairman of Bristol’s Partnership for Sports and Active Recreation, said:

“It’s a real coup for Bristol to be staging a whole day’s racing as part of the 2016 Tour of Britain. Bristol is a natural home for cycling in the UK, and the Tour’s decision to stage an Individual Time Trial and a full Circuit Race in the city on the same day is testament to Bristol providing a world-class backdrop and supporters to match the world’s cycling elite as they race around our streets. It is likely to be Bristol’s pedal-power answer to Monaco F1.

“I am grateful to Bristol City Council for helping to make this happen, and for their work to minimise disruption and maximise the whole city’s excitement and participation on the day. I am leading a brand new city-wide sport and active recreation partnership for Bristol - Active Bristol - and we want this event - the biggest single sports event that Bristol has ever staged - to inspire more people to be active, especially as we head into Bristol’s year as European City of Sport in 2017. Bristol loves sport and loves being an active city, and I am excited that we can celebrate this on 10 September.”